South Carolina doesnt have to be about race
Obama won the South Carolina primary by a giant margin. In fact, some call that an old fashion tail whipping.
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Obama–55%
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Clinton–27%
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Edwards–18%
Every article you read talks about the racially divided results. They were very divided, but they dont have to dictate the course of the election. I am not a Democrat or a Republican, but I definitely think Obama is a better choice than Hillary. Obama lost a few points with me however by allowing Bill and Hillary to bring him down to childish bantering last week. For the rest of his campaign I have been impressed with how different Obama has sounded than other politicians.
Obama sounded a singular message which to me rings of one main point…separation of politicians from corporate snares. This should be a priority for all Americans that has no racial bearings. I may not agree with Obama on some issues (a glaring one is I am strongly pro-life), but I definitely respect that message.
Mercury Poisoning Factbox
Mercury is a very common contaminant found in a variety of environments. Mercury is not beneficial to the body in any amount3, is a potent neurotoxin6, 7, and has been linked to autism5. Recently, much news has been on mercury poisoning in fish especially sushi. What are the facts on Mercury?
First, one of the central ideas of environmental toxicology is that the form of the contaminant determines its toxicity and its mobility. When told that an environment contains a certain contaminant environmental geochemists immediately ask, “What forms is it in?” The forms of Mercury are:
- Elemental Mercury (Hg0) – This form is volatile and is spontaneously oxidized in the presence of light
- Mercuric Ion (Hg2+) – salts, used in tanning and as disinfectants, kills/inhibits many microbes, toxic but rapidly excreted8
- Mineral (HgS) – Cinnabar
- Organic Mercurials (RHg+) – used as slimicide, paper industry, seed coating; two major forms are methylmercury and dimethylmercury
The form of mercury is very important in determining its toxicity. For example many of us have fillings in our teeth. Amalgam fillings are often 50% Mercury (As I type this my tongue goes to the top of my mouth and feels mine). However, it is in the elemental form Hg0. If your filling gets exposed to light by opening your mouth wide it is oxidized to Hg2+ and is almost entirely excreted through your urine9 (despite what some holistic medical 
websites may claim). Methylmercury, however, is the common type found in fish and other foods. Methylmercury is 100 times more toxic than Hg2+ and is very poorly metabolized and excreted from the body.
Mercury enters the atmosphere through natural and anthropomorphic sources. Some natural sources include: volcanoes, minerals, and volatilization from ocean. Some anthropomorphic sources are: coal combustion, waste incineration, dentistry, and metal processing. Most sources would say that humans have doubled or even tripled the amount of Mercury in the atmosphere10.
Through various activities, such as combustion of fossil fuels, Mercury has settled after volatilization to nearly form a blanket across the earth. Mercury has settled into the ocean sediment as well. The form is usually Hg0 or Hg2+ which is changed to methylmercury through uptake of organisms generally settling in their fatty tissue. Mercury is biomagnified as predators eat smaller fish and other aquatic animals. For this reason predatory fish will tend to have higher amounts of Mercury.
The story is not all bad. Just as Mercury can become more toxic by changing form it can also become detoxified. For instance, Methanogens (bacteria) can change Methylmercury to elemental Mercury through the reaction: CH3Hg+ → CH4+ Hg0. Another pathway is through microbes harboring heavy-metal resistance plasmids changing Hg2+ to Hg0. Lastly, Anoxic-Sulfate Reducers produce H2S ppt mercury through Hg2++ H2S → HgS, Hg2S.
Mercury is most harmful to women and children6,7, but men should be very careful as well. Fish are not harmed by the Mercury in their body. Therefore, they will accumulate Mercury without health effects to themselves. When the Mercury is transferred to humans however the effects can be drastic. One horrible example is the Minamata Disaster off of Minamata Bay in Japan in 1932-1969. Thousands of people living around the bay developed Methylmercury poisoning through the consumption of contaminated fish8. Mercury was dumped into the bay by Chisso plastics manufacturing company. Symptoms include tingling sensations, muscle weakness, unsteady gait, tunnel vision, slurred speech, hearing loss, and abnormal behavior, such as sudden fits of laughter. Some may remember the story of the Mad Hatter. In the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries Mercury was used in the process of hat making through mercuric nitrate, Hg(NO3)2·2H2O which was added to separated the fur from the pelt. The vapors produced were highly toxic.
