The Gaian Record International - June 2010

[SkyeGear]

Executive Editor: Gear-Richie ; Established 2004 ; Not affiliated with Gaia Online ; Opinions reflect only the views of the author

The What, Where, When, How, Who, and Why
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The What
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, named for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, is the largest oil spill in United States History, and arguably one of the largest in the world. The rig exploded on 20 April 2010, with eleven casualties, and sank two days later, still gushing oil. To this date, the oil has yet to to be stopped or contained. It is currently estimated to be releasing up to 1.7 million gallons (6.4 million litres) of oil per day, having a huge negative impact on multiple aquatic ecosystems, and is believed to be having some significant impact on humans as well. BP is not allowing the flow rate of the spill to be measured in more accurate means, their spokesman Tom Mueller stating, "We're not going to take any extra efforts now to calculate flow there at this point. It's not relevant to the response effort, and it might even detract from the response effort."

Multiple failed attempts at containing the spill have occurred. The spill was unsuccessfully: capped, siphoned through a tube, flow-restricted to be sealed with cement, and capped again (this time by attempting to clean-cut the pipe and cap it with a customized cap; this failed because the saw got stuck and the pipe was cut jaggedly instead; this effort is believed to have caused the oil to gush faster than it was before).

The Where
The Gulf of Mexico is a body of water to the Southeast of the United States, bordered to the northeast, north, and northwest by the states (from west to east) Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The eastern and southeastern border is Mexico, and it is speckled with an archepelago of islands, to include Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Key West.

The When
April 20, 2010, 2145 hours, CDT: Methane gas, escaping from the well, ignited on the rig and exploded.
April 22, 2010, approximately 1000 hours, CDT: Multiple attempts to douse the fire failed. Many workers are evacuated, but 11 remain missing and are presumed deceased. The rig sinks.
April 22, 2010, afternoon: An oil slick develops. Attempts to cap the oil by remote operated vehicles fail.
April 23, 2010: Initial reports indicate that no oil is leaking from the drilling site.
April 24, 2010: Oil is discovered leaking from the drilling site, and is described by Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry as "a very serious spill."

The How and The Why
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation at this time. There were spills and fires on the Deepwater Horizon previously, but those citations were considered normal, as such minor occurrences are somewhat common in oil drilling. However, there were reports filed that some of the metallic casing used could collapse under pressure.

Also, 60 Minutes reported that in late March 2010, the blowout preventer, a device to prevent blowout, was damaged in an undocumented accident, and that the last inspection the device received was in 2005. Transocean released a statement to the contrary, however, saying that the device was inspected by the crew, and no problems were discovered or reported.

BP's internal investigation revealed that there were warning signs prior to the explosion, such as gas bubbling into the well, and an order to replace materials against safety regulations. In addition, it is alleged that workers were threatened with termination if safety concerns were raised.

However, with the incident still under investigation, much of the above information is still up for debate, and can not be fully verified at this time.

The Who (not the band)
British Petroleum, or BP, is the fourth largest company in the world, with its US base of operations in Houston, TX. The U.S. Government has deemed BP to be ultimately responsible for the incident, and will be responsible for any costs relating to the containment and after effects of the incident. During a hearing, BP set the blame with Transocean, who owned the Deepwater Horizon rig, and Haliburton, who created the allegedly faulty metallic casing.

The What, Where, When, How, Who, and Why is a special feature of the GRI that takes long and/or complex news stories and condenses them down to concise, easy-to-read and non-verbose articles for readers on the go.  

[SkyeGear]

Warning: Due to unforeseen delays in publication, some news articles may be stale or outdated.

Al Qaeda Suspect is Killed

Suspicions arose when a suspect in an attack on Central Intelligence Agency members in Afghanistan was killed in March. Al-Yemeni has been suspected of being a threat to America and saw himself as "an up-and-comer in the terrorist world." Though there was no evidence linking him to the attack on the CIA, there were links discovered connecting him to insurgent groups in Afghanistan. On March 17th, drone strikes also killed five militants in Afghanistan. The American government believes that if they keep this tactic up, they may finally put an end to terrorist groups operating out of Afghanistan.

A guild for everyone.

 

[SkyeGear]

Early April Events
Fools and Eggs

That's right folks, April has come and gone. And you know what that means? Fools and eggs! And Gaia really outdid themselves, or at least I think so, when it came to this year's April events.

All of the excitement began on April 1st, 2010. Gaia decided they were going to yank our legs in honor of April fools day. They started be sending an announcement telling all of us about an "April Fool's Day Event" that included an item. Of course, anyone who followed the link got a 404 error, and could not enter. Complete chaos followed all of that, until they finally gave up and gave everyone the item they had promised us from the event. And guess what? When you tried to use it, it said that the item did not exist!

