Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, a leading Democrat from the great State of Texas, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee:
Words fail.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Car Bomb In Juarez: No Worries, Our Southern Border Is Secure
News of a car bomb set off on a major thoroughfare in Juarez, courtesy of the BBC.
This was not a home-made 'drive the car through the barricade/pull the lanyard/blow yourself up' affair. It was triggered by a cell phone, indicating some, shall we say, sophistication in approach.
16 July 2010 Last updated at 16:28 ET
Investigators in Mexico say a deadly attack by suspected drug cartel members in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez was a car bomb set off by mobile phone.
It is believed to be the first attack of its kind since President Felipe Calderon took office in 2006, promising to curb powerful drugs gangs.
Two police officers and two medics answering an emergency were killed.
Police said the attack was retaliation for the arrest of a leader of the La Linea drug gang, Jesus Acosta Guerrero. La Linea is part of the Juarez drug cartel.
"There were 10kg (22lb) of explosives, activated from a distance by a cellphone," Enrique Torres, a spokesman for the army in Ciudad Juarez, said. At least 16 other people were injured in Thursday's attack, police said.
Ciudad Juarez is just across the border from El Paso, Texas. It has long been the battleground for cartels fighting for control of lucrative drug smuggling routes into the US.
More than 7,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico so far this year. Almost 25,000 have died in the past three and a half years, according to figures released by the office of Attorney General Arturo Chavez on Friday.
El Diario de Chihuaha also covered the event, and in typical Mexican fashion, led the story by blaming the US for its lax laws on possession of C-4 explosive, never contemplating that the explosive could have arrived from any number of locations in the world. It is a long-established practice in the un-free Mexican press: If things go well, credit El Presidente; if things go badly, blame the Americans.
Then they got around to describing the bombing:
El auto explotó anoche sobre la avenida 16 de septiembre y Bolivia, en la zona centro, dejando un saldo de cuatro muertos y 11 heridos, así como el cierre de las calles aledañas al lugar del ataque.
El comandante expuso que de acuerdo con el peritaje, se encontraron residuos de 10 kilos de explosivo, al parecer del conocido como C4, así como restos de un aparato celular.
Indicó que aunque hasta este momento no se ha determinado exactamente cómo detonó el vehículo y si estaba armado como un coche-bomba, lo que si se puede determinar es que el artefacto se activó mediante una llamada a algún teléfono celular.
Indicó que el peritaje continúa a fin de determinar cómo fue que el vehículo se impactó contra el convoy de policías federales, si estaba estacionado o alguien lo iba conduciendo.
Confirmó que un agente de la Policía Federal y uno de la Municipal murieron, así como un médico y un rescatista de la Cruz Roja, en tanto que siete elementos federales, tres paramédicos de la Cruz Roja y un camarógrafo del canal 5, resultaron heridos.
Precisó que la Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) investiga el asunto, y son apoyados por efectivos de la Sedena y especialistas en explosivos.
Old South repeats his question: Does this have to occur on the streets of Dallas or Kansas City before the United States develops the will to address the problem?
This was not a home-made 'drive the car through the barricade/pull the lanyard/blow yourself up' affair. It was triggered by a cell phone, indicating some, shall we say, sophistication in approach.
16 July 2010 Last updated at 16:28 ET
Investigators in Mexico say a deadly attack by suspected drug cartel members in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez was a car bomb set off by mobile phone.
It is believed to be the first attack of its kind since President Felipe Calderon took office in 2006, promising to curb powerful drugs gangs.
Two police officers and two medics answering an emergency were killed.
Police said the attack was retaliation for the arrest of a leader of the La Linea drug gang, Jesus Acosta Guerrero. La Linea is part of the Juarez drug cartel.
"There were 10kg (22lb) of explosives, activated from a distance by a cellphone," Enrique Torres, a spokesman for the army in Ciudad Juarez, said. At least 16 other people were injured in Thursday's attack, police said.
Ciudad Juarez is just across the border from El Paso, Texas. It has long been the battleground for cartels fighting for control of lucrative drug smuggling routes into the US.
More than 7,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico so far this year. Almost 25,000 have died in the past three and a half years, according to figures released by the office of Attorney General Arturo Chavez on Friday.
El Diario de Chihuaha also covered the event, and in typical Mexican fashion, led the story by blaming the US for its lax laws on possession of C-4 explosive, never contemplating that the explosive could have arrived from any number of locations in the world. It is a long-established practice in the un-free Mexican press: If things go well, credit El Presidente; if things go badly, blame the Americans.
Then they got around to describing the bombing:
El auto explotó anoche sobre la avenida 16 de septiembre y Bolivia, en la zona centro, dejando un saldo de cuatro muertos y 11 heridos, así como el cierre de las calles aledañas al lugar del ataque.
El comandante expuso que de acuerdo con el peritaje, se encontraron residuos de 10 kilos de explosivo, al parecer del conocido como C4, así como restos de un aparato celular.
Indicó que aunque hasta este momento no se ha determinado exactamente cómo detonó el vehículo y si estaba armado como un coche-bomba, lo que si se puede determinar es que el artefacto se activó mediante una llamada a algún teléfono celular.
Indicó que el peritaje continúa a fin de determinar cómo fue que el vehículo se impactó contra el convoy de policías federales, si estaba estacionado o alguien lo iba conduciendo.
Confirmó que un agente de la Policía Federal y uno de la Municipal murieron, así como un médico y un rescatista de la Cruz Roja, en tanto que siete elementos federales, tres paramédicos de la Cruz Roja y un camarógrafo del canal 5, resultaron heridos.
Precisó que la Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) investiga el asunto, y son apoyados por efectivos de la Sedena y especialistas en explosivos.
Old South repeats his question: Does this have to occur on the streets of Dallas or Kansas City before the United States develops the will to address the problem?
The Well Is Holding: Keep A Good Thought
The BBC reports that the cap installed by BP is performing up to expectations.
The story also contains a slide show with diagrams of how the solution is supposed to work.
Keep a good thought, and let's all hope this works.
Assuming it does, the really hard part now begins: Rebuilding an economy and way of life battered on one side by BP's colossal blunder this spring, and the Obama administration's Machiavellian attempts to exploit the misfortune that followed.
OS intends to keep paying attention, and hopes you do as well. Engineers can cap wells, build berms, come up with solutions to clean up oil, etc. A well-run compensation fund can go a long way toward setting people and businesses back up on their feet. State and local authorities, if allowed, can do much to set things right locally.
The real problem is a federal government in the hands of nihilists, who have worked actively to impede progress toward any solution.
It sounds harsh to say such things, but until consistent evidence exists that the executive branch has changed its ways, it is the the only explanation that accounts for their behavior.
Now, about that ban on exploration and drilling, that is currently bankrupting the families, parishes, and State of Louisiana....
The story also contains a slide show with diagrams of how the solution is supposed to work.
Keep a good thought, and let's all hope this works.
Assuming it does, the really hard part now begins: Rebuilding an economy and way of life battered on one side by BP's colossal blunder this spring, and the Obama administration's Machiavellian attempts to exploit the misfortune that followed.
OS intends to keep paying attention, and hopes you do as well. Engineers can cap wells, build berms, come up with solutions to clean up oil, etc. A well-run compensation fund can go a long way toward setting people and businesses back up on their feet. State and local authorities, if allowed, can do much to set things right locally.
The real problem is a federal government in the hands of nihilists, who have worked actively to impede progress toward any solution.
It sounds harsh to say such things, but until consistent evidence exists that the executive branch has changed its ways, it is the the only explanation that accounts for their behavior.
Now, about that ban on exploration and drilling, that is currently bankrupting the families, parishes, and State of Louisiana....
Green Shoots Award, Literally: Alexandra Reau, Michigan Teen Entreprenuer Farmer
And, for something inspiring for the weekend, this delicious item from the New York Times.
Lawn mowing and baby-sitting are standard summer jobs for the enterprising teenager. Alexandra Reau, who is 14, combines a little bit of each: last year, she asked her dad to dig up a half acre of their lawn in rural Petersburg, Mich., so she could farm. Now in its second season, her Garden to Go C.S.A. (community-supported agriculture) grows for 14 members, who pay $100 to $175 for two months of just-picked vegetables and herbs. While her peers are hanging out at Molly’s Mystic Freeze and working out the moves to that Miley Cyrus video, she’s flicking potato-beetle larvae off of leaves in her V-neck T-shirt and denim capris, a barrette keeping her hair out of her demurely made-up eyes. Who says the face of American farming is a 57-year-old man with a John Deere cap?
It's a great read, a truly inspiring story.
No stimulus money spent here.
No farm subsidies.
No gubbermint involvement, period. (At least not yet!)
No bankers.
Positive economic and cultural outcomes for all parties.
Damn! How'd that happen?
Three cheers, and a Green Shoots award for Miss Reau.
Lawn mowing and baby-sitting are standard summer jobs for the enterprising teenager. Alexandra Reau, who is 14, combines a little bit of each: last year, she asked her dad to dig up a half acre of their lawn in rural Petersburg, Mich., so she could farm. Now in its second season, her Garden to Go C.S.A. (community-supported agriculture) grows for 14 members, who pay $100 to $175 for two months of just-picked vegetables and herbs. While her peers are hanging out at Molly’s Mystic Freeze and working out the moves to that Miley Cyrus video, she’s flicking potato-beetle larvae off of leaves in her V-neck T-shirt and denim capris, a barrette keeping her hair out of her demurely made-up eyes. Who says the face of American farming is a 57-year-old man with a John Deere cap?
It's a great read, a truly inspiring story.
No stimulus money spent here.
No farm subsidies.
No gubbermint involvement, period. (At least not yet!)
No bankers.
Positive economic and cultural outcomes for all parties.
Damn! How'd that happen?
Three cheers, and a Green Shoots award for Miss Reau.
Tensions Build Between Colombia And Venzuela: Colombia Accuses Chavez Of Harboring FARC Norco-Terrorists
It's getting interestinger and interestinger down there.
The story is surfacing in a number of places, including the BBC.
This from the Kansas City Star:
Venezuela called its ambassador home from Bogota for consultations Friday to protest accusations by the outgoing Colombian government that rebel leaders are taking refuge inside its borders.
Colombian officials have long complained, mostly in private, that President Hugo Chavez has harbored leaders of its two main rebel groups.
But on Thursday, Colombia's Defense Ministry showed video, photographs and satellite images to Colombian journalists behind closed doors that it said proved the presence of rebel leaders in neighboring Venezuela.
Colombia's hard-line president, Alvaro Uribe, leaves office on Aug. 7. He's been widely credited for seriously weakening Colombia's leftist insurgencies, one of which killed his father in a botched 1983 kidnapping.
Because he has frequently feuded with Chavez, many Colombians believe the renewed accusations show Uribe's dissatisfaction with the olive branch that Colombia's president-elect, Juan Manuel Santos, has extended to Chavez.
Trade between Venezuela and Colombia has fallen 70 percent in the past year since Chavez froze relations over Colombia's signing of an agreement with the United States granting Washington expanded access to its military bases.
