Monday, July 29, 2013

Oil Spill Reaches Popular Tourist Island

  • Niger Delta ExxonMobil Spill, Nigeria - May 2010

    In Nigeria's Akwa Ibom State, an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured on May 1 and spilled over a million gallons of oil, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell" target="_hplink">reported the <em>Guardian</em></a>. The leak continued for seven days before it was stopped. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omoyele-sowore/the-oil-spill-no-ones-tal_b_649220.html" target="_hplink">HuffPost blogger Omoyele Sowore explained</a> in July 2010 that an oil spill from ExxonMobil operations was nothing new to the country. He wrote that an "environmental catastrophe [had] been going on since December 2009." He described the toll on Nigeria: "There's oil on the surface of the ocean, wildlife coated in crude, fishermen losing their businesses." In 2011, the Nigerian government said there had been <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/05/world/la-fg-nigeria-oil-20110805">more than 7,000 oil spills</a> in the country between 1970 and 2000 that could take up to 30 years and $1 billion to clean up.

  • Trans-Alaska Pipeline Spill - May 2010

    In May 2010, several thousand barrels of oil spilled from the Trans-Alaska pipeline "during a scheduled pipeline shutdown at a pump station near Fort Greely," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/alaska-oil-spill-trans-al_n_589974.html" target="_hplink">explained AP</a>. No injuries were reported and officials said the spill was likely "limited to the gravel on top of the containment area's line."

  • Red Butte Creek Spill, Utah - June 2010

    In June 2010, a Chevron pipeline ruptured and spilled oil into a creek near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was first estimated that over 17,000 to 21,000 gallons spilled into the creek, which leads into the Great Salt Lake, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/12/utah-oil-spill-500-gallon_n_610232.html#s99698" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>. Around 150 birds were "identified for rehabilitation." The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/14/utah-oil-spill-officials-_n_611014.html" target="_hplink">oil did not reach the Great Salt Lake</a>, however. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/14/chevron-cited-for-oil-spi_n_646340.html" target="_hplink">Chevron was later cited for the spill</a>, which released an estimated 33,000 gallons in total. In March 2012, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120324/us-oil-spill-utah/" target="_hplink">a group of 66 residents of a Salt Lake City neighborhood sued Chevron</a> for damage caused by the Red Butte Creek spill and a smaller spill in December 2011.

  • Kalamazoo River Spill, Michigan - July 2010

    In late July 2010, an Enbridge pipeline in southwestern Michigan sprung a leak and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/michigan-oil-spill-among_n_661196.html" target="_hplink">spilled over 800,000 gallons of oil into a creek</a> which flows into the Kalamazoo River. By August, a regional EPA administrator said that significant progress had been made at the site, but "the agency cautioned that it will take months to complete the cleanup," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/02/michigan-oil-spill-epa-of_n_667556.html" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>. By the end of September, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/27/michigan-oil-pipeline-res_n_741233.html" target="_hplink">the pipeline -- which travels from Ontario to Indiana -- was back in operation</a>. The EPA later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20111116/us-michigan-river-oil-spill/" target="_hplink">reported that about 1.1 million gallons of oil were recovered</a>, but pipeline operator Enbridge said that it would stick with previous estimates that only about 843,000 gallons were spilled.

  • Xingag Harbor Spill, Dailan, China - July 2010

    In July 2010, China experienced what was reported as the "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/21/china-oil-spill-grows-off_n_653852.html#s120708" target="_hplink">country's largest reported oil spill</a>" after a pipeline rupture near the northeastern port city of Dailan. Several days after the spill, cleanup efforts were underway over a 165 square mile (430 square kilometer) area of the Yellow Sea. The Chinese government reported that about 1,500 tons or 461,790 gallons of oil had spilled, but <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/30/china-oil-spill-far-bigge_n_665038.html#s120708" target="_hplink">experts contended that the spill could have been "dozens of times larger,"</a> reported AP.