And so, the event went on for hours. Gaia repeatedly posted news announcements saying something about the subject. But it wasn't just those that were weird. The background at the top of the screen had been changed, but was only partially loaded!

At the end of the day, they gave up their mischief and the items finally worked. It turns out, the item is "Ash Face", and I believe the name says it all. They promised us something different for the next day. And different it was.

The next day marked the beginning of the Easter event! The Easter event, which is still running as of April 5th, 2010, the date I am writing this article, was full of fun! Eggs can be found throughout the sight, along with... Grunnies? Although I am not certain as to why, it's true. zOMG was having a large Easter egg hunt.

zOMG's Easter egg hunt has been one of the main attractions. In Village Greens, you will find Easter decorations galore! All over the place in zOMG you can find eggs, which hold either gold, or recipes/recipe items for new Easter items. If you're really lucky, you will find a golden egg! They take forever to get, but it's worth it! I myself was lucky enough to find one. But zOMG is not the only place where you can find eggs!

Eggs can be found throughout the sight. Each time you find a certain amount, you get a special prize! It seems that you cannot take a step into the chatterbox without finding an Easter egg hunting thread, as most have turned to the forums for Easter egg hunting purposes.

All in all, it was a wonderful start to April! Let's hope that whatever event comes next is as good as this one!

Easter Sunday Poll

Easter Sunday has just ended, and so with the Gaiaonline Easter Event. On my search for a good topic to write, I came across the idea of conducting a survey around the Gaia neighborhood. I came to Towns and asked a couple of Gaians what they think about the recently held Easter Event. To add more figures to the sappy part of article, I also posted a topic in the General Discussion forum to ask them the same question. What can your fellow Gaians say about the Easter Event?

Based from the results of the poll, with a majority vote, Easter event has been a successful and an enjoyable one for most Gaians. Only few say that it was bad. Let's check out what other Gaians can say about the Easter Event.

QUESTION

What do I think about the Easter event?

Quote:

I didn't exactly take part in the event. It's not really good, the eggs are pretty annoying.

Kira in the Nutshell

Quote:

I like the zOMG event. Other than that, pretty much forgettable.

Commander Panda-chan

Quote:

Well I don't really know much about it. Is it that bunny slipper thing? I think it's quite good. I haven't got enough eggs to get a prize yet. So I don't know what the prizes are and how good they are.

Bonjour Bunny

Quote:

It wasn't anything really special. I liked the halloweeen event more. I did not really pay much attention to it.

Kyootan

Quote:

I thought the grunnies were quite cute and also the reward items. They were cute. I'm glad that they even made this event. Considering the valentines day event was crappy.

Gilbert Nightray

Post of the Month

This month's post comes from the forum A Different View created by KIWIGIRL1. The post was written by imbutercupwheresmywestley.

Quote:

Joukai found them just in time to hear what she said. With menacing look on his face, he walked up close behind her. "I think you're a bit backwards; you are most certainly the one going to hell. I’ll take you there myself if you dare hurt these two and you know I can. Perhaps you need a little reminder," he said sounding like the devil himself.

Seen a post that was particulary witty, funny, or downright outrageous? PM a link to the post to user GRInternational!

 

[SkyeGear]

Entertainment Editor: T.A.C.

Video Game Review
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

As I stated in my last review, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the two latest games in the ever-successful Pokémon franchise, are remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, released in 2000 as sequels to the original Red, Blue, and Yellow versions. As promised, I am here to offer a full review of the games.

Graphics: I'm not going to compare the graphics to the original Gold and Silver, because it's pointless to compare the DS' capabilities to that of the GBA. On their own, however, the graphics are decent, but not particularly remarkable. Being the kind of game it is (overhead map with turn-based sprites), graphics never were the focus of Pokémon, and were always particulary simple compared to the graphics of other games on the same platform (console versions being the exception).

Sound: I do like the music. All of it (with the exceptions of songs that did not exist in the original) are remakes of the original soundtrack, which was decent to begin with. However, HGSS uses the DS' enhanced abilities to make the music sound even better in most cases. The only disappointment was the Kanto Battle Theme, Burning Battlefield, which I think they could have done better. One of the best points, oddly enough, is the addition of the GB player, a device you can receive once all 16 gym leaders are beaten. It allows you to switch all the game music back to the 8-bit mode. It's great for nostalgic people who loved G/S, but probably not recommended for people who have never played Gold or Silver.