Waiting to see how the White House and Foggy Bottom will hang the Colombians out to dry for having the temerity to actually oppose their boy Chavez to his face.
Not if.
How.
The story is surfacing in a number of places, including the BBC.
This from the Kansas City Star:
Venezuela called its ambassador home from Bogota for consultations Friday to protest accusations by the outgoing Colombian government that rebel leaders are taking refuge inside its borders.
Colombian officials have long complained, mostly in private, that President Hugo Chavez has harbored leaders of its two main rebel groups.
But on Thursday, Colombia's Defense Ministry showed video, photographs and satellite images to Colombian journalists behind closed doors that it said proved the presence of rebel leaders in neighboring Venezuela.
Colombia's hard-line president, Alvaro Uribe, leaves office on Aug. 7. He's been widely credited for seriously weakening Colombia's leftist insurgencies, one of which killed his father in a botched 1983 kidnapping.
Because he has frequently feuded with Chavez, many Colombians believe the renewed accusations show Uribe's dissatisfaction with the olive branch that Colombia's president-elect, Juan Manuel Santos, has extended to Chavez.
Trade between Venezuela and Colombia has fallen 70 percent in the past year since Chavez froze relations over Colombia's signing of an agreement with the United States granting Washington expanded access to its military bases.
Waiting to see how the White House and Foggy Bottom will hang the Colombians out to dry for having the temerity to actually oppose their boy Chavez to his face.
Not if.
How.
Friday, July 16, 2010
A Good, If Modest Beginning: AIG Settles With Ohio Pension Funds
From today's New York Times:
American International Group, the troubled insurance giant, has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running securities fraud lawsuit led by three Ohio public pension funds in one of the largest settlements of a class-action case ever in the United States.
Under terms announced Friday, A.I.G. would pay $175 million within 10 days of preliminary court approval of the settlement with a class of shareholders. The company may fund the remaining $550 million through one or more common stock offerings.
The litigation, which began in October 2004, involved allegations that A.I.G. engaged in accounting fraud, bid-rigging and stock price manipulation, said Attorney General Richard Cordray of Ohio, who represented the state’s funds.
The settlement resolves allegations of wide-ranging fraud from October 1999 to April 2005 and brings the expected recovery for A.I.G. shareholders to about $1 billion, Mr. Cordray said.
A.I.G. said it was “pleased to have resolved this matter.”
Well, yes. The settlement figure (which OS refers to as the 'GoAwayNumber'--you cough this up, and we'll get our clients to go away...) was still in the range of 'just the cost of doing business'. The fraud allegations date back to 1999!
1999! Can you say, 'Justice delayed? I knew you could!'
OS suspects that the only cash that will come the way of those pension funds will be from that initial $175 million payout, a great deal of which will go to attorney's fees. AIG will never get around to that stock offering, and the pension funds won't have the muscle, either financial or political, to enforce the remainder of the settlement. It's AIG, after all. They'll pay off the lawyers, and issue an IOU to the pension funds. The State of Ohio will end up having to make the funds whole, somehow.
If we had an honest Justice Department, the perp-walks and plea bargains would have occurred long ago, followed by the civil settlements. That used to be how these things worked. Crooks went to jail, companies paid settlements, and fired the execs who cost the stockholders their wealth. And then sued them.
If we had an honest Justice Department, that is.
They're too busy suing Arizona to give a thought about teacher pensions in Ohio.
American International Group, the troubled insurance giant, has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running securities fraud lawsuit led by three Ohio public pension funds in one of the largest settlements of a class-action case ever in the United States.
Under terms announced Friday, A.I.G. would pay $175 million within 10 days of preliminary court approval of the settlement with a class of shareholders. The company may fund the remaining $550 million through one or more common stock offerings.
The litigation, which began in October 2004, involved allegations that A.I.G. engaged in accounting fraud, bid-rigging and stock price manipulation, said Attorney General Richard Cordray of Ohio, who represented the state’s funds.
The settlement resolves allegations of wide-ranging fraud from October 1999 to April 2005 and brings the expected recovery for A.I.G. shareholders to about $1 billion, Mr. Cordray said.
A.I.G. said it was “pleased to have resolved this matter.”
Well, yes. The settlement figure (which OS refers to as the 'GoAwayNumber'--you cough this up, and we'll get our clients to go away...) was still in the range of 'just the cost of doing business'. The fraud allegations date back to 1999!
1999! Can you say, 'Justice delayed? I knew you could!'
OS suspects that the only cash that will come the way of those pension funds will be from that initial $175 million payout, a great deal of which will go to attorney's fees. AIG will never get around to that stock offering, and the pension funds won't have the muscle, either financial or political, to enforce the remainder of the settlement. It's AIG, after all. They'll pay off the lawyers, and issue an IOU to the pension funds. The State of Ohio will end up having to make the funds whole, somehow.
If we had an honest Justice Department, the perp-walks and plea bargains would have occurred long ago, followed by the civil settlements. That used to be how these things worked. Crooks went to jail, companies paid settlements, and fired the execs who cost the stockholders their wealth. And then sued them.
If we had an honest Justice Department, that is.
They're too busy suing Arizona to give a thought about teacher pensions in Ohio.
BP And Lockerbie, Blair and Ghadaffi
This broadcast on BBC on July 14.
It deserves a close listen.
If this is true, a lot of people in high places have a lot of blood on their hands.
This is very, very bad stuff. One can only hope it is not true.
Condolences to the families of the murdered, as they have to be dragged through their grief once more.
This is very, very bad stuff.
It deserves a close listen.
If this is true, a lot of people in high places have a lot of blood on their hands.
This is very, very bad stuff. One can only hope it is not true.
Condolences to the families of the murdered, as they have to be dragged through their grief once more.
This is very, very bad stuff.
Once Again, Karl Denninger Is On The Mark: The Paltry Goldman-Sachs Settlement
The Angry Man of American Financial Blogdom hits the bullseye once again.
OldSouth heard the announcement of the GS settlement on the radio yesterday.
As Denninger points out, a $550 million dollar fine extracted from a firm with some $75 billion of market cap is simply a cost of doing business. No admission of guilt.
A promise that 'Honest, we'll never ever ever ever do it again--cross our little black banker hearts and hope to die!'.
These people nearly collapsed the world's economy; as in, the ability for normal people living their potty little Main Street/High Street lives to simply go about their business, do their jobs, raise the kids, and maybe have enough at the end to live with a bit of dignity, not forced to share their final years living under the same roof with their kids and grandchildren. That's just in North America and places like the UK. In other parts of the world it means: 'Is there enough food for the children today, and will I get a bit to eat myself?'
And, if you'll look at the announcement in the second link above, there was a sharp move upwards on the GS stock just before the announcement. As in, the settlement number was leaked to the trading desks somewhere, and they were off to the races. That's just run-of-the-mill insider trading, ya'll, nothing to see here.
Tell-ya'-whut-OldSouth's gonna do, in light of the settlement:
He's gonna get with Bubbah, the local independent insurance agent, and buy fire insurance on all the houses for about a mile around. Illegal-illschmegal! We're makin' us some money, honey!
Then, he's gonna sell shares in all those policies to a teachers pension fund in Arkansas--them folks is really stupid, they'll buy anything!
Then, he'll get with Bubbah's cousin Bubbah, fresh back from the pen, stock him up in gasoline and matches, burn down all them houses, and collect the insurance. Pay Bubbah and Bubbah a few grand in cash, send them on their way.
Then, he'll wire the proceeds to the Caymans (what-chew-mean-that-money-belongs-to-that-pension-fund? They'ze in Arkansas, chump! They deserve to lose their money!), turn Bubbah and Bubbah over to the pohleece, and buy himself a seat on the boards of some local charities and get himself elected to the deacon board of the local largest Baptist church he can find.
Now, if Bubbah and Bubbah gits their panties in a wad 'bout goin' to prison, they may tell their side of the story to the pohleece. Let 'em. OS's got lawyers, and heee'z already bought off the judge, and besides, the pohleece iz too stupid to decipher the books and follow the money, and the prosecutor wants to git hired on that law firm that represents OS, anyway. And, the guhvner got himself a piece of the action back there a bit, so there's always a pardon available, jest in case things get nasty. Besides, OS's got some entertaining footage of the guhvner and three or four of his interns--Bambi, Julie, Robert, and Phillip. Very entertaining, know-whud-I-mean?
But, just in case, somebody somewhere someday, decides to pursue him, OS's got him the Goldman-Sachs-Get-Out-Of-Jail-Almost-Free-Card: Get his lawyers to share that footage with the Guhvner, offer that job to the prosecutor, sue those hick teachers in Arkansas for having the temerity to complain, remind the judge where his loyalties lie, and negotiate a fine in the amount of, say .5% of the proceeds of the transaction described above.
Pay the fine, never admitting that anything was ever done wrong to anyone, and promise to never-ever-ever do it again, until the next time.
Fund an orphanage in the Caymans, courtesy of the large local Baptist church. Visit it often.
Make sure Bubbah and Bubbah gets sent up to Brushy Mountain Prison, where they held James Earl Ray all those years, and arrange for them to meet an untimely end.
Gots to clean up them details, you know.
OldSouth heard the announcement of the GS settlement on the radio yesterday.
As Denninger points out, a $550 million dollar fine extracted from a firm with some $75 billion of market cap is simply a cost of doing business. No admission of guilt.
A promise that 'Honest, we'll never ever ever ever do it again--cross our little black banker hearts and hope to die!'.
These people nearly collapsed the world's economy; as in, the ability for normal people living their potty little Main Street/High Street lives to simply go about their business, do their jobs, raise the kids, and maybe have enough at the end to live with a bit of dignity, not forced to share their final years living under the same roof with their kids and grandchildren. That's just in North America and places like the UK. In other parts of the world it means: 'Is there enough food for the children today, and will I get a bit to eat myself?'
And, if you'll look at the announcement in the second link above, there was a sharp move upwards on the GS stock just before the announcement. As in, the settlement number was leaked to the trading desks somewhere, and they were off to the races. That's just run-of-the-mill insider trading, ya'll, nothing to see here.
Tell-ya'-whut-OldSouth's gonna do, in light of the settlement:
He's gonna get with Bubbah, the local independent insurance agent, and buy fire insurance on all the houses for about a mile around. Illegal-illschmegal! We're makin' us some money, honey!
Then, he's gonna sell shares in all those policies to a teachers pension fund in Arkansas--them folks is really stupid, they'll buy anything!
Then, he'll get with Bubbah's cousin Bubbah, fresh back from the pen, stock him up in gasoline and matches, burn down all them houses, and collect the insurance. Pay Bubbah and Bubbah a few grand in cash, send them on their way.
Then, he'll wire the proceeds to the Caymans (what-chew-mean-that-money-belongs-to-that-pension-fund? They'ze in Arkansas, chump! They deserve to lose their money!), turn Bubbah and Bubbah over to the pohleece, and buy himself a seat on the boards of some local charities and get himself elected to the deacon board of the local largest Baptist church he can find.
