JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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donkusai
Libya is only a small player in world oil, making up less than 2% of world oil production. The rising price of oil is more linked to Bahrain and the fear that the unrest there will spill over into Saudi Arabia, which is the world's biggest oil supplier.
As for the role of foreign leaders such as Obama, it is really the Italians who are in the best position to influence events in Libya, so if the US and others want to do anything, then they should be working through the Italian Prime Minister.
Posted in: Gadhafi's vows to fight to 'last drop of blood'
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donkusai
I work with a number of Libyans and the general consensus among them is that having Gadhafi as a leader was no real problem for them, until he brought in foreign mercenaries to open file on the Libyan people. Now they seem very, very keen to see him go - and by go I don't mean leave, but go as in 6 foot under. It's not good seeing people you work with unable to concentrate and constantly check back to the news websites, worried about family back home.
Posted in: Gadhafi's vows to fight to 'last drop of blood'
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donkusai
This is hilarious! I'll have to remember this line next time I see a major demonstration against something. "Yes, there might be a lot of people demonstrating against us, but everyone else supports us!" If ten million people around the country decided to demonstrate against big government, then that must mean all of the remaining almost 300 million supported big government! I love it! It's like math from the 7th dimension!
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
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donkusai
Translation: I got my info third-hand and the guy who told me swore it was reliable, but I don't really know where my info came from so I'll pretend that anyone could find it if they just bothered to try (cause I sure couldn't be bothered to check the facts myself).
Translation (abridged): I don't have a clue what the "real" facts are.
Posted in: Scientists connect global warming to extreme rain
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donkusai
That's it Sarah, keep it controversial and keep the media hungry for what you're going to say next. It's all just free advertising for the book, and for every extra one sold, that's just a little more of some poor suckers' money in your pocket.
Posted in: Palin rejects gun law changes; stays vague on 2012
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donkusai
A good point, but if I understand the article, the point of the research was to look back and check the models against actual empirical data, as you say. The models weren't trying to predict the future, but were being compared against real recent events. Your point is valid, and that seems to be the importance of this research - this is the beginning of the "50 years moment" you refer to, the actual correlation of the models to past events. It's still early days, so we'll have to wait for the further research the article talks about for the picture to solidify more.
I was just commenting on the line in the article where it said "most of the 10 outside climate experts who reviewed the papers for The Associated Press called the research sound and strong." This seems to imply the Associated Press were responsible for bringing additional checks to verify the research.
Posted in: Scientists connect global warming to extreme rain
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donkusai
Actually, all joking around aside, a big thumbs up to The Associated Press for lining up 10 independent experts in the field to review the studies for them. If more news agencies did this, we could have some chance of cutting through the huge amount of misinformation out there on this topic and avoid misinformed posts like the previous one by yanee.
Posted in: Scientists connect global warming to extreme rain
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donkusai
arrestpaul, simply read the sentence before the one you highlighted and you get the answer to your own question. I know this whole reading in context thing can get a little difficult sometimes, but stick with, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.
Posted in: Scientists connect global warming to extreme rain
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donkusai
Agree. Despite the fact that 2 separate studies verified by independent experts totally disagree with what you say, I for one put more weight in your opinion over their so-called "scientific study".
Posted in: Scientists connect global warming to extreme rain
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donkusai
Bah, what could scientists possibly know about science? I'll wait until the real experts - the politicians and radio & TV hacks - to comment before I make my mind up on this.
Reviewed by external experts unrelated to the research? Obviously some sort of conspiracy.
Posted in: Scientists connect global warming to extreme rain
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donkusai
Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, the detachment from reality often extends to a fair percentage of each group's supporters, and thus the stupidity continues in an ever falling spiral downward.
Posted in: Obama official says new budget won't be pain-free
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donkusai
Northern and Southern Sudan were never one country until the Brits joined them together to stop Egypt taking the north and becoming too powerful in the Middle East region. Northern Sudan is linked to the Arab world, while Southern Sudan is linked to the African world. They are culturally, religiously and significantly racially different. Most of the rebels still in Southern Sudan are the returned child soldiers previously taken to the North, converted to Islam and trained in warfare.
The 1983-2005 war was most definitely a civil war with one part of the country fighting another. As with other civil wars (for example, the American civil war), it was a case of two groups fighting for control of the country. The differences may be ideological, political, religious or racial, but that doesn't stop it being called a civil war.
Posted in: 105 die in fighting between Southern Sudan army, rebels
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donkusai
We don't tend to listen to those with the PhDs and published peer-reviewed work anyway if it doesn't agree with our personal views. Stepping aside from the global warming issue, I think this is a bigger problem that has spread right across society. We're far more likely to listen to the "pundits" rather than the "scientists", and simply agree with the ones that match our personal/political beliefs.
Prince Charles is a pundit, not a scientist. Most reports are pundits, so are TV and radio hosts, and even some who claim to be scientists are little more than pundits relying on non-peer reviewed or untested work. It all makes it very difficult for we, the general public, to separate the facts from the spin, so we just believe what we want to because it's easier. It's not a good way for things to be.
There is actually very little debate among scientists about both warming and it being induced or increased by human activity. There is, however, far more debate about whether this will have a major, minor or no effect on our future lives.
Posted in: Prince Charles blasts climate-change skeptics
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donkusai
It seems from what I've read here from the comments that this should only be one step in developing infrastructure, and that more will be needed at the various destinations. This isn't really a reason to drop the idea, but the planning should be integrated with future ideas so it all works together.
Posted in: Obama calls for $53 bil for high-speed rail
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donkusai
The Democrats and the Tea Party members joining forces to defeat the mainstream Republicans... sounds like a working democracy to me.
Posted in: House rejects extensions of Patriot Act provisions in U.S.
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donkusai
I first got into Gary's music with the Wild Frontier album, and quickly discovered his back catalog. I've been listening to it for the 25 years or so since. A great musician and a good guy. He'll be sorely missed.
Posted in: Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore dead at 58
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donkusai
Apparently relevant to 25 million unique visitors a day, though not to me.
Posted in: AOL to buy Huffington Post for $315 mil
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donkusai
I first got
Posted in: Apple chief says factory labor under scrutiny
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donkusai
"Much of what happened under Bush is still happening, isn't it?" From the above quote, it seems they are protesting the water-boarding and such. I'm not fully up on this, but did this sort of thing continue after Obama took over?
Posted in: Bush visit to Geneva canceled after protest threat
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donkusai
No remaking needed. The facts speak for themselves. Reagan did spend big (unless you want to rewrite history). Obama is well on his way down the same road. I would not raise the name of either president if asked to cite an example of an economically competent president. And here lies the absurdity of Palin's comments.
I've seen this documentary and recommend it to anyone interested in seeing how advertising and political spin developed and became so intrusive in the world we live in today.
Posted in: Palin: America out of step with Reagan's values