1. On the Chemical Form of Mercury in Edible Fish and Marine Invertebrate Tissue Bloom, NS; Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences CJFSDX, Vol. 49, No. 5, p 1010-1017, May 1992. 1 fig, 4 tab, 22 ref.
2. Importance of wetlands as sources of methyl mercury to boreal forest ecosystems
St. Louis, VL; Rudd, JWM; Kelly, CA; Beaty, KG; Bloom, NS; Flett, RJ
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences [CAN. J. FISH. AQUAT. SCI.]. Vol. 51, no. 5, pp. 1065-1076. 1994.
3. http://dcnutrition.com/minerals/minerals.cfm
4. Mercury methylation in aquatic systems affected by acid deposition; Gilmour CC, Henry EA, Environ Pollut. 1991;71(2-4):131-69
5. Autism: a novel form of mercury poisoning; S. Bernard, A. Enayati, L. Redwood, H. Roger and T. Binstock; ARC Research, Cranford, New Jersey, USA
6. Methylmercury poisoning: long-term clinical, radiological, toxicological, and pathological studies of an affected family; Davis LE, Kornfeld M, Mooney HS, Fiedler KJ, Haaland KY, Orrison WW, Cernichiari E, Clarkson TW; Ann Neurol. 1994 Jun;35(6):680-8
7. Iatrogenic exposure to mercury after hepatitis B vaccination in preterm infants;
Stajich GV, Lopez GP, Harry SW, Sexson WR; J Pediatr. 2000 May;136(5):679-81
8. Personal Presentations in Biogeochemistry; Texas A&M University; Dr. McGuire
9. People with high mercury uptake from their own dental amalgam fillings; L Barregard, G Sallsten and B Jarvholm; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol 52, 124-128
10. Regional differences in worldwide emissions of mercury to the atmosphere; Nicola Pirrone, Gerald J. Keeler and Jerome O. Nriagu; Atmospheric Environment Vol. 30, No. 17, pp. 2981 2987, 1996; Copyright © 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd
Similarities between Atheists and Global Warming naysayers
Yes, I know that is a weird combination. This is just one of the oddities of who I am. Rarefied. Anyway, here is a list I have been thinking about lately. After reading lots of articles on atheism and global warming (generally not the same places) I have noticed several parallels. Of course, there are many exceptions, but this leads into my list….
10. Both positions provide a nutshell answer of the rest of their politics.
9. Neither admit they may be wrong.
8. Both caricaturize their opponents arguments.
7. Both ignore the repercussions of their choice.
6. Both form clubs and make t-shirts.
5. Both almost always come from specific segments of society.
4. Both allow themselves to stay uninformed.
3. Both pretend they have reached their conclusions based on logic when they base their stance on personal desires.
2. Both almost always use straw man arguments.
1. Both fear deeply they are wrong.
By global warming naysayer I don’t mean just someone who doubts global warming. Rather, I am referring to those who vigorously argue from a standpoint of fact.
One of the strangest things (by strange I mean what I would not have previously expected) is that blogs devoted to atheism usually don’t allow Christians to post comments on them. I have written comments on blogs to await moderation that eventually get rejected. If it were me I would delete a comment that was using a lot of expletives or threatening others, but I wouldn’t delete one just because it disagreed with me.
What is a Superfund Site?
What are Superfund sites? Understanding what superfund sites are is very important to consumers across the United States although most people have little idea what they are. Most people hear the term on TV or in a municipality newsletter and dismiss it. However, understanding the Superfund federal program has effects in areas as broad as real estate to environmental policy to where your used batteries are disposed of.
Q. What is a Superfund?
A. The Superfund program is the common name for CERCLA (Comprehensive, Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act). It was established by congress in 1980 in response to the Love Canal Disaster where toxic waste was found under a local community.