Now, if Bubbah and Bubbah gits their panties in a wad 'bout goin' to prison, they may tell their side of the story to the pohleece. Let 'em. OS's got lawyers, and heee'z already bought off the judge, and besides, the pohleece iz too stupid to decipher the books and follow the money, and the prosecutor wants to git hired on that law firm that represents OS, anyway. And, the guhvner got himself a piece of the action back there a bit, so there's always a pardon available, jest in case things get nasty. Besides, OS's got some entertaining footage of the guhvner and three or four of his interns--Bambi, Julie, Robert, and Phillip. Very entertaining, know-whud-I-mean?
But, just in case, somebody somewhere someday, decides to pursue him, OS's got him the Goldman-Sachs-Get-Out-Of-Jail-Almost-Free-Card: Get his lawyers to share that footage with the Guhvner, offer that job to the prosecutor, sue those hick teachers in Arkansas for having the temerity to complain, remind the judge where his loyalties lie, and negotiate a fine in the amount of, say .5% of the proceeds of the transaction described above.
Pay the fine, never admitting that anything was ever done wrong to anyone, and promise to never-ever-ever do it again, until the next time.
Fund an orphanage in the Caymans, courtesy of the large local Baptist church. Visit it often.
Make sure Bubbah and Bubbah gets sent up to Brushy Mountain Prison, where they held James Earl Ray all those years, and arrange for them to meet an untimely end.
Gots to clean up them details, you know.
Live Feed From The BP Well: FYI
OS's computer just can't keep up with the multiple cameras BP has feeding into its site. Just found a live video feed link that appears to work well.
Hope this is informative for OS's readers.
Hope this is informative for OS's readers.
Watch live streaming video from wkrg_oil_spill at livestream.com
Happiness Is An Oil Well That Doesn't Leak: So Far So Good On The Well Test
From the BP website, today at 6:00 pm. CDT
Subsea operational update:
* The well integrity test on the MC252 well commenced today; full closure of the choke valve occurred at approximately 2:25pm.
* Currently the well remains shut-in with no oil flowing into the Gulf; any significant change to this operation will be announced via a press release.
* For the first 12 hours on July 15 (midnight to noon), approximately 5,875 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 3,430 barrels of oil and 22.5 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
* For the last 12 hours on July 14 (noon to midnight), approximately 2,040 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 1,230 barrels of oil and 7.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
* We anticipate the next update will be provided at around 9:30am CDT on July 16, 2010.
OS was in the car and followed the announcement on NPR.
The gist of the news is: So far, so good. This is a test, one event on the way to getting this thing resolved, so don't get too excited yet. If it holds, we'll know in a few days. If it doesn't work perfectly, they can shunt oil from it to the surface ships. Of course, if they're doing that, and a hurricane occurs, we'll be back to the oil spill. In the meantime, progress is being made on the relief wells, with the final aim being to shut down this well permanently.
But again, this is a test, not the solution, yet.
*****
Yes, BP deserves its trip to the doghouse for getting complacent and allowing the tragedy to occur. And, they did not do a good job responding at first, and there are multitudinous problems still in getting things cleaned up, getting checks to people and businesses that have been totally upended by this colossal demonstration of Murphy's Law. It's a mess, and they created it, and its incumbent upon them to clean it up.
But they have every incentive to fix it, clean up the damage, and regain their reputation around the world. They have bondholders, and shareholders, employees and customers to answer to. Any and all of those people can turn on their heel and walk away on any given day, never to return. They, unlike the US federal government bureaucracy, and the White House that sits atop it, live in an atmosphere of accountability. Their shares trade daily. On the New York exchange, they traded at $60 before the spill, went to the high 20's a couple of weeks ago. They had to suspend the dividend to pay for the costs incurred, and will end up selling some profitable operations off. It will be some years before we see BP at 60 and a generous dividend.
Has it occurred to anyone that the contrast between BP and the Obama White House is growing? Who is a pro here, and who is an amateur?
Who was it that didn't even bother to pick up the phone to call BP for weeks after the oil spill began?
Who was it, when the meeting finally occurred (weeks overdue), that made the agenda essentially a Chicago-style 'This-is-a-nice-little-oil-company-you-got-here-so-hand-us-20-billion-or-else' event.
Who decided to shut down the entire economy of the Gulf Coast from the Panhandle all the way to Galveston, just to prove they could, even though the courts keep saying 'no', and the vast majority of the people in that part of the world are screaming 'no' at the top of their lungs?
Who has made it damned-near-impossible for the states and communities to protect themselves from the oil spill, citing 'environmental concerns'?
Who speaks in government-ease, and who communicates in straightforward English?
Who designed, built, and installed a 75 ton containment dome to cap the well in under eighty days? Who decided to delay the tests for two days, just 'cuz they could, only informing the engineers of their intentions after the well cap was installed?
Who installed cameras at the well head, and let the world watch oil spill into the Gulf from their well for some eighty-five days? Who is being informative, and who is using the occasion to shift blame and play to the cameras?
Who are the pros, and who are the amateurs? Where is the moral hazard? Who has a stake in success, and who has a stake in failure?
Subsea operational update:
* The well integrity test on the MC252 well commenced today; full closure of the choke valve occurred at approximately 2:25pm.
* Currently the well remains shut-in with no oil flowing into the Gulf; any significant change to this operation will be announced via a press release.
* For the first 12 hours on July 15 (midnight to noon), approximately 5,875 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 3,430 barrels of oil and 22.5 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
* For the last 12 hours on July 14 (noon to midnight), approximately 2,040 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 1,230 barrels of oil and 7.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
* We anticipate the next update will be provided at around 9:30am CDT on July 16, 2010.
OS was in the car and followed the announcement on NPR.
The gist of the news is: So far, so good. This is a test, one event on the way to getting this thing resolved, so don't get too excited yet. If it holds, we'll know in a few days. If it doesn't work perfectly, they can shunt oil from it to the surface ships. Of course, if they're doing that, and a hurricane occurs, we'll be back to the oil spill. In the meantime, progress is being made on the relief wells, with the final aim being to shut down this well permanently.
But again, this is a test, not the solution, yet.
*****
Yes, BP deserves its trip to the doghouse for getting complacent and allowing the tragedy to occur. And, they did not do a good job responding at first, and there are multitudinous problems still in getting things cleaned up, getting checks to people and businesses that have been totally upended by this colossal demonstration of Murphy's Law. It's a mess, and they created it, and its incumbent upon them to clean it up.
But they have every incentive to fix it, clean up the damage, and regain their reputation around the world. They have bondholders, and shareholders, employees and customers to answer to. Any and all of those people can turn on their heel and walk away on any given day, never to return. They, unlike the US federal government bureaucracy, and the White House that sits atop it, live in an atmosphere of accountability. Their shares trade daily. On the New York exchange, they traded at $60 before the spill, went to the high 20's a couple of weeks ago. They had to suspend the dividend to pay for the costs incurred, and will end up selling some profitable operations off. It will be some years before we see BP at 60 and a generous dividend.
Has it occurred to anyone that the contrast between BP and the Obama White House is growing? Who is a pro here, and who is an amateur?
Who was it that didn't even bother to pick up the phone to call BP for weeks after the oil spill began?
Who was it, when the meeting finally occurred (weeks overdue), that made the agenda essentially a Chicago-style 'This-is-a-nice-little-oil-company-you-got-here-so-hand-us-20-billion-or-else' event.
Who decided to shut down the entire economy of the Gulf Coast from the Panhandle all the way to Galveston, just to prove they could, even though the courts keep saying 'no', and the vast majority of the people in that part of the world are screaming 'no' at the top of their lungs?
Who has made it damned-near-impossible for the states and communities to protect themselves from the oil spill, citing 'environmental concerns'?
Who speaks in government-ease, and who communicates in straightforward English?
Who designed, built, and installed a 75 ton containment dome to cap the well in under eighty days? Who decided to delay the tests for two days, just 'cuz they could, only informing the engineers of their intentions after the well cap was installed?
Who installed cameras at the well head, and let the world watch oil spill into the Gulf from their well for some eighty-five days? Who is being informative, and who is using the occasion to shift blame and play to the cameras?
Who are the pros, and who are the amateurs? Where is the moral hazard? Who has a stake in success, and who has a stake in failure?
Tragic To Read, But Should Be Read: The Death Of Amir Javadifar
Persian2English provides news from the Iranian resistance--the one that the Obama White House refuses to mention, 'cuz they're much to busy suing Arizona.
This kid was an artist, not a bomb-thrower, with a family that loved him and a future to live for. He was beaten during a demonstration, arrested, disappeared, tortured, and then murdered.
Of course, the folks in the US State Department, who swoon daily for Hamas, are positively apoplectic about these blatantly criminal human rights abuses, right?
Right?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
Hilary?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
Bill? AlGore? Barry? Eric? RehvruhndJesseJackson? Pastor Sharpton? Miss Nancy? Rahm?
Anybody?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
OK, let's ask Jimmy Carter. After all, he kicked the legs out from under the Shah in favor of Khomeini ack in the late 1970'a, because of the Shah's bad record on human rights. If memory serves, the Revolutionary Guards were soooooooo grateful they invaded our embassy and held a bunch of our people hostage for about a year.
Jimmy, you got anything to say, bubbah?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
Didn't think so...
So, here we go, an incredibly painful tale. If this one isn't painful enough, just click on that link above. They's plenty more where that came from.
And remember, the government they're protesting against, with zero support from our White House, is working feverishly to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to places like...Europe.
Of course, we'll be able to trust their moral uprightness to not use them to threaten the world around them, right?
After all, The One does. So that must make everything o.k.
[begin copy]
Despite all his injuries and to respect the laws of his country, Amir Javadifar voluntarily turned himself in to the police to clarify his situation.
On July 10, 2009, Amir’s family never thought he would be arrested again, given his health conditions.
On July 9, 2009, Amir was severely beaten by eight to twelve individuals. Then he was arrested.
On July 9th at 9:00pm, an agent called the family using Amir’s cell phone and asked them to go to Firoozgar hospital.
The first published photos from Amir were taken that night at Firoozgar hospital.
Hospitals were instructed not to keep injured demonstrators. Amir was injured but his life was not in danger.
Amir was transferred to Laleh hospital where he was treated for injuries. He was forced to leave by a regime agent.
Amir: “I only went out to protest peacefully. I had no weapon. I did not insult anybody. I was just standing silently.”
Amir: “I didn’t do anything to be afraid of. I’ll go [voluntarily to the police] and I will be back.”
Amir’s brother: “Do you need a wheelchair?” Amir: “No, I can stand on my feet. Lovers die standing.”
After leaving the hospital, the family brought Amir to the preventive police at Enghelab Square. It was there that he was abruptly separated from his family.
His family was forced to leave the police station without saying goodbye to Amir or exchanging any last words.
A few hours later, his brother returned to the police station. He was told that three buses had left; one to Evin prison and two to Kahrizak prison. It was July 10th at 8:00pm.
The day after at the Revolutionary Court, the families of those arrested on July 9th were told to “wait 10 days.”
On July 14, 2009, a bus arrived at Evin from Kahrizak with 130 prisoners. An agent read the names. Amir was not among them.
