June 14, 2010 archive

The Urban Commune – an idea whose time has come?

On this blog, it is interesting to me that we talk about the environmental problems that face us.  We talk about new structures and new paradigms, and we talk about how to handle certain deep problems facing our society such as transportation — but to me one huge basic answer to all of these questions is the urban commune.

One of the conclusions that has been largely reached by several people on this blog is that the answers, some feel, do not devolve to the traditional issues of national politics.  That, in other words, to really solve the deep systemic problems inherent in the American political system is to address the local issues each of us face.

This is not an either/or — to say that we must address sustainable living and engender a better model for living is not therefore in direct opposition to the ideas involved in how to change our political system for the better.  However, a gradual realization has dawned that there is a yin/yang relationship in terms of top-down political action versus bottom-up action.  If we live in a certain manner as to make our government respond to that way of living, they will.  Most of us work for corporations.  Most of us have interests involved in basic living that are or may be at odds with what we think would be a better model of living for the future.  On the other hand, if our politicians have constituents who have already changed their way of living in some degree — that if they adopt, for example, community living as a way of life without their assistance, it would be more in our politicans interests to cater to those constituencies that have already been pre-created.

It strikes me that we talk very little about the most basic problem facing all of us — that is, how to live in such a way as to weather the crises confronting our society and how to emerge whole.

I have lived, very briefly, on a commune.  It is not my purpose, however, to put myself up as an expert of any kind on this subject.  My experience was long enough to gather and internalize some of the concepts, but short enough that I don’t consider myself well endowed to do anything on the level of proselytizing.

It is more my purpose to open a conversation on this subject.  If we on this blog wish to address New Structures, a new way, therefore, to address our problems, what can be more basic than to talk about how we live, and to think about and contribute our ideas about communal living as an opener to that very basic conversation?

Oil Leaks From Gulf Seabed Cracks Around BP’s Well Site?

Crossposted from Antemedius

BP has a collection of ‘bots’ or ROV’s, remotely operated vehicles, tethered underwater robots operating in the Gulf of Mexico near the blown out Macondo Well site, while they attempt to either plug the leak or at least find ways to recover and siphon off the leaking oil.

Sitting on top of the well pipe projecting from the seabed is the BOP, or Blow Out Preventer, the large steel 450 ton apparatus that you may have seen in various photographs and videos from BP’s Live Feed as they recently cut off the top of the riser pipe that ran from the BOP to the Deepwater Horizon platform before it burned and sank.

There has been much speculation lately that the well bore is damaged below the seabed and that oil is leaking out of the well into the seabed underneath and around the BOP.

Keeping in mind that the BOP weighs 450 tons it would seem that if the seabed is becoming saturated with oil leaking through it that is only a question of time before the seabed will no longer have the structural strength to support the weight of the BOP and that it could fall off the top of the well pipe it is sitting on, releasing an uncontrolled and uncontrollable flow of oil into the gulf with no way of plugging or stopping it.

BP denies that oil or gas are leaking from cracks in the sea floor on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

This video was recorded from the Viking Poseidon ROV 1 on June 13th, 2010, and appears to show bursts of oil leaking from cracks in the seabed.

BP’s live feed from the Viking Poseidon ROV 1 is here, with the disclaimer ” Please be aware, this is a live stream and may freeze or be unavailable from time to time.”

Oil Leaks From Gulf Seabed Cracks Around BP’s Well Site?

Crossposted from Antemedius

BP has a collection of ‘bots’ or ROV’s, remotely operated vehicles, tethered underwater robots operating in the Gulf of Mexico near the blown out Macondo Well site, while they attempt to either plug the leak or at least find ways to recover and siphon off the leaking oil.

Sitting on top of the well pipe projecting from the seabed is the BOP, or Blow Out Preventer, the large steel 450 ton apparatus that you may have seen in various photographs and videos from BP’s Live Feed as they recently cut off the top of the riser pipe that ran from the BOP to the Deepwater Horizon platform before it burned and sank.

There has been much speculation lately that the well bore is damaged below the seabed and that oil is leaking out of the well into the seabed underneath and around the BOP.

Keeping in mind that the BOP weighs 450 tons it would seem that if the seabed is becoming saturated with oil leaking through it that is only a question of time before the seabed will no longer have the structural strength to support the weight of the BOP and that it could fall of the top of the well pipe it is sitting on, releasing an uncontrolled and uncontrollable flow of oil into the gulf with no way of plugging or stopping it.

BP denies that oil or gas are leaking from cracks in the sea floor on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico

This video was recorded from the Viking Poseidon ROV 1 on June 13th, 2010, and appears to show bursts of oil leaking from cracks in the seabed.

BP’s live feed from the Viking Poseidon ROV 1 is here, with the disclaimer ” Please be aware, this is a live stream and may freeze or be unavailable from time to time.”

Pique the Geek 20100613. The Things that We Eat: Salt

Contrary to some popular opinion, salt is an essential part of the diet.  Unfortunately, it is possible to get too much of a good thing, and that is true in the case of salt.

On the other hand, it is possible to become deficient in salt, although that is quite rare with a modern western diet.  However, vegans and other vegetarians can become deficient, especially when performing strenuous work in hot weather, since sweat is about 0.9% salt.

Afghanistan in 1955

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