Gameplay: Aside from general functions and mechanics introduced in Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, HGSS sports new features that make the game even better than any predecessor.
Berry Pots: I LOVE my berry pots. Isn't it a pain in the butt to have to plant a berry and remember where it was so you could come back to it and grab it again, only to find that you're too late to grab it by the time you get there? Or maybe you just forget altogether? Now berries are grown in a key item in your inventory, so you can fertilize, plant, water, and pick your berries anywhere you are.
Running Shoes: The running shoes are now a toggle-item. Instead of holding the "B" button down to run (which you can still do), there is actually a button on the touch screen that turns it on and off altogether.
Itemfinder: The Itemfinder (now DOUSING MCHN) sits on your touch screen when you activate it, and you can hold your stylus to it as you walk like a continuous radar, instead of having to stop and tap your Pokétch like DPPt.
Registered Items: Now you can register two items to shortcuts instead of just one. The first item is registered to the "Y" button, the second to a touch screen icon. Like nearly everyone else, I register my bike, but I can also register my berry pots so I don't forget to water them.
Walking Pokémon: Whichever Pokémon is first in your party will follow behind you as you travel. You can talk to them, and occasionally they will find useless items (decorative stuff for pictures), or interact with you in some way. Bringing certain Pokémon to specific locations can cause different effects (like bringing a Tauros to a Miltank farm, or Clefairy to the Goldenrod Gym) which Ethan/Lyra will tell you about over the phone.
Rotom: In Saffron City, Kanto, you can freely switch Rotom's forms without having to download a special Wonder Card. Very good for all you Rotom fans (no pun intended) out there.
Pokéthlons: Pokéthlons are athletic challenges that serve as a secondary competition method, similar to Contests and Super Contests. I personally find them much more immersing and fun than the contests ever were, however.
Pokéwalker: Ah, the infamous Pokéwalker. Although you can only level your Pokémon up once per trip, it's fun to carry it around, especially at Anime conventions. (Note: if you go to a con, the code for doing an IR transfer with the Pokéwalker is "Let's touch balls." I didn't make it up, I don't want any nasty letters.) The Pokéwalker can help you get your hands on some particularly good Pokémon and items, to include evolutionary stones and even Flying/Surfing Pikachu. Also, anyone you "touch balls" with will have their current team recorded in your Pokéwalker. The next time you sync with your game, that trainer and his/her team will be available to battle at the Viridian City Trainer House.
Fly: You can now fly between Johto and Kanto, albeit you have to make a stop at either Victory Road or the Indigo Plateau along the way. Previously, you had to take the magnet train in Goldenrod City/Saffron City or the S.S. Aqua from Olivine City/Vermillion City to get across the border.

However, not all the changes are good.
Gym Leader Rematches: As you beat the game, the gym leaders will be available for rematch. The problem with this, however, is the process by which to do so. First, most of them will only show up on certain days to swap phone numbers, and only in specific locations, so you're hunting them down. Secondly, the Gym Leaders are only available to fight one day a week, and only for a few hours. Finally, they, like many other characters in the game, will spam you to death with pointless phone calls.
Phone Calls: Speaking of which, you can no longer delete people's numbers when you register them, since there's no longer a limit to how many numbers you can register. It's particularly annoying when I get five calls a day saying, "My Rattata is in the top percentage of Rattata!" I don't care, because it's a freaking RATTATA! Try beating my Milotic, you whiny, loud-mouthed...
Contest Stats: There are no visible contest stats. This is only annoying if you like to raise Milotic (which I do), since I can't see or raise its stats. I have to either transfer Feebas to DPPt, or give it a massage from Daisy ONCE A DAY between 3 and 4pm.

Storyline: There are minor storyline updates that are actually an improvement in the game's plot. I'm not saying any more, however.

All in all, however, HGSS has proven to be an excellent remake with updated graphics, sound, storyline, and gameplay. With Generation V around the corner, they couldn't have ended Generation IV in a better way.

Final Rating:  

[SkyeGear]

Politics Editor: Lord Bitememan

Time For a 3rd Party

Over the past several months a drama has been playing out on the national stage that would be farcical if it there weren't such a total tragedy underlying it all. The Republican party has taken leave of its good senses and decided it would prefer crackpots to serious politicians, and ideological hacks to proven leaders. In Utah a 3 term incumbent Senator, Bob Bennet, was tossed in favor of Tim Bridgewater, a man who had proposed eliminating both the 16th Amendment to the Constitution and eliminating birthright citizenship (the hallmark concept that established blacks as legal US citizens). Kentucky voters overwhelmingly opted for Rand Paul over Trey Grayson. Paul then, in turn, offered up his opinion that the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the thing that desegregated public accommodations in America, had gone too far. His beef was chiefly over parochial property rights concerns. Not to be outdone, in Nevada voters passed over Danny Tarkanian and Sue Lowden in favor of Sharron Angle, who campaigned on a desire to eliminate Social Security and abolish the department of education.