Amir’s family visited Evin every day holding with Amir’s picture. None of the released prisoners recognized Amir.
His family learned on July 25, 2009 that Amir was killed. He died on July 14th, after four days in Kahrizak prison, during the transport by bus.
It was one of the released Kahrizak prisoners who finally recognized Amir’s picture on July 24th and informed the family that he was dead.
On July 25th, the family was asked to go to Kahrizak’s “legal medicine” department to identify his body. His brother identified him.
His family was not allowed to see the body. They were instead given three photos. Amir’s body was autopsied.
Other Kahrizak prisoners said Amir could not see on his last day due to eye injuries and infections.
During the last day, Amir screamed out to his deceased mother, “Return my eyes mother!”
His body was returned to the family two days after identification. The family filled a form and where it stated: “Do you want to sue anybody?” they left the field blank.
His brother: “Amir was not a political person at all. He was an artist. His view of the world was the one of an artist. He loved poems, movies, and books, but he was socially engaged. He came to the streets with awareness. He took part in peaceful demonstrations and he believed [in what he was doing].”
His brother remembers when Amir returned from the “great demonstration of silence” (June 15, 2009)
Amir: “I loved it. Today was one of the best days of my life. We said what we had to say in silence.”
Amir’s Brother: “[That day] Amir’s eyes were completely peaceful. He didn’t believe in violence.”
This kid was an artist, not a bomb-thrower, with a family that loved him and a future to live for. He was beaten during a demonstration, arrested, disappeared, tortured, and then murdered.
Of course, the folks in the US State Department, who swoon daily for Hamas, are positively apoplectic about these blatantly criminal human rights abuses, right?
Right?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
Hilary?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
Bill? AlGore? Barry? Eric? RehvruhndJesseJackson? Pastor Sharpton? Miss Nancy? Rahm?
Anybody?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
OK, let's ask Jimmy Carter. After all, he kicked the legs out from under the Shah in favor of Khomeini ack in the late 1970'a, because of the Shah's bad record on human rights. If memory serves, the Revolutionary Guards were soooooooo grateful they invaded our embassy and held a bunch of our people hostage for about a year.
Jimmy, you got anything to say, bubbah?
(...sound of crickets chirping...)
Didn't think so...
So, here we go, an incredibly painful tale. If this one isn't painful enough, just click on that link above. They's plenty more where that came from.
And remember, the government they're protesting against, with zero support from our White House, is working feverishly to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to places like...Europe.
Of course, we'll be able to trust their moral uprightness to not use them to threaten the world around them, right?
After all, The One does. So that must make everything o.k.
[begin copy]
Despite all his injuries and to respect the laws of his country, Amir Javadifar voluntarily turned himself in to the police to clarify his situation.
On July 10, 2009, Amir’s family never thought he would be arrested again, given his health conditions.
On July 9, 2009, Amir was severely beaten by eight to twelve individuals. Then he was arrested.
On July 9th at 9:00pm, an agent called the family using Amir’s cell phone and asked them to go to Firoozgar hospital.
The first published photos from Amir were taken that night at Firoozgar hospital.
Hospitals were instructed not to keep injured demonstrators. Amir was injured but his life was not in danger.
Amir was transferred to Laleh hospital where he was treated for injuries. He was forced to leave by a regime agent.
Amir: “I only went out to protest peacefully. I had no weapon. I did not insult anybody. I was just standing silently.”
Amir: “I didn’t do anything to be afraid of. I’ll go [voluntarily to the police] and I will be back.”
Amir’s brother: “Do you need a wheelchair?” Amir: “No, I can stand on my feet. Lovers die standing.”
After leaving the hospital, the family brought Amir to the preventive police at Enghelab Square. It was there that he was abruptly separated from his family.
His family was forced to leave the police station without saying goodbye to Amir or exchanging any last words.
A few hours later, his brother returned to the police station. He was told that three buses had left; one to Evin prison and two to Kahrizak prison. It was July 10th at 8:00pm.
The day after at the Revolutionary Court, the families of those arrested on July 9th were told to “wait 10 days.”
On July 14, 2009, a bus arrived at Evin from Kahrizak with 130 prisoners. An agent read the names. Amir was not among them.
Amir’s family visited Evin every day holding with Amir’s picture. None of the released prisoners recognized Amir.
His family learned on July 25, 2009 that Amir was killed. He died on July 14th, after four days in Kahrizak prison, during the transport by bus.
It was one of the released Kahrizak prisoners who finally recognized Amir’s picture on July 24th and informed the family that he was dead.
On July 25th, the family was asked to go to Kahrizak’s “legal medicine” department to identify his body. His brother identified him.
His family was not allowed to see the body. They were instead given three photos. Amir’s body was autopsied.
Other Kahrizak prisoners said Amir could not see on his last day due to eye injuries and infections.
During the last day, Amir screamed out to his deceased mother, “Return my eyes mother!”
His body was returned to the family two days after identification. The family filled a form and where it stated: “Do you want to sue anybody?” they left the field blank.
His brother: “Amir was not a political person at all. He was an artist. His view of the world was the one of an artist. He loved poems, movies, and books, but he was socially engaged. He came to the streets with awareness. He took part in peaceful demonstrations and he believed [in what he was doing].”
His brother remembers when Amir returned from the “great demonstration of silence” (June 15, 2009)
Amir: “I loved it. Today was one of the best days of my life. We said what we had to say in silence.”
Amir’s Brother: “[That day] Amir’s eyes were completely peaceful. He didn’t believe in violence.”
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Paging Mr. Cranmer
The wonderfully droll Anglican blogger Cranmer has gone missing on us for four weeks. His latest post was pretty disturbing.
OldSouth privately promised himself to wait a month before mentioning it. The month has passed, and it's time to inquire.
OS has some suspicions about why this may have occurred, which can never be shared. Mr. Cranmer has his best wishes and highest regard.
Mr. Cranmer also knows how to contact OS, and is encouraged to do so.
OldSouth privately promised himself to wait a month before mentioning it. The month has passed, and it's time to inquire.
OS has some suspicions about why this may have occurred, which can never be shared. Mr. Cranmer has his best wishes and highest regard.
Mr. Cranmer also knows how to contact OS, and is encouraged to do so.
This Keeps Making The Rounds: Worth A Second Mention
Sometime back, OldSouth tripped across this wonderful comedy routine first created for Australian TV.
Obviously, he wasn't alone, and the routine continues to make the rounds.
It's worth a repeat performance:
KERRY O'BRIEN, PRESENTER: Time for John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with a few reflections on Europe's financial woes.
BRYAN DAWE: Your name is Roger yes?
JOHN CLARKE: Roger.
BRYAN DAWE: Ah, that's your name?
JOHN CLARKE: Roger.
BRYAN DAWE: Good. And what do you do Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: I'm a financial consultant.
BRYAN DAWE: Ah, financial consultant, eh?
JOHN CLARKE: Roger, yes.
BRYAN DAWE: Terrific and Roger how is business at the moment?
JOHN CLARKE: Not bad thank you. Been a bit quiet lately.
BRYAN DAWE: How do you mean lately?
JOHN CLARKE: Since the war. Been a bit quiet.
BRYAN DAWE: Fair enough. Okay, Roger your special subject tonight is the economies of the European community. Your time starts now. Best of luck.
JOHN CLARKE: Thank you.
BRYAN DAWE: How much does Greece owe, Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: $367 billion.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And who do they owe it to?
JOHN CLARKE: Mostly to the other European economies.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How much does Ireland owe?
JOHN CLARKE: $865 billion.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who do they owe it to?
JOHN CLARKE: Other European economies mostly.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How much does Spain and Italy owe?
JOHN CLARKE: $1 trillion each.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who to?
JOHN CLARKE: Mainly France, Britain and Germany.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And how are Germany, France, Britain going Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: Well they're struggling a bit, aren't they?
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why?
JOHN CLARKE: Well ‘cause they've lent all the vast amounts of money to other European economies that can't possibly pay them back.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct so what are they go to go have to do?
JOHN CLARKE: They're going to have to bail them out.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Where are they getting the money to do that Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: That is a good question. I don't know the answer to that one. (laughs)
BRYAN DAWE: How much does Portugal owe?
JOHN CLARKE: Hang on a minute, what was the answer to that earlier question?
BRYAN DAWE: Just keep answering the questions Roger.
Where is Portugal going to get the money it owes to Germany if Germany can't get back the money that it lent to Italy?
JOHN CLARKE: Just a minute. What was the answer to the previous que-
The question was: How can broke economies lend money to other broke economies who haven't got any money because they can't pay back the money the broke economy lent to the other broke economy and shouldn't have lent it to them in the first place because the broke economy can't pay back?
BRYAN DAWE: You are wasting valuable time Roger. How much money does Spain owe to Italy?
JOHN CLARKE: $41 billion. But where are they going to get it?
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. What does Italy owe to Spain?
JOHN CLARKE: $27 billion but they haven't got it - they're broke.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How can they pay each other if neither of them has any money?
JOHN CLARKE: They're going to get a bailout, aren't they?
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And where is the money coming from for the bailout?
JOHN CLARKE: That is what I'm asking you!
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why are people selling the European currency and buying the US dollar?
JOHN CLARKE: Because the US economy is so much stronger than the European economy.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why is that Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: Because it's owned by China.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct and very well done! And after that round you've lost $1 million.
JOHN CLARKE: I've lost $1 million? I thought you said well done!
BRYAN DAWE: Yes well done - you've only lost $1 million. That's an extraordinary performance Roger.
JOHN CLARKE: I've only lost $1 million.
BRYAN DAWE: Very well done.
JOHN CLARKE: That's quite good is it?
BRYAN DAWE: Oh it's excellent.
JOHN CLARKE: Sell everything immediately. Quickly!
KERRY O'BRIEN: I think it's called laughing as you sink.
Obviously, he wasn't alone, and the routine continues to make the rounds.
It's worth a repeat performance:
KERRY O'BRIEN, PRESENTER: Time for John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with a few reflections on Europe's financial woes.
BRYAN DAWE: Your name is Roger yes?
JOHN CLARKE: Roger.
BRYAN DAWE: Ah, that's your name?
JOHN CLARKE: Roger.
BRYAN DAWE: Good. And what do you do Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: I'm a financial consultant.
BRYAN DAWE: Ah, financial consultant, eh?
JOHN CLARKE: Roger, yes.
BRYAN DAWE: Terrific and Roger how is business at the moment?
JOHN CLARKE: Not bad thank you. Been a bit quiet lately.
BRYAN DAWE: How do you mean lately?
JOHN CLARKE: Since the war. Been a bit quiet.
BRYAN DAWE: Fair enough. Okay, Roger your special subject tonight is the economies of the European community. Your time starts now. Best of luck.
JOHN CLARKE: Thank you.
BRYAN DAWE: How much does Greece owe, Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: $367 billion.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And who do they owe it to?
JOHN CLARKE: Mostly to the other European economies.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How much does Ireland owe?
JOHN CLARKE: $865 billion.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who do they owe it to?
JOHN CLARKE: Other European economies mostly.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How much does Spain and Italy owe?