Q. What is the purpose of CERCLA?
A. CERCLA exists to protect the American people from toxic wastes deposited across the country. It allows the EPA to maintain a list of sites, and to seek to attenuate the harmful effects of the contaminants.
Q. How many Superfund sites are there?
A. There are currently 1240 sites.
Q. How does the EPA seek to solve these local problems?
A. CERCLA establishes the liable persons and agencies to pay for the cleanup. There is also a trust fund set up by the government to pay for remediation when the responsible party is ambiguous. There are two main types of actions the EPA may take: 1. Removal of contaminants, and 2. Remediation of contaminants.
Q. What type of remediation techniques are used?
A. This is a very big question. Environmental Remediation as a science is still in its infancy (Yes, this is what I am studying for those who know me). Geochemists and engineers of all types seek to study various contaminants in all kinds of environments to develop methods that are the best fit for each situation.
Q. How can I find out if there is a Superfund site near me?
A. You may go to the EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
Stop for a second…listen to Christ
The semester is starting off. Things are starting to role. Every semester about this time my mind goes immediately to all the stuff I have to do. What will my workload be like? When are my classes? What bible studies will I go to? Now, I have the added, what needs to be done on my research projects? It is difficult now to stop and just listen to Christ.
Before I went to Syria I really did a poor job of just stopping and spending time in meditation and prayer. As a result I had a lot of stuff on my “spiritual resume” as it is called. You know…lead this bible study, did this ministry, handed out such and such tracts, but I really had very little depth in faith. When real struggle came the real me showed.
College is such an easy time in life. Brothers and sisters, spend time with Christ this semester in private. Satan wants to convince you that this time could be better spent.
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and
pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who
sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:6
Tom Cruise YouTube Scientology video “freaky”
Everyone needs to watch Tom Cruise’s YouTube Scientology video. Click here. It is one of the scariest things I have seen. He is totally brainwashed.
Make sure you watch the new remix version with Will Smith.
School Starts yet again…I am still old
Well, I am now starting my 16th semester at Texas A&M. Currently I should be in 20th grade (excluding my classes at the University of Damascus). If I do my PhD perhaps I should not keep track anymore. Anyway, I will write the post of U.S. Superfund sites first chance I get. Any other environmental issues yall want me to write about just send me an email or make a comment. Have a great week!
It’s hard being a refugee
So, I went to visit one of my friends during the holidays. He and his family are refugees. When he rejected his former religion and turned to Christ he was threatened by his family and government with death. After fleeing to a nearby country he became a powerful voice of truth, and led many to faith. For this he was placed in prison. Of course, it wasnt a prison like we think of here in the states. It was a real prison. Yeah, those still exist.
During this time his wife and small child were left to fend for themselves. Did I mention she was pregnant? Months later managed to get out, and applied for asylum in the States. Their request was granted and they fled to the U.S.
Life here has been hard. Everything is different and strange. They no longer have their friends and family. Language is not the easy connection we take for granted. Working multiple jobs to pay for food and clothing has a tendency to wear you down. Now, he has one job, but the hours are not the fluffy 9 to 5 we enjoy.
They, of course, live in a very bad neighborhood–with two little kids and a baby on the way. Last week I found out he was robbed outside his house by two men with a gun pointed to his head. They took his wallet. He didnt have any money in it anyway, but he had to quickly cancel his credit cards.
Often when we hear these stories our first instinct is to praise God that we arent going through the same things. But, perhaps we should instead praise God that He is worthy…..even of His children’s suffering.
Yet another reason why Kyoto could not include emerging nations
The argument has gone on and on in America about Kyoto. Why endorse an agreement that isnt binding to developed and developing nations alike. Part of the reason is simply emerging nations often do not have the political stability to enforce a multinational environmental pact. This Reuters article is yet another example.
African Union mission to Kenya fails to end crisis
By Daniel Wallis and Wangui Kanina
NAIROBI, Jan 10 (Reuters) – An African Union mission to resolve a political crisis in Kenya that has killed 500 people ended in failure on Thursday as the president and opposition leader accused each other of wrecking talks.
