Oil, Oil, Everywhere And Not A Drop Is Clean

Have you heard enough about the oil spill yet? Too bad, because there's a good chance you're going to hear a lot more. There's a fair chance that the oil spill from BP's Deepwater Horizon oil platform which exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico could go on a while longer. How much oil has spewed into the gulf so far? Well estimates range from two cups to millions of gallons. So if this thing continues to belch oil and at a rate of a teaspoon a day to a thousand gallon a day or maybe a hundred thousand gallons a day, or maybe, oh, you know what I mean. Well, they admit, now, that it could keep belching oil until August. But if the Hurricane season is bad, maybe a whole lot longer. I don't see anybody smiling about that, except maybe Saudi Arabia and a few other suppliers and maybe a terrorist or two. What does this mean in terms of damage to coastal lands and marine life? Very likely the largest oil disaster in world history in that respect. If it continues through August or beyond, it'll surely effect the east coast eventually. That means sea and wildlife, especially migratory and shorebirds. in the eastern U.S. will be devastated.The hospitality and fishing industries of every eastern state bordering salt water will be destroyed. So, why don't we start cleaning it up? Well, they're trying. Are there problems with doing that? Of course. This isn't exactly like an oil tanker tipping over on the interstate and spilling a couple of thousand gallons onto the road. It's big. How Big? Well, do you remember the Exxon Valdez thing up in Alaska? That was years ago, right? Well they're still finding oil from that and this is multiple times bigger than that, and it's going to funnel into the Gulf Current that will spread it up the East Coast and eventually on to Europe. If wishes could help, then I wish it wasn't happening, but it is happening. If' it's a bad dream, then we won't be waking up for years and when we do, life might be a whole lot different then it is now.

Ungrateful, That's What.

Commercial fisherman in the Gulf are complaining that their way of life may suffer or be lost all together. In fact all manner of business people and their employees are complaining about the tremendous losses they are and will endure. What ingrates. Don't they realize that the oil industry is experiencing losses to their profits? Why, just the other day I say a commercial by an oil company that said it's industry was in deep trouble because they weren't able to continue drilling more deep water oil wells. For Pete's sake, have some pity on this undernourished industry. It's suffering too. With drilling off-shore all over the country, even in the Arctic. on hold, how is a poor mega-billionaire to make ends meet? You'd think this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was their fault. All they did was construct a drilling operation even they felt was somewhat suspect and then continue to a drilling plan over a mile down, with no plan to correct a problem if one happened. How were they supposed to know that a problem could occur? Now, to be fair, it wasn't every oil company that this happened to. It's just one. All the other oil companies are stellar citizens who would never put profit ahead of safety. Well, alright, maybe just a little profit. Maybe twenty or forty billion, but no more. At least for now. But the point is, this could cut into their profits. You know what that means? They won't be paying us any taxes. Oh. Wait. They don't pay any taxes anyway. Well, that's beside the point. So, don't be so ungrateful.

There's Heros and There's Glen Beck

Since this is Memorial Day weekend, I thought I'd talk a little bit about the difference between heroism and what it means to sacrifice to serve other people and folks like Glen Beck. Sometimes people hang the title or Hero on people who do the job they were paid for even when it doesn't require any particular courage. That's a mistake, I think, because it lessens the title of Hero. In my mind, a person is someone who potentially puts his or her life or security on the line to protect others and then actually has to take the risk in a moment of complete unselfishness. A fireman or policeman or soldier who never actually takes that risk is still a great servent of the people because they stand ready to take the risk, but until he or she takes the risk and follows through, they haven't made that grade, but they still deserve great admiration. Then there are those who aren't anywhere near that catagory. I speak of radio and TV talkshow hosts who belittle young children. People like Glen Beck who belittled the young daughter of our president. Now there's an act of real courage for ya. Give that man a cuppie doll. To be such a hero to his public is a real puzzle. He claims to be speaking on behalf of God, who speaks to him regularly and tells him to belittle little children, I guess. He's the kind of hero who has said that people's families should be out of bounds for the media. Now, why would you tell the media not to speak of the families of important people? Oh. Wait. I think I know. It's so he doesn't have any competition when he says something. Then his comments will carry more umph. Ya gotta hand it to Glen. He's a real louse.

What's Next?