JOHN CLARKE: $1 trillion each.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who to?
JOHN CLARKE: Mainly France, Britain and Germany.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And how are Germany, France, Britain going Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: Well they're struggling a bit, aren't they?
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why?
JOHN CLARKE: Well ‘cause they've lent all the vast amounts of money to other European economies that can't possibly pay them back.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct so what are they go to go have to do?
JOHN CLARKE: They're going to have to bail them out.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Where are they getting the money to do that Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: That is a good question. I don't know the answer to that one. (laughs)
BRYAN DAWE: How much does Portugal owe?
JOHN CLARKE: Hang on a minute, what was the answer to that earlier question?
BRYAN DAWE: Just keep answering the questions Roger.
Where is Portugal going to get the money it owes to Germany if Germany can't get back the money that it lent to Italy?
JOHN CLARKE: Just a minute. What was the answer to the previous que-
The question was: How can broke economies lend money to other broke economies who haven't got any money because they can't pay back the money the broke economy lent to the other broke economy and shouldn't have lent it to them in the first place because the broke economy can't pay back?
BRYAN DAWE: You are wasting valuable time Roger. How much money does Spain owe to Italy?
JOHN CLARKE: $41 billion. But where are they going to get it?
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. What does Italy owe to Spain?
JOHN CLARKE: $27 billion but they haven't got it - they're broke.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How can they pay each other if neither of them has any money?
JOHN CLARKE: They're going to get a bailout, aren't they?
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And where is the money coming from for the bailout?
JOHN CLARKE: That is what I'm asking you!
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why are people selling the European currency and buying the US dollar?
JOHN CLARKE: Because the US economy is so much stronger than the European economy.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why is that Roger?
JOHN CLARKE: Because it's owned by China.
BRYAN DAWE: Correct and very well done! And after that round you've lost $1 million.
JOHN CLARKE: I've lost $1 million? I thought you said well done!
BRYAN DAWE: Yes well done - you've only lost $1 million. That's an extraordinary performance Roger.
JOHN CLARKE: I've only lost $1 million.
BRYAN DAWE: Very well done.
JOHN CLARKE: That's quite good is it?
BRYAN DAWE: Oh it's excellent.
JOHN CLARKE: Sell everything immediately. Quickly!
KERRY O'BRIEN: I think it's called laughing as you sink.
Links About the Alejandro Pena Esclusa Arrest: The Word Is Out
Latin America Herald Tribune
Associated Press
El Universal
VHeadline.com (appears to be a news and blog site about Venezuela)
And then of course, one can go to Google, type in the name, and watch the page light up.
So much for that 'dark of night' thing...
Let's see if the US MSM will bother to ask any questions of Chavez's fans in the White House. (..sound of crickets chirping...)
Associated Press
El Universal
VHeadline.com (appears to be a news and blog site about Venezuela)
And then of course, one can go to Google, type in the name, and watch the page light up.
So much for that 'dark of night' thing...
Let's see if the US MSM will bother to ask any questions of Chavez's fans in the White House. (..sound of crickets chirping...)
Tests Underway On The BP Well
The Time-Picayune reports that tests are underway as of this morning.
Let's keep a good thought.
The next briefing from BP is at 2:30 pm CST.
Let's keep a good thought.
The next briefing from BP is at 2:30 pm CST.
Even If You Don't Follow Golf...
...do yourself a favor, and tune in to The Open this weekend.
There is no place like St. Andrews, and it feeds the soul to see the old game played on The Old Course.
The Open website carries live video and radio if your local TV doesn't broadcast.
OS could not stay awake for the opening proceedings, (3 a.m. in this time zone), but his heart was mightily cheered this morning to see that young Rory McIlroy had tied the Open record for an opening round with 63, and is three strokes clear of the field at this point. He's only twenty-one, and it is a joy to watch him play. At the other end of the age spectrum (much closer to where OS exists), to see Tom Watson par the 18th for a round of one over is also cause for cheers, and the gallery certainly gave him a lot of well-deserved love.
It's a great game, with dignity and fair play woven into the very fabric of the rules and practice. OS has a colleague with an enthusiastic grade-school daughter who has embraced the game with her whole heart. Her dad just beams when he talks about his duties as her caddy, and her growth as a young lady. He's a crack pro musician, and she studies music as well. One of his proudest moments came when she connected the dots between the two disciplines.
If OS could be King For A Day, he would arrange for every child to sing in a good choir, learn a musical instrument well, and learn to love and play golf.
Who needs LeBron, when you can have sports heroes like Rory, Phil Mickleson, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els? The bad actors, like John Daly, get to disintegrate publicly, in both game and life, occasionally showing the old magic, as he did this morning.
Mr. Woods now lives on the bubble, and both his golf and life are under scrutiny, to see if he will choose to recover. If he blows up on the course this week, it will be a long long road back. Good wishes go his way, with the hope that his really great years lie ahead.
There is no place like St. Andrews, and it feeds the soul to see the old game played on The Old Course.
The Open website carries live video and radio if your local TV doesn't broadcast.
OS could not stay awake for the opening proceedings, (3 a.m. in this time zone), but his heart was mightily cheered this morning to see that young Rory McIlroy had tied the Open record for an opening round with 63, and is three strokes clear of the field at this point. He's only twenty-one, and it is a joy to watch him play. At the other end of the age spectrum (much closer to where OS exists), to see Tom Watson par the 18th for a round of one over is also cause for cheers, and the gallery certainly gave him a lot of well-deserved love.
It's a great game, with dignity and fair play woven into the very fabric of the rules and practice. OS has a colleague with an enthusiastic grade-school daughter who has embraced the game with her whole heart. Her dad just beams when he talks about his duties as her caddy, and her growth as a young lady. He's a crack pro musician, and she studies music as well. One of his proudest moments came when she connected the dots between the two disciplines.
If OS could be King For A Day, he would arrange for every child to sing in a good choir, learn a musical instrument well, and learn to love and play golf.
Who needs LeBron, when you can have sports heroes like Rory, Phil Mickleson, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els? The bad actors, like John Daly, get to disintegrate publicly, in both game and life, occasionally showing the old magic, as he did this morning.
Mr. Woods now lives on the bubble, and both his golf and life are under scrutiny, to see if he will choose to recover. If he blows up on the course this week, it will be a long long road back. Good wishes go his way, with the hope that his really great years lie ahead.
Pressure Tests May Begin This Evening...
...unless the feds make up some other reason to grind things to a halt.
The BBC provides a good overview of what will be happening.
If the well can be safely capped, all the better. If not, they'll be able to harvest much more oil while the relief wells are completed.
Unless the feds make up some other reason to grind things to a halt...
In the meantime, an updated map of the oil spill:
Really, ya'll. What's the urgency? Ya'll in Washington just take yer sweeet time makin' up yoh minds. Mister Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will just wait until thangs get real real bad. Then he'll walk on water, give a speech, and bid the oil spill cease. And it will, by golly. Just ask him.
Shoot--he's already fixed the economy, won two wars, secured our borders, and won the eternal love of the Muslim world for the United States.
After all, He's The One.
The BBC provides a good overview of what will be happening.
If the well can be safely capped, all the better. If not, they'll be able to harvest much more oil while the relief wells are completed.
Unless the feds make up some other reason to grind things to a halt...
In the meantime, an updated map of the oil spill:
Really, ya'll. What's the urgency? Ya'll in Washington just take yer sweeet time makin' up yoh minds. Mister Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will just wait until thangs get real real bad. Then he'll walk on water, give a speech, and bid the oil spill cease. And it will, by golly. Just ask him.
Shoot--he's already fixed the economy, won two wars, secured our borders, and won the eternal love of the Muslim world for the United States.
After all, He's The One.
We Wonder Why We're In Such A Fiscal Hole: One Modest Example H.R. 3967
So, OS had C-SPAN on after the Gulf Coast hearings, and it cut back to the House floor. OS was too lazy to pay attention, it was mundane stuff, until he heard a brief debate over the extension of Federal funding for a wax museum in Baltimore.
Really. Can't make it up. The 'Blacks In Wax' museum, kept open by Federal funds, to inspire the young people of Baltimore about their heritage.
Really, we're spending money on this.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3967, introduced in October of 2009 by our colleague Representative Elijah Cummings, helps tell the story of the African American struggle for equality.For the last quarter century, Doctors Joanne and Elmer Martin have worked tirelessly to create a safe, nurturing environment for Baltimore's youth. Through their work to build and fund the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and the Justice Learning Center, they have created a unique opportunity to teach and connect with young people to tell the story of great African American leaders in the history of our United States of America.
H.R. 3967 amends the National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2004 to extend authorization for Federal grant funding. Representative Cummings is to be commended for his work on behalf of this outstanding education and outreach program.
Mr. Speaker, we support this legislation.
(That 'we' referred to would be the majority in the House of Representatives.)
[back and forth it went for a few minutes...]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R
3967.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
We're borrowing money from China to fund the 'Blacks In Wax' museum in Baltimore.
Sort of makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over, doesn't it?
Really. Can't make it up. The 'Blacks In Wax' museum, kept open by Federal funds, to inspire the young people of Baltimore about their heritage.
Really, we're spending money on this.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3967, introduced in October of 2009 by our colleague Representative Elijah Cummings, helps tell the story of the African American struggle for equality.For the last quarter century, Doctors Joanne and Elmer Martin have worked tirelessly to create a safe, nurturing environment for Baltimore's youth. Through their work to build and fund the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and the Justice Learning Center, they have created a unique opportunity to teach and connect with young people to tell the story of great African American leaders in the history of our United States of America.
H.R. 3967 amends the National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2004 to extend authorization for Federal grant funding. Representative Cummings is to be commended for his work on behalf of this outstanding education and outreach program.
Mr. Speaker, we support this legislation.
(That 'we' referred to would be the majority in the House of Representatives.)
[back and forth it went for a few minutes...]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R
3967.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
We're borrowing money from China to fund the 'Blacks In Wax' museum in Baltimore.
Sort of makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over, doesn't it?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
'Let's Wait Til They Build And Install The Well Cap Before We Tell Them They Can't Use It': Our Federal Government In Action
OS had a terrible premonition this would occur.
If the well is capped, then the White House will watch as the problem is solved, and the clean-up continues, and BP pays its claims, and life (in a few years) will begin to return to some sort of normal.
It's hard to expand your powers if there's no crisis. Harder to seize a corporation that is fulfilling its promises, however haltingly.
From the AP, just posted.
By TOM BREEN and HARRY R. WEBER, Associated Press Writers Tom Breen And Harry R. Weber, Associated Press Writers – 38 mins ago
NEW ORLEANS – BP's work to cap its Gulf of Mexico gusher was in limbo Wednesday after the federal government raised concerns the operation could put damaging pressure on the busted well and make the leak worse.
An administration official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the talks with BP, said the government was acting out of an "abundance of caution" and didn't want potentially dangerous pressure tests on a tighter cap that has been placed over the well to go ahead until BP answers questions about possible risks.
A top BP executive said there was no guarantee the cap, a temporary measure, will be put to use. Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles told The Associated Press in an interview that BP is trying to resolve the government's concerns.