The refrain is, of course, the same each and every time. Tea Party activists swamp the primary voting booths in search of a "true conservative," dumping establishment and mainstream candidates, some longtime incumbents, in their never-ending quest to lurch further to the right. While the conversation on electability is the favorite one, another one often falls by the wayside and is no less salient. In no small part, these primary results aren't just a reflection of a willingness to embrace absurd and extreme ideas in politics, they are being driven by a desire to stamp out what few vestiges of bipartisanship still exist within the Republican Party.

Consider two other hot seat races that have taken on this tone, the Florida senate race and the Arizona senate race. In Florida popular governor Charlie Crist swiftly fell into the crosshairs of the Tea Party movement when he deigned to make an appearance with President Obama in favor of stimulus funds. It's not the acceptance of the funds themselves that became the motivating drive against Crist. In fact, if stimulus funds received are calculated against the population of the state, Crist's Florida took less than any other state in the nation. However, while governors like Mark Sanford of South Carolina were happily accepting more in stimulus funds per state resident than all but two other states in the country, they were also signing anti-stimulus pledges. Crist had the gall to actually praise the party handing out the money.

In Arizona John McCain faced a grueling challenge from JD Hayworth, a man who actually lost a congressional election in Arizona, one of the reddest states in the country. Of course, Hayworth focused on McCain's tendency to work with the other side on issues. Only an endorsement from Sarah Palin seems to have put to rest the main thrust of Hayworth's campaign, and seems likely to carry McCain across the finish line. Consider that McCain was the party's nominee for the presidency in 2008.

The question arises then as to whether or not we will be capable of producing a government that can get anything done. Consider the recent health care imbroglio. The Democratic party controls 59 seats in the US Senate, and at some points during the fight controlled 60. It took close to nine months to pass the health care reform. By any calculation a 59-41 majority should have been able to pass a bill in nine minutes, not nine months. And this is a Senate majority that no side is like to enjoy in a generation. If this country can't pass a bill with a 59-41 majority, we sure as hell won't see any significant legislation passed with majorities that fall far short of that, be they Republican or Democratic, and certainly it isn't going to happen if primary voters harshly penalize anyone for working with the other side, particularly over single issue votes.

The primary electorates of both parties (the Democrats largely played out their purification rites in 2006 with Joe Lieberman) have lost their minds, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to. It is time now, more than ever, for the sensible middle ground to assert itself as Charlie Crist did; freely, publicly, and independently. There needs to be a third way, one in the center, one prepared to work to build consensus and advance agendas, one which will not find itself beholden to the wrath of hyper-ideological minority of the country in contests designed to accord them disproportional weight. In short, it is time for a new 3rd party.

 

[SkyeGear]

Mintchan's TekTek Corner

Total Value: 68,038 Gold
[Item Information]

Item List:
Lovely Genie Gold Bangle Bracelets
Frog
Pink Champagne Party Dress
Black Champagne Party Hair Ribbon
White Tiger Slippers

This tektek was inspired by my friend Noa from another guild. The first item is Lovely Genie Gold Bangle Bracelets which, if you look closely, is the Gold bracelet on the right wrist. The second item is Pink Champagne Party Dress. It is of course the pink scrunchy dress. Next is Black Champagne Party Hair Ribbon, which is simply adorable with any style: gothic, preppy or ghostly. Next is Frog which is the little green pond pad below her. Last are the White Tiger Slippers. Usually I use the Black Slim Shoes, but I wanted a different one this time. If you wanna chose the next couple items on the next avatar, send a PM to Little Mintchan!

The place where writers can express themse lves and have fun ! ! ! So what are you waiting for? Come and join the fun already ! ! ! (fee of 10g)
PM naners121212 for more information on this guild.

Total Value: 1,002,739 Gold, 1,020 Tickets
[Item Information]

Item List:
Emo Glasses
Great Old One
Egyptian Gold Anklet (right)
Dashing Gentleman Gold And Black Cane
Larry The Rubber Ducky
Black Traveller Cap
Scarlet Rose
Wed to Darkness
White Medical Gloves
Berry Tavern Wench's Cincher
Crimson Promise
Leather Collar with Cross
Midnight Gothic Bat Boots
Santa Baby Leggings
Devoted Pawn
Raider Shih's Garment
Demonic Anklets