So, let's see where we're at. We still have two wars going on in the middle-east, we have the largest ecological disaster in the western hemisphere in history, we're still trying to recover from the second worst economic disaster in our history, Europe is edging closer to a return to economic disaster and threatening to drag us down with them, North Korea is threatening war against South Korea and they have the BOMB, we're on course to become the second largest economy in the world when China surpasses us, which seems more and more likely, because we ignore our educational base and allow the rest of the world to surpass us in the race to develop alternative energy and the products that will be used in that industry, we fret over illegal aliens coming into our country to do the work our own people refuse to do and then compete with us for the jobs we do want. Our leaders would rather point fingers at each other and stretch the truth so far that nothing sound or looks like the truth, instead of getting down to the business at hand. They lie and cheat and get uninvolved in all manner of unpleasantness. Our corporations locate offshore to avoid paying taxes and then complain our taxes are too high, our banks manipulate our economy so as to make huge profits even when everyone else is loosing money. They borrow money from the government at zero interest and then lend it back to the government with interest so the government can lend to them. All in all, I'd say things are pretty good. At least for some of us. Not so good for others, but then, they can't afford buy any votes in congress, so don't worry about them. Of course, them is us. Have a nice day.

The Price At The Pump

I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here, have you noticed the price of gas at the pump? In the last four or five weeks, the price of gas has continued to drop. How come? I mean in the past, whenever there's been any kind of interruption in oil production or delivery, even if somebody hiccuped at a well, the price went up. And the companies would all cry that they had to raise the price because oil was more scarce. But this time, during what looks like the largest oil disaster in history next to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the price is actually going down? All the oil companies seem to be keeping a low profile. Now why do you suppose that is? You don't suppose they're concerned of a backlash by the general public if they simultaneously destroy the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico and raise prices on gas, do you? I mean, who would be upset with them for a simple every-day mistake like oh, I don't know, like letting a deep-water oil rig explode and send millions of barrels of oil into the waters of the Gulf to potentially, permanently damage the coasts of every state that fronts on the Gulf, destroying their economies and people's lives? I mean, let's be fair. These oil folks are just plain, simple, down home folks like any other billionaire you know. You know, like the billionaire that lives next door to you, right? And anyway, what could the general public do? Cause the congress to get tough with big oil for the first time in history? Cut off any more deep-water drilling? Or no water drilling? For heavens sake. Who would do such a thing? I mean, how would Exxon and BP and the others be able to post world record profits if they can't drill in the oceans? Fore Pete's sake people, don't be so hard on these country folks. After all, they do pay taxes. Even if those taxes are paid to other countries instead of the USA.

Military Fat

How come Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to eliminate an engine for the new F35 fighter jet? Because the military already has one they like very well, thank you very much. And they can't afford a second backup one. Well that seems reasonable. Then, how come Congress demands they get one whether they want it or need it or not? Because the second engine is made of pork fat. See, Congress lives on pork fat. Without it, how do you expect these people to get reelected? How does pork fat get them reelected? By getting people to vote for them? No. Pork fat gets them reelected because it brings in all that money from lobbyists hired by G.E. the company that wants to make the second engine. Here's another odd deal. If you're a captain in command of a company of soldiers and you need a bomb sniffing dog and it's handler and you make a request for it, it has to be approved by five four star generals. How come? It called job security. If Secretary Gates wants to get word to that captain to polish his boots, there are thirty levels of command in the chain of command between the Secretary and the captain. You'd think Mr Gates could just pick up the phone and call the captain and tell him to shine his boots, but oh no, it has to go through channels. Gates would like to pare that down too, but there stands congress and that job security thing again. And the thing is, each step in the chain of command has an increasingly larger staff to go with it. Ah. Life is good at the top, but even better just a step or two below the top.

Praise the Lord and Pass the Oil.

I just heard that there is a fairly good chance that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may never be able to be contained. The oil companies have failed miserably so far. The government really has nobody capable of doing even what BP has done. In fact any technology that exists to solve this kind of problem has been and is in the hands of the oil companies. The problem is that oil companies have never concentrated on fixing any problem like this, but rather of getting to the oil. Now, that doesn't mean the government is blameless. Certainly not. The thing is, the government, which is supposed to oversee and regulate the oil companies in their drive to get at oil, has instead, been in bed with the oil companies for decades. That's right Republicans and Democrats alike have overlooked what the oil companies do, AT OUR PERIL. So, what's the big deal? Not much if they stop the leak soon. Just a few million or so people along the Gulf Coast including from Florida to Texas. But if they can't stop the leak, then in time, and not too much time, it'll get into the Gulf Current that carries it up the Atlantic coast and on to Europe and western Africa, then the entire Atlantic. Now we're talking hundreds of millions of people, maybe as many as a billion. But there's always a silver lining or two. Nobody will be shouting Drill Baby Drill any more. And some Televangelists will shout out that it is God's punishment for the people of Kansas or Switzerland. Why would they say such a thing? Money. Publicity. The fact that it would make no sense would be lost on them.