BP to Texas - Trust me

With all respect to journalistic integrity, I need to confess that I'm from Texas (originally). Maybe that's why I find this so funny.

I don't want to oversimplify, but Texas is an oil state. The state continues to be dominated by the petrochemical industry and its governor, Rick Perry, sleeps on a waterbed inflated with oil, combs his hair with oil, uses it to clean things, and worships the sacred PetroGod. No one could possibly be a bigger supporter of oil than Guv Rick.

The BP Oil Spill hasn't affected Texas beaches to the extent that it's affected other states, yet there have been some tar balls washing up on its beaches. Of course a former Texas governor (Preston Smith, Dolph Briscoe...they all run together in a giant oil slick of corruption) once said that tar balls were natural and had nothing to do with oil production.

The former governor's opinion on tar balls notwithstanding, Guv Rick went to his Big Daddy BP and ask for a 25 million dollar cash advance to pay for future Texas oil spill clean ups. After all, Guv Rick figured, Big Daddy BP gave it to his other kids (Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi).

It seems only fair. After all, Texas should have "most favored son" status, as BP's U.S. operations are headquartered in Houston and BP is heavily invested in Texas.

BP said no. They did make a small (comparatively) pledge to the Texas Coastal Protection Fund.

Now, Son of Oil Guv Rick is in a snit. He wrote a nasty letter to BP and someone gave it to Reuters. Nice. Reuters quotes him as saying to BP "you are essentially asking Texas to just trust you."

Very nice.

How does Guv Rick explain to the voters that the oil god doesn't love them as much as the other children? How does he explain that, even though they pledged their souls to PetroGod, they don't get their handout?

Finally, will Guv Rick get a new polo pony to make up for his hurt feelings?

For more thoughts on BP, click here.

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Bugs eating the BP oil spill?

Some scientists are saying that the BP oil spill is being reduced - well, nearly eliminated - by a newly discovered strain of bugs...er, oil-eating microbes.

The authority on everything, Wikipedia, says that microbes are tiny organisms too small to be seen by the human eye. Yes, I had to look that up.

The scientists that believe this seem to believe that the microbe may have adapted over time because there's always some oil in the Gulf.

Other scientists say this isn't correct.

I, personally, want to believe it. After all, the Gulf is my ocean. I grew up on it and still love it. If somehow the oil will just go away, great.

I admit, however, that I remain a skeptic, as other scientists recently reported that there was lots of oil still there. I guess the results depend upon who sponsors the study. That's not very original.

However, I have other concerns - remember you heard it here before Stewart, Cobert, Leno, Letterman, etc tell this on their shows.

If the microbes are now getting more oil than ever before, won't they evolve?

Maybe they'll become enormous and we can have our own Godzilla-type monster in Galveston Bay? Coming ashore, they seek oil - not just petroleum but cooking oil. No McDonalds' is safe. Who will save our cheeseburgers? Who will save our fries? Will the microbe monster supersize it?

Okay, I'll take my medicine now.

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The oil spill - British Petroleum has the answer?

I admit it...I'm bitter. After all the BS and lies, it simply turns out that British Petroleum hasn't got a clue how to stop the oil spill. Morons like Flush Limburger (Rush Limbaugh) say it's no big deal. A serious number of Americans are still in favor of offshore drilling. Even the president that I worked so hard to elect hasn't gotten indignant about it.

Are we all really that stupid?

People who say we should continue drilling all point out the dependence upon foreign oil as the rationale. Cleverly, they fail to acknowledge that even if we drilled enough to make the Alaskan Barbie orgasmic, we wouldn't dent our dependence. Never let the facts get in the way of a good knee-jerk reaction.

The same idiots who talk about the economy don't discuss the twenty+ billion dollars Florida will lose in the tourist industry this year. Twenty billion dollars in one year and one state and only in one industry. What about tourism losses in the other Gulf of Mexico states? Add them all together and you get..well...the biggest negative impact on the economy since the election of George Bush.