  • Peace River Spill, Alberta, Canada - April 2011

    In late April 2011, a pipeline in northwestern Alberta began leaking, and created the worst spill in the province in 36 years, <a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/alberta/Rainbow+pipeline+leak+largest+years/4720888/story.html" target="_hplink">reported the <em>Calgary Herald</em></a>. About 1,176,000 gallons of oil were reportedly spilled from the Rainbow pipeline, which is operated by Plains Midstream Canada. The <em>Globe and Mail</em> revealed that the pipeline operators "<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/oil-on-rainbow-line-halted-8-hours-after-problem-detected/article2013335/" target="_hplink">detected a potential problem nearly eight hours before halting the flow of crude</a>." A nearby school in a First Nation community was closed after residents reported "nausea, burning eyes and other symptoms," and several animals were found dead. In late July, Plains Midstream <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/07/28/alberta-pipeline-owner-as_n_912796.html" target="_hplink">requested to re-open the pipeline</a> and begin to ship oil to Edmonton again.

  • Bohai Bay Spill, China - June 2011

    In June 2011, an oil <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/01/china-offshore-oil-spills-bohai-bay_n_888473.html" target="_hplink">spill occurred about 25 miles off the coast of China's Shandong province</a> in Bohai Bay. A second spill followed in July. In late August, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/26/new-seeps-in-china-spill_n_937809.html" target="_hplink">it was reported</a> that ConocoPhillips had discovered more oil seeps in Bohai Bay, although only "1 to 2 liters (a quarter to a half-gallon) of oil and drilling mud were being released each day." The company reported that the 2011 spills released 29,400 gallons of oil and 2,500 barrels of drilling mud into the bay and that most of it was recovered. In September, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/05/china-oil-spill-conocophillips_n_949745.html" target="_hplink">China's State Oceanic Administration claimed that oil was still seeping</a> underwater. In early 2012, Texas-based ConocoPhillips <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120124/as-china-oil-spill/" target="_hplink">reached a settlement deal with the Chinese government</a> for $160 million.

  • Yellowstone River Spill, Montana - July 2011

    In July 2011, a pipeline beneath Montana's Yellowstone River ruptured and sent an oil plume 25 miles downstream, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/02/yellowstone-oil-spill-pro_n_889363.html" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>. Despite reassurances from ExxonMobil that the pipeline was safe, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/06/yellowstone-river-oil-spill-exxon-mobil_n_891246.html" target="_hplink">the July spill released what was originally estimated to be 42,000 gallons of oil</a>. With other 1,000 workers assisting the cleanup, ExxonMobil <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/04/yellowstone-river-cleanup-costs_n_1077106.html" target="_hplink">estimated that it would cost $135 million to clean the river</a>. In January 2012, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/exxon-yellowstone-oil-spill_n_1216830.html" target="_hplink">it was reported</a> that ExxonMobil had increased its estimate of the spill size by 21,000 gallons. AP later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/yellowstone-river-spill-response-plan_n_1408328.html" target="_hplink">reported the estimated spill size as 63,000 gallons</a>. <em><strong>CORRECTION:</strong> A previous version of this slide stated the estimated spill size as 63,000 barrels instead of gallons.</em>

  • North Sea Spill, United Kingdom - Aug. 2011

    In August 2011, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/north-sea-spill-uk-oil-spill_n_927078.html" target="_hplink">an oil rig off the eastern coast of Scotland began leaking</a> oil into the North Sea. Royal Dutch Shell, which operates the Gannet Alpha oil rig, initially reported that 54,600 gallons of oil were spilled. A second leak soon occurred, turning the spill into the worst in the North Sea in a decade, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/16/north-sea-oil-spill-shell_n_927941.html" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>. Several days later, Shell announced that it had "closed a valve from which oil was spilling into the North Sea," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/19/shell-says-it-has-closed-_n_931379.html" target="_hplink">according to AP</a>. The spill released about 1,300 barrels of oil, which spread out over a 2.5 square mile (6.7 square kilometer) area.