Ah, June is here and school is finally gone! High School Seniors are going to college, and the teachers are throwing a party. It's time to look good for the summer and the parties. This model is fitted with summer clothes and looking pretty cute for me. It's a bit pricy, yes, but have plenty of time to earn the gold! First item at a cost of 1,400g is Emo Glasses. See? You don't look nerdy with these! Now time for the Great Old One at a whopping cost of 144k! This item isn't necessary and can be replaced with any black wings yet still look stylish as ever. Next is the Egyptian Gold Anklet at 4,200g on this lovely model's right ankle. Next is the Dashing Gentleman's Gold and Black Cane at 9,600g it's holding that fashion up pretty good. As we move on we have hit the item Larry The Rubber Ducky. He is a quite evil and dashing ducky by the looks of it and only at 1,020 tickets! Yep no gold just playing the slots to get this boy. Next item at 1,900g is the Black Traveler's Hat! Simply for winter and yet simply cute~. Guess what's next? Can't guess? Okay, I'll tell you: it's Scarlet Rose at a whopping 155k! You can substitute it for the Red Flower Hairpin at the Flower Boutique. Next is rather expensive then others like it, but you don't need it and you can use any other animal tail. It's called Wed to Darkness and it's at a price of 543k! Next on our shopping list is the White medical Gloves, Berry Tavern's Wench's Cincher, Leather Collar with Cross and Santa Baby Leggings. The individual prices for them are 1,800g, 3,220g, and 4,000g respectively. Those are things that can be substituted with anything from goth to preppy to even emo. Next is the Midnight Gothic Bat Boots. At a price of 17,000g it's cheap but looks cute with the outfit. Next is the Devoted Pawn at 18,000g only 1,000 more then the boots! It's red and black and gothic. Then we have the Raider Shih's Garment at the lovely price of 55,000g. Oh I remember when it was at 10,000! How things change! (Not that I feel old or anything...) Last, but not least, is the Demonic Anklets at 215,000g.  

[SkyeGear]

Ask Savvi!
A big Prom-blem

Dear Savvi:

Nervous Breakdown

I really like this girl and I want her to go to prom with me, but I don't know how to ask her to go with me?

Dear Nervous:

It takes a lot of courage to ask someone out on a date. To make it easier on you, here are some ways you can do it. They're different. Things no one else will ask their dates with.

Give her a stuffed animal. Something unconventional and original, like a dinosaur or a chicken. Tie a ribbon around its neck and write on it "Will you go to prom with me?" or something like that. It will cost a little to buy the stuffed critter, but if she says yes, it'll be worth it.

Send her a bouquet of flowers. Every girl likes flowers, no matter how cliche they may seem. Order a bouquet of her favorite bloom or maybe even just her favorite color flowers. Write your question on the card and have them sent to her house. Or possibly in the middle of class if your school will let you do that. To make it more personal, you can pick the flowers and deliver them yourself.

Here's a cool one. Invite her in a YouTube video. Turn on your webcam and ask her to prom. Then upload the video. You can tag it with her initials or make it a private video to protect her privacy. Send her the link in a email or instant message. Tell her it's a really cool music video or something to surprise her. To make it even more interesting, instead of tying a ribbon that says "Will you go to prom with me?" around the stuffed animals neck, write the URL to the video and make her go on a scavenger hunt.

If none of these sound like you, just go the old-fashioned way. It may not be too creative, but it will get the job done. Besides, if they want to go with you, they'll say yes no matter how you ask them.

Ask Skittles!

True Lies

Dear Skittles,

Hey I have a problem that I need help with.... Me and my best friend for about 8 years are fighting, See me and my boy friend have been dating for about three years now and we have had sex for the past year and half, well he was my first and I thought I was his, but I just learned that him and my best friend had a one night stand the month before we had started to date and I wasn't told. My boy friend lied to me for the last three years as well as my friend. My friend told me she tried to tell me but I wouldn't believe her, my boyfriend told me it didn't last long and was no good. He said he was drunk and high just as she was, She said that was a lie.... How do I find out who is lining and who is not? Can you help me?

Dear True Lies,

I will try to help you as best as I can. I think that you should think about who was more truthful in the past and who you trust more. But, personally, I think you should leave it be. You can still be friends but don't trust them as much and keep an eye on them. Besides, if they were your true friends they would have been truthful in the first place and told you straight off what happen and asked for your forgiveness knowing well what the consequences would have been. At least that's what I think. But remember, listen to your heart before you tell them goodbye.  

[SkyeGear]

As Executive Editor of the Gaian Record International, I humbly apologize for the two-month delay in publication. Sadly, real life tends to get in the way of all the important things in this world, like Gaia and City of Heroes. (Laugh all you want, that's my MMO of choice). At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the paper this go-around, and we'll see you again next month!