Ah, but we're just getting started. This tourism doesn't just create money...it creates jobs. When folks who work in the tourism business get paid, they buy things from the grocery stores, purchase homes, and even buy cars. So, the "ripple effect" (not to be confused with the drinking of cheap wine) begins. Naturally, the people they (folks in the tourism business) start is passed to their vendors who pass it to their vendors, and so on.

Of course, tourism isn't the only industry affected. Fishing is still a major economic factor in these areas. Fishermen contribute huge amounts of money to the economy as well.

It's starting to be depressing - as in depression.

"Guestimates" of the damages normally talk about periods of time up to a year. It will take years to clean up this disaster. Nice work! We not just screwed now; we're screwed for the next five or more years.

Still, after we destroy our coastlines and the economies that depend upon them, what are we doing about dependence upon foreign oil?

Guess what - the only way to solve that dependence is to use less oil (and gas). That means cars need to be smaller and more fuel efficient and we need to drive less.

There go those inconvenient truths again (thanks Al).

But there could be hope.

Millions of overweight, out-of-shape Americans could start walking and riding bicycles more. We could develop more mass transit options that work. We could require fuel economy improvements on a major scale.

Or, we could just order another KFC Double-down sandwich while we watch our planet die. After all, legacies are overrated and to hell with our children and grandchildren. We've got priorities.

For more on the spill, look here and here.

For someone else's take on BP's efforts, check out Carl Hiaasen's column here.

Fix the Gulf - BP Oil Spill

As discussed many times here before, the BP oil spill is a disaster of monumental proportions. It's time to demand change. Watch the video and sign the petition. It's the least you can do. Thanks to my friend Janell for posting this first.

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Time to change how we view oil

The British Petroleum oil spill is a disaster of untold proportion. There is zero question that deep water drilling is a failed technology. Yet, folks argue it must continue.

The decision really is a simple one - will we destroy the planet for us, for our children, and for our grandchildren for a few more years of cheap oil? Are we really that selfish?

The answer is also simple. We have been that selfish - now we need to change. We need to immediately declare war on oil dependence and slash our usage - not reduce the amount, slash the amount. We need to stop talking and start acting.

This would not weaken our economy - it would create thousands of new jobs and make our nation less dependent upon the dictators and haters of the world for our "SUV fix".

Watch this video, then go to http://www.edf.org/actnow and sign the petition. It matters - a lot. The Gulf is your ocean. This is your land.

Hope for the oceans

With the toxic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we can easily surmise that it's all over. Truthfully, the damage done and that will be done is horrendous. Clearly, we need to stop offshore oil drilling. Anyone who's lived on the coast for any time and is thinking knows that. Far more money will be lost trying to restore the ocean than that well ever produced.

However, there is hope. Mike deGruy (filmaker and oceanographer) tells a great story here, along with some amazing footage of octopus. Check it out!

BP and oil - where is it?

Suddenly, there's no BP (British Petroleum) oil spill. At least the major part is missing. Where did it go and why does that matter to the environment?

The answer - chemical dispersants.  Why does that matter?

Imagine you're a young man seeking a young woman to be your life-long partner. I apologize for telling this from the straight male perspective. It isn't the best perspective but (alas) it's the only one I have. And, it fits so well.

Do you seek your companion at church? Do you seek the life-long partner at political rallies (assuming something in common)? Do you seek her at clubs (assuming an addiction to Captain Morgan and cola)? Do you seek her at yoga class (assuming some flexibility in life)?

Not if you're the EPA.

They find a femme de noir. While she may not be everything they seek, her makeup covers up the flaws and the pain.

In my long life, particularly the cab driving years, I've known some excellent women of the evening. And, while I knew them as friends and clients, I never forgot the choices they made. I've worked hard, albeit unsuccessfully, to change things so those choices didn't have to be made by others who came later. Still, as nice and smart and funny as some of them were, the simple reality is that after a number of years in the trade, the makeup didn't hide the truth any more. I'm sorry. Sometimes after I took them to their homes and dropped them off, I cried. It was sad. It damn sure wasn't a goal.

Kids, the EPA doesn't get it.

Chemical dispersants hurt sea creatures. They allow damage. But, if you're not looking closely and the light is poor, they hide the truth.