"I don't know whether we will get that approval or not," Suttles said. "I hope we do."
At the same time, BP on its own temporarily halted the drilling of two relief wells that are designed to plug the gusher permanently from underground. That work was halted for up to 48 hours as a precaution because it's not yet clear what effect the testing of the new cap could have on it, the company said.
The delays were a stunning setback after the oil giant finally seemed to be on track following nearly three months of failed attempts to stop the spill, which has sullied beaches from Florida to Texas and decimated the multibillion dollar fishing industry.
BP had zipped through weekend preparations and gotten the 75-ton cap in place Monday atop the well. The plan was to stop the oil and pump excess to ships, raising hopes the gusher could be checked. BP was getting ready to test pressure on the well by closing valves in the cap when the government intervened late Tuesday.
Word of the delay broke as video showed BP's undersea robots busily swarming around the seafloor site.
Suttles said the government wants to verify that the casing, or the piping in the well, is intact and that the oil would stay contained if BP shuts the well in.
Suttles said the next step would depend on the outcome of a meeting of BP and government officials early Wednesday afternoon.
The administration official said Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. Geological Survey chief Marcia McNutt and other government scientists met with BP Tuesday in Houston and had a number of questions about the plan to test the integrity of the well. Chu and other officials want to ensure that putting downward pressure on the well will not cause further leaks, the official said.
"Our basic position was, if you can give us the answers we need ... then go ahead," the official said. Until then, "they can't go forward."
The official said the government still hopes the cap can be closed to shut in the oil.
Oil continued to spew nearly unimpeded into the water, with no clear timeline on when it would stop. BP shares were down more than 2 percent in afternoon trading in London after recouping some of their oil spill losses earlier this week, when the cap project seemed to be moving ahead.
The cap would be a stopgap until a permanent fix that requires plugging the broken well underground with cement and heavy drilling mud, a more stable seal than capping the well from the top. The timeline for the relief well and a backup one has always been hazy, with company and federal officials giving estimates ranging from the end of July to the middle of August before it can be completed.
Suttles urged Gulf residents is to be patient.
"We're going to get this thing stopped as fast as we can," he said. "If it is not in the next couple of days with the test, we'll do it with the relief wells."
On the Alabama coast, Joyce Nelson said every bit of news from the spill site increases her stress and sparks a new round of telephone calls between friends and relatives in Bayou La Batre, where the seafood industry is virtually shut down because of the spill. The slowdown at the rig site just made things worse.
"Everybody's calling everybody. It's hectic," said Nelson. "Everybody is worried about them blowing the whole thing out. If that happens, there's nothing they can do but let it drain out."
Roger N. Anderson, a marine geologist at Columbia University, said he believes BP and government scientists are just being very cautious and he's not worried.
Freezing work on the relief well may mean scientists are worried that clamping down the cap will push new pressure all the way down to the depths of the broken well, he said.
"So I wouldn't panic, is the answer. They're going to be very, very deliberate about this," Anderson said.
Assuming BP gets the green light to do the cap testing after the extra analysis is finished, engineers need to shut off lines already funneling some oil to ships to see how the cap handles the pressure of the crude coming up from the ground.
Finally, they would shut the openings in the 75-ton metal stack of pipes and valves gradually, one at a time, while watching pressure gauges to see if the cap would hold or if any new leaks erupted. The operation could last anywhere from six to 48 hours, once it gets started.
As of Wednesday, the 85th day of the disaster, between 92 million and 182 million gallons of oil had spewed into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.
Well, maybe it is an abundance of caution.
But, given the gubbermint's track record so far, this feels very creepy. The White House Moral Hazard Meter is pegged all the way into the red.
Jest sayin'...
85 days.
All work has come to a dead halt.
Nothing impedes the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
If the well is capped, then the White House will watch as the problem is solved, and the clean-up continues, and BP pays its claims, and life (in a few years) will begin to return to some sort of normal.
It's hard to expand your powers if there's no crisis. Harder to seize a corporation that is fulfilling its promises, however haltingly.
From the AP, just posted.
By TOM BREEN and HARRY R. WEBER, Associated Press Writers Tom Breen And Harry R. Weber, Associated Press Writers – 38 mins ago
NEW ORLEANS – BP's work to cap its Gulf of Mexico gusher was in limbo Wednesday after the federal government raised concerns the operation could put damaging pressure on the busted well and make the leak worse.
An administration official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the talks with BP, said the government was acting out of an "abundance of caution" and didn't want potentially dangerous pressure tests on a tighter cap that has been placed over the well to go ahead until BP answers questions about possible risks.
A top BP executive said there was no guarantee the cap, a temporary measure, will be put to use. Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles told The Associated Press in an interview that BP is trying to resolve the government's concerns.
"I don't know whether we will get that approval or not," Suttles said. "I hope we do."
At the same time, BP on its own temporarily halted the drilling of two relief wells that are designed to plug the gusher permanently from underground. That work was halted for up to 48 hours as a precaution because it's not yet clear what effect the testing of the new cap could have on it, the company said.
The delays were a stunning setback after the oil giant finally seemed to be on track following nearly three months of failed attempts to stop the spill, which has sullied beaches from Florida to Texas and decimated the multibillion dollar fishing industry.
BP had zipped through weekend preparations and gotten the 75-ton cap in place Monday atop the well. The plan was to stop the oil and pump excess to ships, raising hopes the gusher could be checked. BP was getting ready to test pressure on the well by closing valves in the cap when the government intervened late Tuesday.
Word of the delay broke as video showed BP's undersea robots busily swarming around the seafloor site.
Suttles said the government wants to verify that the casing, or the piping in the well, is intact and that the oil would stay contained if BP shuts the well in.
Suttles said the next step would depend on the outcome of a meeting of BP and government officials early Wednesday afternoon.
The administration official said Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. Geological Survey chief Marcia McNutt and other government scientists met with BP Tuesday in Houston and had a number of questions about the plan to test the integrity of the well. Chu and other officials want to ensure that putting downward pressure on the well will not cause further leaks, the official said.
"Our basic position was, if you can give us the answers we need ... then go ahead," the official said. Until then, "they can't go forward."
The official said the government still hopes the cap can be closed to shut in the oil.
Oil continued to spew nearly unimpeded into the water, with no clear timeline on when it would stop. BP shares were down more than 2 percent in afternoon trading in London after recouping some of their oil spill losses earlier this week, when the cap project seemed to be moving ahead.
The cap would be a stopgap until a permanent fix that requires plugging the broken well underground with cement and heavy drilling mud, a more stable seal than capping the well from the top. The timeline for the relief well and a backup one has always been hazy, with company and federal officials giving estimates ranging from the end of July to the middle of August before it can be completed.
Suttles urged Gulf residents is to be patient.
"We're going to get this thing stopped as fast as we can," he said. "If it is not in the next couple of days with the test, we'll do it with the relief wells."
On the Alabama coast, Joyce Nelson said every bit of news from the spill site increases her stress and sparks a new round of telephone calls between friends and relatives in Bayou La Batre, where the seafood industry is virtually shut down because of the spill. The slowdown at the rig site just made things worse.
"Everybody's calling everybody. It's hectic," said Nelson. "Everybody is worried about them blowing the whole thing out. If that happens, there's nothing they can do but let it drain out."
Roger N. Anderson, a marine geologist at Columbia University, said he believes BP and government scientists are just being very cautious and he's not worried.
Freezing work on the relief well may mean scientists are worried that clamping down the cap will push new pressure all the way down to the depths of the broken well, he said.
"So I wouldn't panic, is the answer. They're going to be very, very deliberate about this," Anderson said.
Assuming BP gets the green light to do the cap testing after the extra analysis is finished, engineers need to shut off lines already funneling some oil to ships to see how the cap handles the pressure of the crude coming up from the ground.
Finally, they would shut the openings in the 75-ton metal stack of pipes and valves gradually, one at a time, while watching pressure gauges to see if the cap would hold or if any new leaks erupted. The operation could last anywhere from six to 48 hours, once it gets started.
As of Wednesday, the 85th day of the disaster, between 92 million and 182 million gallons of oil had spewed into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.
Well, maybe it is an abundance of caution.
But, given the gubbermint's track record so far, this feels very creepy. The White House Moral Hazard Meter is pegged all the way into the red.
Jest sayin'...
85 days.
All work has come to a dead halt.
Nothing impedes the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
A Portrait Of Hugo Chavez: Art At Its Most Expressive And Effective
Who sez the spirit of Free Enterprise is dead, or that we've lost our sense of humor?
From UnoAmerica: (haltingly translated by OS)
Wednesday 14 April, 2010
The idea occurred to to Cuban entreprenuer Maria Vasquez, who lives in exile in Venezuela, to bring to market a new line of toilet paper branded 'Socialism in the Twenty-first Century'. The idea has met with success,and the theme of the marketing campaign is 'Make your dream come true'.
Whoo-wee, ya'll! Genius is found in all corners of the earth!
Maria Vasquez, hands-down the winner of the 2010 OldSouth Creative Vengeance Award.
(Other faces do float to mind as well...)
Miércoles, 14 de Abril de 2010
La idea surgió de la empresaria cubana María Vásquez, quien vivió exiliada en Venezuela y que saco al mercado una linea de papeles higiénicos llamados "el socialismo del siglo XXI". La propuesta ha tenido exito y el tema de la campaña es "haz tu sueño realidad"
Chavez Begins Rounding Up The Opposition: The Arrest of Alejandro Pena-Esclusa
This from CNN, yesterday:
Venezuelan authorities arrested an opposition politician and former presidential candidate on explosives charges Monday night, the government news agency reported.
Alejandro Pena Esclusa, a 1998 presidential candidate and political opponent of leftist Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, was arrested at home by agents from the nation's intelligence service, the official ABN news service reported Monday. Pena was taken to the intelligence service headquarters for interrogation, ABN said.
Opposition groups say Pena was arrested for political reasons. Unoamerica, a group headed by Pena, said Tuesday his arrest "is part of a Cuban operation that looks to link opposition leaders with terrorist acts."
Chavez critics have said Cubans are heavily involved in the Venezuelan military and also are playing a key role in intelligence, communications and other areas.
Authorities say they found material of "an explosive nature" when they searched Pena's home in Caracas, Venezuela.
"We have obtained ... some small capsules, more than 100 capsules, which are presumed detonators, some thermal, some electric," ABN quoted counterintelligence director David Colmenares as saying.
Officials contend Pena has been working with Francisco Chavez Abarca, a Salvadoran resident arrested in Venezuela last week on charges that he was in the country to destabilize the government. ABN calls Chavez Abarca a "terrorist" and says he informed on some of his accomplices.
Pena is one of those accomplices, ABN indicated.
"Alejandro Pena Esclusa is a dark character of the Venezuelan opposition linked to fascist sectors and with a thick file of conspiratorial activities against the government of President Hugo Chavez," ABN said.
There will be other arrests in coming days as a result of the information Chavez Abarca provided, the news agency said.
Pena's strong opposition to the Venezuelan president has been lauded, even in the United States. The Alabama state legislature took up a resolution in March commending his actions.