AU Chairman John Kufuor said both sides had agreed to work with an African panel headed by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. But President Mwai Kibaki and opposition chief Raila Odinga neither met nor agreed how to end the crisis.
Controversy over Kibaki’s re-election in a Dec. 27 vote triggered political and ethnic bloodletting that has displaced 250,000 people, dented the stable reputation of east Africa’s biggest economy and disrupted supplies to nearby countries.
Odinga says Kibaki rigged the election.
Ghanaian President Kufuor, Washington’s top Africa diplomat Jendayi Frazer and EU and British envoys met Odinga on Thursday to pile pressure on him and on Kibaki to reach a deal.
Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) distributed the text of a draft agreement it said had been drawn up with representatives of both Kibaki and the ODM under the facilitation of the World Bank’s country director, Colin Bruce.
The text agreed to re-examine the elections and hold fresh polls if needed, but the ODM said Kibaki refused to sign.
“It is true to his character and can only be treated with the contempt it deserves,” said ODM Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o. “This is a slap in the face … to the (AU) mission and the international community,” he said.
Kibaki’s office denied knowledge of the agreement and in a statement it accused the ODM of blocking negotiations.
“The government had offered dialogue which was to be facilitated by President John Kufuor but Orange Democratic Movement leaders have not been responsive,” it said.
Kufuor put a brave face on his two-day mission before leaving the country on Thursday.
“The parties agreed to work together with a panel of eminent African personalities headed by Mr Kofi Annan … towards resolving their differences and all other outstanding issues including constitutional and electoral reforms,” he said.
“Both sides agreed there should be an end to the violence and they also agreed there should be dialogue,” he told reporters as he left for the airport.
TEAR GAS
In a sign tensions were still high after two weeks of violence, riot police fired tear gas at around 70 pro-opposition women who marched and blocked a road in a Nairobi suburb.
Some women lay down, stripped to their bras and shouted “Shame on you” at police who tapped their plastic shields with their batons. Police then fired tear gas to disperse the women, including one clutching a baby to her bosom as she fled.
Previously regarded as a gentlemanly leader with a passion for golf, Kibaki has shown a steely side to Odinga, a former political prisoner and wealthy business owner who helped Kibaki win a 2002 poll but was sacked from government in 2005.
Kibaki has insisted the poll results stand despite inviting Odinga to direct talks on Friday — an offer the opposition leader has dismissed unless it is internationally mediated.
Behind closed doors, Kibaki watched the swearing-in of a core cabinet whose appointment on Tuesday prompted more violence in Nairobi slums and western towns dominated by Odinga.
A U.S. State Department spokesman criticised Kibaki’s move.
“He (Kibaki) announced a cabinet in a way that caused serious problems in the political process,” he said.
“We did not think the move was appropriate at the time.”
Kenya’s state-funded National Commission on Human Rights presented a petition to police on Thursday demanding a criminal investigation into alleged abuses by the electoral commission.
Washington and Britain have both said the poll was flawed.
Both Kibaki’s and Odinga’s parties say they will be able to mobilise a majority in parliament. Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement has threatened to occupy the government side of the chamber when parliament opens on Jan. 15.
The official death toll from election-related political and ethnic violence is 486, although aid workers put it at more than 500, and the opposition say the toll could be nearer 1,000. (Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri, Joseph Sudah, Andrew Cawthorne and Katie Nguyen; writing by Alistair Thomson; editing by Andrew Roche)
My favorite Chuck Norris Facts
There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
The leading causes of death in the United States are: 1. Heart Disease, 2. Chuck Norris, 3. Cancer
Chuck Norris has two speeds: walk and kill
Chuck Norris doesnt go hunting….CHUCK NORRIS GOES KILLING.
Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.
If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, “Two seconds ’til.” After you ask, “Two seconds ’til what?” he roundhouse kicks you in the face.
Chuck Norris is the only human being to display the Heisenberg uncertainty principle — you can never know both exactly where and how quickly he will roundhouse-kick you in the face.
When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
Superman goes to sleep with Chuck Norris underwear.
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