  • Campos Basin Spill, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Nov. 2011

    In mid-November 2011, Brazilian authorities began investigating an offshore spill near Rio de Janeiro, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/chevron-oil-spill-brazil_n_1100062.html" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>. Chevron initially reported that between 400 and 650 barrels of oil had spilled into the Atlantic, while a nonprofit environmental group using satellite imagery estimated that the spill rate was at least 3,738 barrels per day. Chevron soon claimed full responsibility for the spill. The brazilian division's COO said, Chevron "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/20/brazil-oil-spill-chevron-_n_1104070.html" target="_hplink">takes full responsibility for this incident</a>," and that "any oil on the surface of the ocean is unacceptable to Chevron," reported AP. In December, Brazilian prosecutors announced that they were <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/14/brazil-oil-spill-chevron-payment_n_1149554.html"target="_hplink">seeking $10.6 billion in damages</a> from Chevron for the spill that leaked nearly 126,000 gallons of oil. In March 2012, a Brazilian federal judge <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/18/brazil-oil-spill-chevron_n_1355923.html" target="_hplink">allowed prosecutors to file criminal charges against Chevron and Transocean</a> and 17 executives from both companies were barred from leaving Brazil.

  • Rena Spill, New Zealand - Oct. 2011

    In October 2011, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship ran aground on a reef in Northern New Zealand and began leaking oil. With oil washing up on shore, a government minister deemed it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/11/new-zealand-oil-spill_n_1004643.html" target="_hplink">the country's largest maritime environmental disaster</a> a week later. Although over 2,000 sea birds were killed by the spill that spilled about 400 tons of fuel oil, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/new-zealand-oil-spill-penguins_n_1107289.html" target="_hplink">343 little blue penguins were rescued and cleaned of oil</a>. <em>[<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/22/new-zealand-oil-spill-penguins-released_n_1151788.html" target="_hplink">Watch video of the penguins' release into the wild here.</a>]</em> In January, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/new-zealand-oil-spill-ship_n_1196568.html" target="_hplink">half of the stricken Rena began sinking</a> into the sea after breaking apart and spilling over 100 cargo containers.

  • Nigeria Oil Spill - Dec. 2011

    The spill, which took place near the coast of Nigeria, was reported as "likely the worst to hit those waters in a decade," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/22/shell-oil-spill-nigeria_n_1164891.html" target="_hplink">according to AP</a>. After two days, the spill had affected 115 miles (185 kilometers) of Nigerian coastline. Several days after the December 20 spill, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/shell-nigeria-oil-spill_n_1170198.html" target="_hplink">Shell reported that the leak -- which occurred about 75 miles offshore -- had been contained before it reached the Nigerian coast</a>. The spill, which covered 350 square miles of ocean at its peak, was reported as having released less than "40,000 barrels -- or 1.68 million gallons" of oil.

  • Red Deer River Spill, Alberta, Canada - June 2012

    In June 2012, 126,000 gallons of sour crude oil leaked from a submerged pipeline into the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/06/08/alberta-oil-spill-red-deer-river_n_1581008.html">Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada</a> before being swept downstream to the Gleniffer Lake and Reservoir, a main source of drinking water for several communities near the spill. A $75 million <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/06/22/red-deer-river-oil-spill-lawsuit_n_1620267.html">class-action lawsuit was filed</a> against the owners of the pipelines, and in October 2012, the Canadian government <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/07/red-deer-river-fishing_n_1752902.html">banned fishing in the river </a>in order to study the long-term environmental impacts of the spill. This was the second major spill in the province and for the company that owns the line, <a href="http://www.plainsmidstream.com/">Plains Midstream Canada</a>, in two years. In 2011, 1.1 million gallons of oil leaked into the Peace River from a damaged pipeline in a remote corner of the province.

  • Arthur Kill Oil Spill - October 2012

    In October 2012, 336,000 gallons of diesel fuel <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/arthur-kill-oil-spill-new-jersey_n_2054267.html">spilled into the Arthur Kill waterway</a> as a result of Superstorm Sandy when two storage tank were damaged by 13-foot waves. The spill contaminated the narrow band of water that separates Staten Island from New Jersey, releasing a strong chemical odor into the air as the diesel rose to the surface and evaporated. Officials said a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/arthur-kill-oil-spill-clean-up-diesel-shell_n_2058723.html">majority of the fuel spilled was captured</a> by booms and that it was fortunate diesel spilled rather than crude oil because cleanup and dissipation would be much faster.