"[A]t great personal risk to himself, Alejandro Pena Esclusa has stood firm in opposition to the spread of Marxism and totalitarianism in Latin America," the resolution states, adding that Pena "continues to serve as an ideological and symbolic counterweight to Chavez's grievance driven exploitation of the people of Venezuela and of broader Latin America in furtherance of the fomentation of authoritarian movements in the region."
Human rights organizations have frequently accused Chavez of intimidating or punishing citizens based on their political beliefs.
In June, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights sent a letter to Venezuela's foreign minister, criticizing the government on its record of freedom of expression.
In February, the commission issued a 319-page report accusing Venezuela of routinely violating human rights. The report said that a lack of independence by Venezuela's judiciary and legislature in their dealings with Chavez often leads to the abuses.
"The report finds that not all individuals are ensured full enjoyment of their rights irrespective of their positions on government policies," the human rights panel said. "The commission also finds that the punitive power of the state is being used to intimidate or punish people on account of their political opinions."
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an independent arm of the Organization of American States.
Chavez's opponents say his government represses political opponents and the expression of free ideas by jailing critics on trumped-up charges or pulling licenses for TV and radio stations and shutting down newspapers. There are about 40 such political prisoners in Venezuelan jails, the critics say.
Most of those prisoners, Chavez critics say, are journalists and former military and police officials and others associated with a short-lived coup against Chavez in April 2002.
Some of the prisoners have been held for long periods without trials or during proceedings that have dragged on for months and even years, the critics say, and they say other prisoners have received harsh sentences under questionable charges. Many of the detainees are held at the secret police headquarters rather than a prison.
"Attacks on journalists were widespread," said Amnesty International's 2009 Report on Human Rights in Venezuela. "Human rights defenders continued to suffer harassment. Prison conditions provoked hunger strikes in facilities across the country."
Human Rights Watch, an independent global organization, issued a 230-page report in 2008 that said Chavez has shown an "open disregard for the principle of separation of powers ... specifically, the notion that an independent judiciary is indispensable for protecting fundamental rights."
The Chavez government has routinely denied any allegations of human rights abuses, saying that authorities arrest citizens only on suspicion of breaking the law.
This matters to us, here in the US, a lot.
The Obama administration has tilted heavily toward Chavez. Not a peep about its seizure of foreign assets, human rights violations, its use of Cuban thugs as enforcers, chumming around with the Iranians, etc. etc. Obama and company have been vocal in their support of Chavez and company as they seek to hand the Falklands to Argentina.
More to come on this subject--in the meantime, for those who read Spanish, UnoAmerica provides more detail and support.
Also, the resolution from the Alabama legislature, praising Alejandro Pena Esclusa, and issuing him an invitation to address the body.
OS's Spanish isn't the greatest, but from what he's been able to gather, Esclusa is a faithful Catholic, and a tireless advocate of democracy, individual liberty and human rights.
For the simple reason that we need to stop this before it reaches our shores, OS hopes his readers will do what they can to contact their representatives and make them aware of the situation.
Sunlight is always the best disinfectant.
N.B. As CNN reports, Esclusa is only one example of the Chavez crackdown.
Meantime, Back On Our Secure Southern Border...
Two more policeman gunned down on a major thoroughfare in Juarez (just across the border from El Paso, Texas).
That's just the lead story on the front page--links below the story detail ten more murders.
Just another day in Juarez.
Do we need to wait until it becomes commonplace in Lexington, KY before we develop the will to act?
[translation from today's El Diario]
Two members of the Police Ministry were shot and killed this afternoon.
The events took place at the corner of Adolfo López Mateos Avenue and Ejército Nacional.
According to early reports, an armed group attacked the agents while they were on official business.
It is presumed that a third agent was wounded, and dies after being taken to the hospital, but this has not been confirmed.
Dos elementos de la Policía Ministerial fueron acribillados y asesinados esta tarde.
Los hechos sucedieron en la avenida Adolfo López Mateos cruce con Ejército Nacional.
Según las primeras versiones, un grupo armado emboscó a los agentes cuando circulaban en una unidad oficial.
Se presume que un tercer agente resultó herido y falleció al ser trasladado a recibir atención médica, pero no ha sido confirmado.
That's just the lead story on the front page--links below the story detail ten more murders.
Just another day in Juarez.
Do we need to wait until it becomes commonplace in Lexington, KY before we develop the will to act?
[translation from today's El Diario]
Two members of the Police Ministry were shot and killed this afternoon.
The events took place at the corner of Adolfo López Mateos Avenue and Ejército Nacional.
According to early reports, an armed group attacked the agents while they were on official business.
It is presumed that a third agent was wounded, and dies after being taken to the hospital, but this has not been confirmed.
Dos elementos de la Policía Ministerial fueron acribillados y asesinados esta tarde.
Los hechos sucedieron en la avenida Adolfo López Mateos cruce con Ejército Nacional.
Según las primeras versiones, un grupo armado emboscó a los agentes cuando circulaban en una unidad oficial.
Se presume que un tercer agente resultó herido y falleció al ser trasladado a recibir atención médica, pero no ha sido confirmado.
The Federal Slow-Walk Begins: No Testing Of The Well Containment System Allowed
Here we go...the Obama slow-walk is underway.
From the BP site:
Release date: 13 July 2010
Following a meeting with Secretary Chu and his team of scientific and industry experts, the National Incident Commander announced that additional analysis of the well testing procedure should be performed before starting the well integrity test. This analysis will be conducted tonight and into tomorrow. Consequently, the well integrity test did not start today.
Let's see if it is allowed to begin tomorrow...that 'analysis of the well testing procedure' could be very complex, you know. Several committees to form, regulators to consult, etc. It could take, well, days. Weeks even.
Smell the moral hazard yet?
From the BP site:
Release date: 13 July 2010
Following a meeting with Secretary Chu and his team of scientific and industry experts, the National Incident Commander announced that additional analysis of the well testing procedure should be performed before starting the well integrity test. This analysis will be conducted tonight and into tomorrow. Consequently, the well integrity test did not start today.
Let's see if it is allowed to begin tomorrow...that 'analysis of the well testing procedure' could be very complex, you know. Several committees to form, regulators to consult, etc. It could take, well, days. Weeks even.
Smell the moral hazard yet?
Felons Voted For Franken, But Coleman Handed Him The Election
Plenty of buzz starting up about how felons in Minnesota illegally voted in 2008, and those votes may have provided the margin for Al Franken to win the Senate seat.
Well, yes. But Coleman lost because he alienated the core Republican voters who had tired of being taken for granted.
Coleman, in short, was a RINO. He handed the election to Franken. He has no reason to complain.
The illegal voting should be prosecuted, as it strikes at the heart of the political life of the nation.
And the RINO's need to either change their ways, or get out of the way. Much less painful to graciously and voluntarily return to private life, rather than suffer the public humiliation of losing one's seat.
Well, yes. But Coleman lost because he alienated the core Republican voters who had tired of being taken for granted.
Coleman, in short, was a RINO. He handed the election to Franken. He has no reason to complain.
The illegal voting should be prosecuted, as it strikes at the heart of the political life of the nation.
And the RINO's need to either change their ways, or get out of the way. Much less painful to graciously and voluntarily return to private life, rather than suffer the public humiliation of losing one's seat.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Fish In A Barrel: Brad Sherman (D-CA) Claims To Know Nothing About The Black Panther Voter Intimidation Case
This is just too much fun. A senior, trusted member of the House Majority, smiling condescendingly at his poor constituents, claiming to know nothing about a major legal issue in the news, and the DOJ's decision to give the thugs a walk:
It's easy to conclude he's lying. But, really, he may not be lying.
He simply may be that stupid and out of touch.
The voters in the audience certainly are not...
It's easy to conclude he's lying. But, really, he may not be lying.
He simply may be that stupid and out of touch.
The voters in the audience certainly are not...
The Gulf Coast Mayors Get To Tell Their Story: Oil Spill Commission Testimony
Just completed, the mayors from the small towns along the coast tell their story. Both Democrats and Republicans, they tell of the frustrations of dealing with the oil spill damage, an inept federal government, a clueless BP, hordes of outside contractors descending upon their towns (with no ties to the community, and no accountability). They remained remarkably calm, but it is easy to see how strained they are by the experience.
They ran for office to administrate small-town life--roads, sewers, police,parking, etc. None of them signed up for man-made disaster duty--hurricanes they handle, but this is another order of magnitude.
This isn't about politics. It's about life. The people who successfully navigate this particular vale of tears, in both the public and private arenas, will have much to offer the culture in the future.
The link is here. On lunch break at this hour, testimony resumes this afternoon.
Blessedly, the commission itself is under much scrutiny, as its composition appears to be a left-wing environmental 'hit-squad', an extension of 'The Chicago Way'. The Senate appears to have closed the checkbook on their demands for more money. Slowly, the reality of Obama's war upon the Gulf Coast is sinking in, and the push-back may finally be underway.
This from the Washington Post:
Several blog entries written by commission members before their appointments called for banning or delaying offshore-drilling proposals. Their comments have drawn criticism from the oil industry and some local officials worried about economic hardships caused by shutdowns.
As president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Frances G. Beinecke supported the Obama administration's moratorium on drilling in deep waters after the explosion and on May 27 blamed BP, inadequate government oversight and "America's addiction to oil" for the disaster. Beinecke halted her blog after joining the commission.
That type of commentary left industry analysts, including Robin West, leery. West, chairman of PFC Energy, said "people in the industry are quite prepared to get to the bottom of facts on what happened" and restore confidence in offshore operations. But, he said, "will the commission be objective and informed about a highly complex industry?"
Again, smell for the moral hazard. Who has a stake in success? who has a stake in failure, creating the opportunity for litigation, harvesting of wealth, and growth of the governmental vampire-squid?
Testing on the new cap begins today. Admiral Allen giving a briefing now. Everyone keep a good thought. If the engineering is well-done, the flow of oil may finally be greatly reduced.
If memory serves, this installation was not expected until the end of the month. If it works, this is hopeful news. Let's see if the federal government will allow it to succeed.
Keep a good thought.
They ran for office to administrate small-town life--roads, sewers, police,parking, etc. None of them signed up for man-made disaster duty--hurricanes they handle, but this is another order of magnitude.
This isn't about politics. It's about life. The people who successfully navigate this particular vale of tears, in both the public and private arenas, will have much to offer the culture in the future.
The link is here. On lunch break at this hour, testimony resumes this afternoon.
Blessedly, the commission itself is under much scrutiny, as its composition appears to be a left-wing environmental 'hit-squad', an extension of 'The Chicago Way'. The Senate appears to have closed the checkbook on their demands for more money. Slowly, the reality of Obama's war upon the Gulf Coast is sinking in, and the push-back may finally be underway.
This from the Washington Post:
Several blog entries written by commission members before their appointments called for banning or delaying offshore-drilling proposals. Their comments have drawn criticism from the oil industry and some local officials worried about economic hardships caused by shutdowns.
