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To be honest I'm not entirely sure how I feel about institutionalizing those with mental illness. I respect what I would consider the right of an individual of sound mind to commit suicide if they feel that's what they desire most. But I do recognize there are mentally ill people who can't comprehend the consequences of their actions who can lead themselves or others to harm, and we do need a system in place to treat those people.

I'd phrase that a little differently... more along the lines of "pretending he has a medical condition he doesn't to make a cheap political point"

I do not feel underprotected by the US government, and I strongly oppose more totalitarian restrictions on legitimate citizens in the name of stopping illegal immigration. I value personal liberties over "border security". But maybe that's just me... I'd gladly live at a higher risk of terrorist attack if it means I didn't have to take my shoes going through airport security. Clearly your opinions differ... but hey, if you want to trade freedom for safety, that's your thing. You're not nearly the libertarian I thought you were, though. This isn't a liberal/conservative issue, it's a totalitarian/libertarian one, and these are legitimate concerns which should be raised by any libertarian. I'm sorry I haven't waded through the hundreds of posts in the other thread to get all the answers.

Or "probable cause" they're an illegal immigrant, which can include, among other things, racial profiling. The larger libertarian/totalitarian issue here is making citizens forcibly carry documentation of their citizenship on their person. Apparently you don't care about that one. I do. I'm also strongly opposed to any kind of law which forces any citizen to carry ID on them at all times.

I don't know if the actual intent of their campaign was to highlight Spratt's Parkinson's, but in light of the fact he does have Parkinsons, making repeated claims that he's suffering from "amnesia" is in extremely bad taste. My main issue is they're claiming Spratt has a medical condition he doesn't, which is a lie. Don't vote for John Spratt. He's suffering from amnesia. I'd like to find the original email so I can read their statements in context, but without the context, it's certainly not clear that they're "joking" about the amnesia or however else I'm supposed to interpret their statements in a way that would elevate them about boldface lies.

Actually, he didn't. He didn't ever say anything about "exploitation for political points". Those are your words, not Rush's. Rush accused Michael J. Fox of faking his symptoms (for political points) All that said, do you think what Rush did was bad? They're accusing him of having amnesia. He doesn't have amnesia, or any memory-related disorders. What they claimed is an out-and-out lie. I guess you don't care, but maybe that's because your brain tumor is eroding the rational part of your brain. Oops, hope you don't mind me making up a fake medical condition then using it to insult you. You don't seem to mind the Republicans doing that to John Spratt. If I didn't already feel that rational political discourse is dead, I certainly do now.

How about the part where you have to produce documentation of your immigration status if you are suspected of being an illegal alien?

Guess you're siding with the totalitarians on this one

And while we're at it, how about the mercury which enters the water supply and can accumulate to toxic levels in sea fish.

Pangloss, as I brought up Rush Limbaugh first, I can't strawman myself. I was referring specifically to these comments which Rush Limbaugh made: "He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told listeners. "He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. . . . This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting." You, on the other hand, are shifting the goalposts, then accusing me of a strawman. That's in bad form.

Exploitation for political points? He appeared on camera as himself, exhibiting his normal symptoms. Would you rather he hide behind a sheet if he wants to say something political? That is not exploitation. They want to kick him out of the office for being an amnesiac. Except he's not. They're lying. Honestly, how can you even attempt to justify this behavior? It's absolutely appalling. If you're going to attempt to justify it, can you give me a bye for saying the Republicans are destroying the political discourse in this country? Because by doing things like this, they really are.

You support this legislation? I think you just lost a few libertarian points.