  • Mayflower, Arkansas Pipeline Rupture - March 2013

    In late March 2013, ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline ruptured and spilled about 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) of Canadian heavy crude oil into a residential area in Mayflower, Arkansas. Exxon later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/exxonmobil-pegasus-pipeline_n_3082441.html" target="_blank">removed a damaged 52-foot section of the pipeline</a>. The company's cleanup efforts -- which <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/rachel-maddow-mayflower-oil-spill-exxon_n_3047331.html" target="_blank">reportedly included using paper towels</a> -- were <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/colberts-arkansas-oil-spill-exxon_n_3071539.html" target="_blank">criticized in the media</a>. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/arkansas-oil-spill-health-_n_3045610.html" target="_blank">Local residents began reporting health issues</a> not long after the spill. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has also expressed his concern for the health of Mayflower residents, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/arkansas-oil-spill-health-mayflower-moms_n_3267965.html" target="_blank">reported The Huffington Post's Lynne Peeples</a>. One month after the spill, the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/missouri-oil-spill-exxon_n_3194177.html" target="_blank">same pipeline leaked one barrel of oil</a> into a residential yard in Missouri.

  • Mississippi River Oil Spill - January 2013 (and February 2012)

    In January 2013, a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/mississippi-river-barge-crash_n_2564418.html">barge carrying 668,000 gallons of light crude oil</a> on the Mississippi River crashed into a railroad bridge. An 80,000 gallon tank on the vessel was damaged, spilling oil into the waterway, which prompted officials to close the river for eight miles in either direction. The spill led to a backup of more than 1,000 barges and the accident is still under investigation. Workers <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Oil-spill-cleanup-on-Mississippi-River-complete-4257729.php">finished clean-up in early February</a>, but the Coast Guard said 7,000 gallons of crude oil are still unaccounted for. This was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/mississippi-river-barge-collision_n_1284166.html">the second collision of an oil tanker</a> on the Mississippi in the past year. In February 2012 two barges collided which led to a five-mile wide closure.

  • Also On The Huffington Post...

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/thailand-oil-spill_n_3668760.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=World

    megamillions winning numbers lotto winner jerry lee lewis winning lotto numbers lottery tickets mega lottery sag aftra

    Groupon Loses Mobile Head David Katz, Who Is Heading To Sports Commerce Site Fanatics

    david katz linkedinGroupon continues to roll out new products that point to the e-commerce company's ongoing ambitions to move beyond the daily deal and further into becoming a central hub for local and mobile commerce. But come August, it will be doing it without one of its most senior mobile execs: David Katz, VP and GM of consumer mobile, is leaving the company at the end of that month and taking up a position as SVP and GM of mobile for Fanatics, the sports apparel commerce site.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HL87Ui7aScE/

    Jerry Nelson Foo Canoodle Isaac path Tropical Storm Isaac path Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Isaac Path

    Sunday, July 28, 2013

    Amusement park regulations, inspections vary in US

    DALLAS (AP) ? From Six Flags to Walt Disney World, there's no federal oversight of permanent amusement parks, and regulations vary from state to state.

    The death of a woman who fell 75 feet from Six Flags Over Texas' Texas Giant roller coaster is reinvigorating discussion among safety experts about whether it's time to create more consistent, stringent regulations for thrill rides across the nation.

    "A baby stroller is subject to tougher federal regulation than a roller coaster carrying a child in excess of 100 miles per hour," Massachusetts Sen. Edward J. Markey, a Democrat, said in a statement this week. As a congressman, Markey tried for years to have the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ? which oversees mobile carnival rides ? regulate fixed-site amusement parks.

    But a spokeswoman with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions countered that the trade group believes state officials "are best able to determine the level of regulation needed for their state."

