Whoops! Should of read Alison's post befor I posted. Is that the MSDS for Bhopal? The plant was being ignored and the staff was undertrained. Union Carbide should of done a better job to prevent the shanty town from getting so close to the plant. They should of also made sure all the safety measures were in working order and had a better maitenance crew. They were also storing MIC (The chemical the plant was manufacturing) in large quatities. MIC is only a intermediate for the pesticide that was being manufactured. MIC is a volitile substance and they shouldn't of stored it in such large quatities since it was a intermediate and not a finished product. So the basic cause for the diaster can all be traced back to management and their blindness in seeing the conditions of this plant. Bhopal was the largest diaster they had but as a company Union Carbide actually had many incidents that happened at there other plants but weren't as big. This shows the low performance of this company in the area of management and safety loss management. Yes I was studying for my final and yes I'm just regurgitating out what I just finished reading.

I still don't get what MSDS is. I'm not geeky enough?

are you really Adrian Christopher Hastings?
hmm... if only you were old enough to have been born in 1929... in Kuala Lumpur...

The only other Alison like me has a middle name of Joy... and she's a couple years younger than me and lives in Dawson Creek, or Innuvik, I've forgotten. And we're likely related.

And, I didn't think Material Safety Data Sheets in and of themselves were all that geeky to be honest, just the context in which I was so interested in them... so it's much less so the topic but the context of the thing with that one. I mean, really, every work place that uses chemicals has MSDS sheets hanging around, it's only when someone (like me) gets really excited at the idea of seeing one up close that it becomes excessively geeky.

I'm dead??

And I meant trainwreck, sans la unnecessary K. Thanks Par. - And, by the way, I don't make my sandwiches like Tycho - just my taco-stuffed lobsters. (And with my +4 Constitution modifier ... deliciousness ensues, always.)

Sorry, I meant MSDS...

Par what the hell is HSDS?

I feel obliged to make fun of a level of geekdom above (below? let's go with beyond)... beyond mine. (For the record, geekdom goes in a pyramid. Whereas HSDS, MMFT and Hi-MD obsessiveness geekdom is lateral to my own, there are certain depths which are rarer, and transcend those levels. It is these transcendencies I feel free to make fun of here.) From now on this is how I picture anyone who plays D&D (and you know who you are!) making lunch. I don't care if I actually see you carefully prepare the sandwich in a perfectly normal way, without hesitating for some chance outcome to make a decision for you, this is how it will be played out in my mind when I recall the experience (preferably when I am boisterously laughing, and you have just walked into the room, wondering what I was talking about.)

Oh, and Beck, I'd just like to point out that James Randi's website isn't this. I wish there were a way to tell you that on your website, but you don't have comments. Also, I don't know if you want advertising, but EVERYONE READ THIS!!

Actually, that was a brilliant move by The Yes Men. Not only does it bring the issue to light, but it forces Dow to release a press release to the effect of "No, no. We're still assholes."

Also, Tony sent me this, and I think it's worthwhile. Before Stewart, there was Zappa in <insert dramatic music here> THE CROSSFIRE! And Novak was still a dou... er... a principled individual. (But I love Lofton's hair (the guy berating Frank Zappa).)

Thanks Alison for reminding me that I should be studying for Engg 404: Industrial safety loss management. Bhopal was one of the case studies I should be looking at right now. Well back to studying.