The boycott is being conducted by the city government, not the entire population of LA. I'm sure the electrical needs of the city government are relatively small compared to the city as a whole and if they truly wanted they could avoid receiving power generated in Arizona. I think dicks may be a more appropriate description for Arizona that having balls

If this was just something a single politican said, sure, but the email was sent by a spokesperson on behalf of the NRCC. So about the best you can do here is single out the NRCC from the rest of the Republican party.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has issued a statement calling Democratic Congressman John Spratt an "amnesiac": http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/sc-dem-nrcc-using-sly-underhanded-references-to-my-parkinsons-disease.php Andy Seré, a regional spokesman for the NRCC, sent out an e-mail statement Monday referring to "amnesiac John Spratt," whose "memory is failing him - and the congressman is failing South Carolinians as a result." The e-mail also said "Spratt can't even recall what Obamacare does," and described how he is "clumsily" attacking State Sen. Mick Mulvaney ®, who's challenging Spratt in his bid for re-election. It continued: "Now - worst of all - it seems he's completely forgotten who he works for (hint: they're the same folks who elected him)." In a response issued by Spratt, he alleges that claims of "amnesia" are actually a reference to the fact he has Parkinson's: In a statement released Tuesday in response to the NRCC's e-mail, Spratt called the talk of amnesia "beneath contempt," and a "sly, underhanded reference to the fact that I am in the early stages of Parkinson's disease." He defended his decision to run, citing his doctor's evaluation which did "not include any loss of mental capacity, and especially amnesia." Are Republicans sinking to the level of Rush Limbaugh? (who chastized Michael J. Fox and falsely alleged that Fox was faking symptoms)

Nuclear waste is an issue, however it can be kept indefinitely in temporary storage until a permanent facility (e.g. Yucca Mountain) can be completed. Nuclear is clean in that it is a zero emissions technology, and that all waste produced by the process can be safely contained. While there have been accidents where the environment has been contaminated with nuclear waste, by design nuclear reactors do not emit any form of waste or pollution into the outside environment. The only way nuclear power is in any way dirty is if something goes horribly, horribly wrong. Compare to a truly dirty energy source like coal, which emits both CO2 and exhaust smoke directly into the atmosphere.

It's more like approach. For example, Anderson Cooper doesn't draw elaborate chalkboard diagrams showing how BP is connected to the Nazi Socialist Commie Fascist Empire.

Any factual inaccuracies or hyperbole in Anderson Cooper's reporting aside, and I apologize as I haven't seen the clip yet, can you connect the dots for me as to how this makes him "The Progressive Glenn Beck"? Merged post follows: Consecutive posts mergedOkay, so I had a chance to watch the segment, and yeah, this isn't great reporting. But I'm kind of confused that you're comparing him to Glenn Beck. BP is "spinning" it, or at least they're spinning it in the most pathetic and miserable way possible given the recent spat of containment failures. Robot submarine! Containment dome! Hot tap! Top hat! Junk shot! None of it is working. That said, I don't know how else you'd expect BP to "spin" the oil suctioning success. It's their first victory amidst a long string of failures, so of course they're going to try to generate publicity about it. Glenn Beck this is not, and I don't really see this as being any worse than your typical Neil Cavuto or Shepard Smith "reporting". Their programs are both highly spin-laced, although at least in the case of Shepard Smith he's actually done some reporting and interviews that I actually respect. I can't say the same of Cavuto.

For what it's worth, JohnB, you are not a denier; you are a true skeptic and I very much appreciate that. It's unfortunate everyone who questions climate science can't be like you. Also I have no qualms with you calling a ridiculous article like this "alarmist". This is very much an alarmist article.

Self-reference is a huge part of both theorems. In the first theorem self-reference through Godel numbers plays an integral part. Godel numbers are how Godel managed to encode self-referential statements into the logic language of PM.

Well Pangloss, care to lead by example? I'd like to see some level headed discussion on this point.

It's not really an issue of double jeopardy at all for me. If someone is an imminent threat to themselves or others due to mental illness, I don't object to institutionalization. Whether or not they've previously committed a "sex offense" is irrelevant to me.

I don't have right now to watch or respond to this clip, but... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37171468/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times NEW YORK - Scientists are finding enormous oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick. [...] “There’s a shocking amount of oil in the deep water, relative to what you see in the surface water,” said Samantha Joye, a researcher at the University of Georgia who is involved in one of the first scientific missions to gather details about what is happening in the gulf. “There’s a tremendous amount of oil in multiple layers, three or four or five layers deep in the water column.”

I'm certainly done now.