    In Texas, the Department of Insurance requires that an amusement park's insurance company perform a yearly inspection and carry $1 million liability insurance on each ride, agency spokesman Jerry Hagins said. Six Flags Over Texas was in compliance with those rules at the time of Rose Ayala-Goana's July 19 fatal fall from the wooden coaster with steel rails that features a drop of 79 degrees and banked turns.

    Six Flags Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Jim Reid-Anderson has said it's using "both internal and external experts" to investigate Ayala-Goana's death in Arlington. An official with the German manufacturer of the roller coaster's car told The Dallas Morning News they would send officials to inspect the ride, but referred all questions The Associated Press might have to Six Flags.

    The park doesn't need to submit a report to the state on what caused her to fall, and while Arlington police are also looking into the death, they aren't investigating the ride.

    "The question is: Will they release it and will it be complete and comprehensive?" said Ken Martin, an amusement ride safety analyst who owns KRM Consulting of Richmond, Va. "There's a lot of unanswered questions and because of the way it is in Texas we might not ever have the answer to those questions."

    Walter S. Reiss, an amusement ride safety inspector based in Bethlehem, Pa., agreed: "When it comes time for an accident it sure would be nice if the state would be that omniscient third party to come in and do that investigation."

    Martin noted that both the stringency of inspection regulations and which entity oversees those inspections vary across the country.

    "In some states you have the Department of Agriculture, some states you have the Department of Labor. In Texas it's the Department of Insurance. In Virginia it happens to be the local building inspector," Martin said.

    An annual inspection that's submitted to Texas would check everything from the structure's wood and foundation to the cars and its wheels, as well as a review of the maintenance records, he said. It's also typical in the industry for the park's maintenance staff to inspect a ride daily, he said.

    After an injury that requires medical attention and is possibly due to equipment failure, structural failure or operator error, Texas parks must shut down the ride and re-inspect it. The Texas Giant has been closed since Ayana-Goala's death and won't re-open until the department sees a new safety inspection report, Hagins said.

    Amusement park trade group spokeswoman Colleen Mangone said 44 state governments regulate parks. The six without state oversight ? Alabama, Mississippi, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah ? have few amusement parks, if any, she said.

    "There is no evidence that federal oversight would improve on the already excellent safety record of the industry," she said, noting the association's statistics show the likelihood of being seriously injured is 1 in 24 million; for dying, it's 1 in 750 million.

    "Safety is the number one priority for the amusement park industry and events like the one at Six Flags Over Texas are rare," she wrote, adding that ride manufacturer guidelines might require additional inspections beyond daily ones.

    Mangone said the statistics come from an injury survey done for the trade group by the National Safety Council, though just 144 of the 383 eligible amusement parks provided some or all of the requested data.

    Experts say getting reliable figures on injuries at amusement parks can be difficult.

    "We don't know if they are indeed what the park says they are," Martin said. "We have to take their word for it."

    Even sorting through emergency room data for a recent study on amusement ride injuries in those 17 and under was difficult, said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

    "We had to actually painstakingly go through and look at every case to see whether it was a true ride or not," said Smith, who was an author on the study published in Clinical Pediatrics in May.

    "Knowing how many millions of people use (large theme parks) each year, they have a good safety record but there's always room for improvement and one of the ways that you can do that is have a good handle on where the injuries are occurring and how they're occurring," Smith said.

    Voluntary standards for amusement park rides are issued by ASTM International, a global organization that draws from, among others, industry professionals. Martin said some states have adopted those standards into law.

    "The amusement park industry is self-regulated and that's what the amusement industry wants," Martin said.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amusement-park-regulations-inspections-vary-us-152118175.html

    Lizzie Velasquez NFL Network att libya twin towers gizmodo iPhone 5

    Zimbabwe 28/2 * v India

    Zim 161/8 (41.0 ov, BV Vitori 12*, TL Chatara 17*, JD Unadkat 1/24) | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo We see you have Google Chrome installed. Try out Cricinfo's free extension: show me no thanks India tour of Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI: Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Jul 28, 2013

    Source: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/643669.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

    Rob Parker Comcast Rob Ryan bethenny frankel sacramento kings alex jones Google Docs

    Pope draws 3 million for Rio vigil after chastising Brazil church for failing to stem exodus

    RIO DE JANEIRO ? Pope Francis drew a reported 3 million flag-waving, rosary-toting faithful to Rio's Copacabana beach on Saturday for the final evening of World Youth Day, hours after he chastised the Brazilian church for failing to stem the "exodus" of Catholics to evangelical congregations.