It turns out the EPA has routinely allowed chemical dispersants to be used by BP.

That's both bad science, bad politics,  and against the law.

I take it personally because the Gulf of Mexico is my ocean. I grew up on it. It cured me both physically and metaphorically many times. Now, some jerk is destroying it. Some jerk is killing the dolphins I surfed with, killing the brown pelicans I worshiped, and killing the fish that sustained me.

That's my f***ing ocean. It's bad enough that you keep lying to people but you're killing my ocean.

Now, I find out my government is cooperating. I'm really mad. I'll vote mad and I'll contribute to candidates who share my rage.

Yes, President Obama, I'm mad at you too. I'm mad because you aren't. Step up. I voted for change. I voted for integrity. I even sent money. Please do the right thing and hang these guys out to dry.

Throw Salazar in the pit with them while you're at it.

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The British Petroleum oil spill - from the beach

It will cost billions of dollars. Folks and families are being destroyed. British Petroleum is out of control. What does it look like from the beach? Here's one short video from Destin Beach, Florida.

Folks, they're taking away some of the best our country has to offer just to power SUVs. Is it really worth that?

Imagine a total economic meltdown

Imagine you can't feed your children. Imagine you can't take your wife or husband to the doctor. Imagine you can't pay your house note or for your car. Imagine you've lost everything generations of your ancestors worked to create.

The Bush economy - maybe but not this time.

We're talking about British Petroleum's oil spill. We're talking about the effect it will have on folks on the Gulf Coast from Louisiana all the way through Florida.

Millions of people depend upon the waters of the Gulf for their livelihood. They are the fishermen, the tour guides, the hotel workers, the bar and restaurant owners - but that's just the first level. Then you have the auto dealers, REALTORS, bankers, grocery stores, etc who sell to these people.

Finally, you have the tax base. If these folks can't earn a living, they can't pay taxes. Guess where the burden will fall.

British Petroleum, in one moment of poor management, has hurt us worse than any enemy attack. No one even has a way to guesstimate the billions of dollars lost.

But we're also talking about respect. I'm an American and I'm offended that any company believes it has the right to foul my resources. Who are they to do this and how stupid are we to allow it? It's as if they came into our living room and...well...soiled the carpet.

A great description of the damage comes from one of my favorite columnists Carl Hiassen. See it here and see more on BP's economics here. See a video of the damage here.

Tea Baggers support British Petroleum's pollution of the Gulf

 I want to say first that I don't accuse all Republicans of this - that would be as insane as those Republicans who support the oil giant. But, check it out.

Rand Paul first said that Obama's trying to control the oil company is un-American. He backed off that for awhile but yesterday said that Obama's attacks on BP could harm its ability to clean up the spill and might destroy its financial stability.

Now that's just patently stupid. It's like telling the police not to arrest an axe murderer because he hadn't finished mopping up the blood yet. His financial take is equally clueless. Every financial analysis I've seen on BP says that, while this will definitely affect their bottom line, they could survive much worse. Rand Paul isn't a real libertarian - he's a real moron who will sell out his nation for small political gain.

Sharon Angle - running against Harry Reid in Nevada - called the BP fund for recovery a slush fund. Then, when the stuff started hitting the fan, she backtracked. This isn't her first back-track. She took down her old website because it was such a political liability then threatened to sue Harry Reid for making it available.  Nothing warms my heart more than seeing new faces in campaigns but her presence has gotten old real fast. As cynical as I can be about Harry Reid, she's making him look like a candidate for sainthood.

Naturally, we all remember Joe Barton of Texas apologizing to BP because American asked them to pay for the damage they did. He backtracked also.

So, what's worse - Tea Baggers selling out our nation to an oil conglomerate or their lack of courage to stand by what they say?

The best tea doesn't come in bags. Sorry Ms. Palin.

Jimmy Buffett and the Gulf Coast Concert to help with the BP oil spill

By all reports, it was incredible. For folks who missed it or just want a bit of memories, here's the redo of "When the Coast is Clear".

Key West Food and Beverage

No place is better. While the oil spill has me depressed, this needs to be shared.