    Francis headed into the final hours of his first international trip riding a remarkable wave of popularity: By the time his open-sided car reached the stage for the vigil service Saturday night, the back seat was piled high with soccer jerseys, flags and flowers tossed to him by adoring pilgrims lining the beachfront route.

    "I'm trembling, look how good you can see him!" gushed Fiorella Dias, a 16-year-old Brazilian who jumped for joy as she reviewed the video she shot as the pope passed by. "I have got to call my mother!"

    On the beach, pilgrims staked out their spots on the sand, lounged and snacked, preparing for an all-night slumber party ahead of the final Mass on Sunday. Many of those actually paying attention to the vigil had tears in their eyes, moved by Francis' call for them to build up their church like his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, was called to do.

    "Jesus offers us something bigger than the World Cup!" Francis said, drawing cheers from the crowd in this soccer-mad nation.

    The vigil capped a busy day for the pope in which he drove home a message he has emphasized throughout the week in speeches, homilies and off-the-cuff remarks: the need for Catholics, lay and religious, to shake up the status quo, get out of their stuffy sacristies and reach the faithful on the margins of society or risk losing them to rival churches.

    In the longest and most important speech of his four-month pontificate, Francis took a direct swipe at the "intellectual" message of the church that so characterized the pontificate of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Speaking to Brazil's bishops, he said ordinary Catholics simply don't understand such lofty ideas and need to hear the simpler message of love, forgiveness and mercy that is at the core of the Catholic faith.

    "At times we lose people because they don't understand what we are saying, because we have forgotten the language of simplicity and import an intellectualism foreign to our people," he said. "Without the grammar of simplicity, the church loses the very conditions which make it possible to fish for God in the deep waters of his mystery."

    In a speech outlining the kind of church he wants, Francis asked bishops to reflect on why hundreds of thousands of Catholics have left the church for Protestant and Pentecostal congregations that have grown exponentially in recent decades in Brazil, particularly in its slums or favelas, where their charismatic message and nuts-and-bolts advice is welcome by the poor.

    According to census data, the number of Catholics in Brazil dipped from 125 million in 2000 to 123 million in 2010, with the church's share of the total population dropping from 74 percent to 65 percent. During the same time period, the number of evangelical Protestants and Pentecostals skyrocketed from 26 million to 42 million, increasing from 15 percent to 22 percent of the population in 2010.

    Francis offered a breathtakingly blunt list of explanations for the "exodus."

    Source: http://www.startribune.com/world/217224161.html

    charles taylor carl crawford mad cow disease rampart nick collins dave matthews ambien

    Saturday, July 27, 2013

    1987: Al Davis suspended by the NFL for his role in the Iran-Contra affair More...

    Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

    Source: http://www.facebook.com/TheOnion/posts/10151803930364497

    charlie st cloud young jeezy world wildlife fund rosario dawson keith olbermann gsa andrew bynum

    Cashman challenges A-Rod to have outside exam

    FILE - In this July 28, 2010 file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez reacts after he popped out in the second inning in a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland. Injuries have kept him off the field for more than half the season and now A-Rod faces discipline from Major League Baseball in its drug investigation, possibly up to a lifetime ban. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak File)

    FILE - In this July 28, 2010 file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez reacts after he popped out in the second inning in a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland. Injuries have kept him off the field for more than half the season and now A-Rod faces discipline from Major League Baseball in its drug investigation, possibly up to a lifetime ban. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak File)

    FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012, file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez watches from the dugout during Game 4 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. Injuries have kept him off the field for more than half the season and now A-Rod faces discipline from Major League Baseball in its drug investigation, possibly up to a lifetime ban.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

    NEW YORK (AP) ? Brian Cashman's expression said it all.

    Every time Alex Rodriguez's name was mentioned Friday, the New York Yankees general manager appeared as if he might get sick.

    The subject was the third baseman's claim that his left quadriceps really isn't injured, but it could have been any one several topics: Rodriguez's alleged performance-enhancing drug use, his pesky Twitter and radio appearances or his knack for creating tabloid headlines.

    Cashman challenged A-Rod to have his leg examined by an outside doctor, defending the team's medical and training staff and saying he wouldn't comment on "extra noise."

    The third baseman detailed his frustration during a radio interview Thursday, just hours after team management said he wouldn't be ready to resume minor league rehab games until Aug. 1. Rodriguez wouldn't answer when asked whether he trusted the Yankees.

    "The MRI is the MRI. It's fact. You can't change the results on an MRI," Cashman said before Friday's homestand opener against Tampa Bay. "So, we're very comfortable with it, and if anybody wants to utilize the process in place with the union, go right ahead. It's not something we're afraid of."

    Recovering from January hip surgery, Rodriguez is under investigation by Major League Baseball for his reported ties to a Florida clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. A lengthy suspension appears likely.

    Seemingly days away from rejoining the Yankees, he complained of leg pain last weekend, and the Yankees said an MRI on Sunday showed a quadriceps strain. An outside physician, Michael Gross, said Wednesday he looked at an MRI at Rodriguez's request ? it's not clear when the MRI was taken ? and could not detect an injury. Gross is not on baseball's list of doctors recommended for second opinions, and he admitted he never personally examined Rodriguez.

    The Yankees responded angrily because Rodriguez didn't follow the procedure in baseball's labor contract, which requires him to provide written notice that a player wants a second medical opinion, and the team intends to discipline him ? most likely with a fine.

    Rodriguez did conditioning work Friday at the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., a day ahead of his 38th birthday, and Cashman said the three-time MVP is on a schedule that could have him resume minor league games Aug. 1.

    As Rodriguez's car was departing, a fan held a light-colored, oversized card above his head and saw the side that read: "Happy Birthday!" and had a cartoon-like drawing of a clown. Rodriguez went by quickly and wasn't around by the time the fan opened the card to reveal the side read: "From One Clown to Another."

    When or whether he returns to the Yankees has become a daily drama.

    "I think we all kind of want it to get behind us, no matter what it is, and once something happens or doesn't happen, then we can kind of deal with it then," injured first baseman Mark Teixeira said.

    Cashman's careful answers sounded more like those of a White House press secretary rather than responses of a big league GM.

    "I'm not going to comment really on the Alex stuff. Feel free to just reach out to Alex and ask him, because that's something that's hard to keep up with," Cashman said. "I just provide you the facts, and that's what I'll continue to do. We're running a baseball team, and I will provide you with the most accurate information that I can provide on a daily basis about anybody and everybody who's either healthy on that field or hurt and what the current state of their medical condition is and their rehab."

    Cashman praised outfielder Alfonso Soriano, acquired Friday from the Chicago Cubs from a minor leaguer. His accolades for Soriano's attributes could be interpreted by some as criticism of what Rodriguez is not.

    "Over the years, we used to be attracted to all types of players and all types of personalities. If they could play, that's all the mattered," Cashman said. "I do think with the evolution social media and the explosion of the Internet and ESPN, everything, that having high-character guys that work hard and get along with everybody and obviously you have talent to boot, clearly is important."

    Given his team's offensive struggles, manager Joe Girardi said he would be happy to have Rodriguez back as quickly as possible.

    "People follow him around a lot. I never really had to deal with that," Girardi said. "When I was in rehab, no one came to watch. They didn't care if I teed or tossed or anything."

    ___

    AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa contributed to this report.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-07-26-BBA-Yankees-Rodriguez/id-3b190df1678a47578fc16bcaa346f99f

    split pea soup recipe the client list yahoo.com/mail baylor april 9 albatross louis oosthuizen