As president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Frances G. Beinecke supported the Obama administration's moratorium on drilling in deep waters after the explosion and on May 27 blamed BP, inadequate government oversight and "America's addiction to oil" for the disaster. Beinecke halted her blog after joining the commission.
That type of commentary left industry analysts, including Robin West, leery. West, chairman of PFC Energy, said "people in the industry are quite prepared to get to the bottom of facts on what happened" and restore confidence in offshore operations. But, he said, "will the commission be objective and informed about a highly complex industry?"
Again, smell for the moral hazard. Who has a stake in success? who has a stake in failure, creating the opportunity for litigation, harvesting of wealth, and growth of the governmental vampire-squid?
Testing on the new cap begins today. Admiral Allen giving a briefing now. Everyone keep a good thought. If the engineering is well-done, the flow of oil may finally be greatly reduced.
If memory serves, this installation was not expected until the end of the month. If it works, this is hopeful news. Let's see if the federal government will allow it to succeed.
Keep a good thought.
Stuffing NASA's Bolden Down The Memory Hole: Robert Gibbs Says He Didn't Actually Say What He Said...
Robert Gibbs (aka ObamaBob) is our new Ron Nessen, the beleaguered press secretary for Richard Nixon. The poor man's job was to go out every day, and explain why today's lie was the truth, and that we should ignore yesterday's lie.
So, today Gibbs assures us that Bolden didn't actually say what he was clearly quoted as saying to Al Jazeera, and in other places as well. You know, the bit about The One telling him his first priority is to make Muslims feel good about themselves.
The laughter still hasn't subsided, so Gibbs has to 'splain it to us, that we should just forget what clearly happened, and stuff it down the Memory Hole.
Really, ya'll. He thinks we'll buy it, too!
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden must have misspoken when he told Al Jazeera last month that one of his top priorities is to reach out to Muslim countries.
"That was not his task and that's not the task of NASA," Gibbs said.
Bolden, though, said last month in the interview that it was President Obama who gave him that task. He made a similar claim in February.
The White House also backed up Bolden last week when his remarks first stirred controversy. A White House spokesman last Tuesday said Obama wants NASA to engage with the world's best scientists and that to meet that challenge, NASA must "partner with countries around the world like Russia and Japan, as well as collaboration with Israel and with many Muslim-majority countries."
NASA last week walked back Bolden's claim that Muslim outreach was the "perhaps foremost" plank of his mission, saying that Bolden was merely talking about his "outreach" responsibilities and that space exploration is still NASA's No. 1 job.
But Gibbs on Monday appeared to deny that Bolden was asked to focus on Muslim outreach at all.
Riiiiiight...
So, today Gibbs assures us that Bolden didn't actually say what he was clearly quoted as saying to Al Jazeera, and in other places as well. You know, the bit about The One telling him his first priority is to make Muslims feel good about themselves.
The laughter still hasn't subsided, so Gibbs has to 'splain it to us, that we should just forget what clearly happened, and stuff it down the Memory Hole.
Really, ya'll. He thinks we'll buy it, too!
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden must have misspoken when he told Al Jazeera last month that one of his top priorities is to reach out to Muslim countries.
"That was not his task and that's not the task of NASA," Gibbs said.
Bolden, though, said last month in the interview that it was President Obama who gave him that task. He made a similar claim in February.
The White House also backed up Bolden last week when his remarks first stirred controversy. A White House spokesman last Tuesday said Obama wants NASA to engage with the world's best scientists and that to meet that challenge, NASA must "partner with countries around the world like Russia and Japan, as well as collaboration with Israel and with many Muslim-majority countries."
NASA last week walked back Bolden's claim that Muslim outreach was the "perhaps foremost" plank of his mission, saying that Bolden was merely talking about his "outreach" responsibilities and that space exploration is still NASA's No. 1 job.
But Gibbs on Monday appeared to deny that Bolden was asked to focus on Muslim outreach at all.
Riiiiiight...
BP Lowers The Cap Over The Well, Testing To Begin
Fingers crossed, one and all.
From the BP website:
Release date: 12 July 2010
The three ram capping stack was installed on the Deep Water Horizon LMRP at 7 p.m. CDT. The stack completes the installation of the new sealing cap.
Following installation of the capping stack and in line with the procedure approved by the National Incident Commander and Unified Area Command, the well integrity test will begin July 13 on the MC252 well. For the duration of the test, which will be a minimum of 6 hours and could extend up to 48 hours, the three ram capping stack will be closed and all sub-sea containment systems (namely, the Q4000 and Helix Producer) will be temporarily suspended, effectively shutting in the well. It is expected, although cannot be assured, that no oil will be released to the ocean for the duration of the test. This will not however be an indication that flow from the wellbore has been permanently stopped.
Information gathered during the test will be reviewed with the relevant government agencies including the federal science team to determine the way forward. Options include reinstatement of containment as well as extending the test duration beyond 48 hours.
The sealing cap system never before has been deployed at these depths or under these conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.
Because the depths are so great, and well pressure is so high, a series of valves will be closed one at a time, to test the device's ability to capture the flow of the oil and gas. It may succeed totally, or partially, or not at all.
So, it remains to be seen if the Feds will allow the cap to work at, say 90% efficiency, or will insist on either 100% capture or a return to unimpeded pollution of the Gulf. Let us pray some reasonable heads prevail, and that ideologues don't snatch failure from the jaws of success.
Video supplied by ABC News:
From the BP website:
Release date: 12 July 2010
The three ram capping stack was installed on the Deep Water Horizon LMRP at 7 p.m. CDT. The stack completes the installation of the new sealing cap.
Following installation of the capping stack and in line with the procedure approved by the National Incident Commander and Unified Area Command, the well integrity test will begin July 13 on the MC252 well. For the duration of the test, which will be a minimum of 6 hours and could extend up to 48 hours, the three ram capping stack will be closed and all sub-sea containment systems (namely, the Q4000 and Helix Producer) will be temporarily suspended, effectively shutting in the well. It is expected, although cannot be assured, that no oil will be released to the ocean for the duration of the test. This will not however be an indication that flow from the wellbore has been permanently stopped.
Information gathered during the test will be reviewed with the relevant government agencies including the federal science team to determine the way forward. Options include reinstatement of containment as well as extending the test duration beyond 48 hours.
The sealing cap system never before has been deployed at these depths or under these conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.
Because the depths are so great, and well pressure is so high, a series of valves will be closed one at a time, to test the device's ability to capture the flow of the oil and gas. It may succeed totally, or partially, or not at all.
So, it remains to be seen if the Feds will allow the cap to work at, say 90% efficiency, or will insist on either 100% capture or a return to unimpeded pollution of the Gulf. Let us pray some reasonable heads prevail, and that ideologues don't snatch failure from the jaws of success.
Video supplied by ABC News:
Words From 1981: Reagan's First Inagural Address
OS has promised himself to not just sit and whine, and expect to be taken seriously. He really believes we have solutions to our present challenges, if we will embrace basic wisdom, and choose leaders who possess that wisdom.
So many now in early adulthood have no memory of Ronald Reagan. Their childhoods were spent in the shadow of the sleazy Clintons and inept Bushes, in a culture in love with money and itself. They don't understand, they can't. Just like OS can't understand life under FDR. He wasn't there.
OS does remember Reagan. After the parade of LBJ's grandiosity, Nixon's paranoia, Ford's good-hearted but doomed stewardship, and Carter's ineptitude, the country was in very bad shape. OS was trying to get a career underway in the throes of a gross recession. Times were hard. Hope was a bit in short supply. He had voted for Reagan, feeling his stomach clutch with fear as he pulled the lever.
Reagan understood, and spoke the needed words at the crucial time. Short, clear, unequivocal, wise, optimistic, visionary, and true; all guaranteed to make him the target of the vitriol of the Left.
Just a few phrases--do they not ring true today? Do you understand why so many search for another Reagan? Does the outpouring of admiration and throngs of crowds at his death now make more sense, after years of Clintons, Bushes, and now Obama?
The business of our nation goes forward.
These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions. We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained inflations in our national history. It distorts our economic decisions, penalizes thrift, and crushes the struggling young and the fixed-income elderly alike. It threatens to shatter the lives of millions of our people. Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, human misery and personal indignity.
Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity. But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending. For decades we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future for the temporary convenience of the present. To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.
You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why then should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?
We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no misunderstanding -- we’re going to begin to act beginning today. The economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. They will not go away in days, weeks, or months, but they will go away. They will go away because we as Americans have the capacity now, as we have had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom.
In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we’ve been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?
And, later:
We are a nation that has a government -- not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the earth. Our Government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.
It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the states or to the people.
All of us -- all of us need to be reminded that the Federal Government did not create the states; the states created the Federal Government.
So, here we are again, with the lessons of Reagan forgotten, wondering why we arrived at this mess.
OS hopes some young moms and dads, born too late to remember The Gipper, will take the time to learn of him, and tell their children.
So many now in early adulthood have no memory of Ronald Reagan. Their childhoods were spent in the shadow of the sleazy Clintons and inept Bushes, in a culture in love with money and itself. They don't understand, they can't. Just like OS can't understand life under FDR. He wasn't there.
OS does remember Reagan. After the parade of LBJ's grandiosity, Nixon's paranoia, Ford's good-hearted but doomed stewardship, and Carter's ineptitude, the country was in very bad shape. OS was trying to get a career underway in the throes of a gross recession. Times were hard. Hope was a bit in short supply. He had voted for Reagan, feeling his stomach clutch with fear as he pulled the lever.
Reagan understood, and spoke the needed words at the crucial time. Short, clear, unequivocal, wise, optimistic, visionary, and true; all guaranteed to make him the target of the vitriol of the Left.
Just a few phrases--do they not ring true today? Do you understand why so many search for another Reagan? Does the outpouring of admiration and throngs of crowds at his death now make more sense, after years of Clintons, Bushes, and now Obama?
The business of our nation goes forward.
These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions. We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained inflations in our national history. It distorts our economic decisions, penalizes thrift, and crushes the struggling young and the fixed-income elderly alike. It threatens to shatter the lives of millions of our people. Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, human misery and personal indignity.
Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity. But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending. For decades we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future for the temporary convenience of the present. To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.
You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why then should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?
We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no misunderstanding -- we’re going to begin to act beginning today. The economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. They will not go away in days, weeks, or months, but they will go away. They will go away because we as Americans have the capacity now, as we have had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom.
In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we’ve been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?
And, later:
We are a nation that has a government -- not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the earth. Our Government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.
It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the states or to the people.
All of us -- all of us need to be reminded that the Federal Government did not create the states; the states created the Federal Government.
So, here we are again, with the lessons of Reagan forgotten, wondering why we arrived at this mess.
OS hopes some young moms and dads, born too late to remember The Gipper, will take the time to learn of him, and tell their children.
Ineptitude. Incompetence. Inattention: The Obama Administration vs. The Oil Spill
Anybody notice that the Gulf oil spill seems to have taken back burner in the media and at the White House?
The Heritage Foundation noticed, and sent its own team to report on progress, or lack thereof.
They met a universal response of disgust with the behaviour of the federal government, beginning with the ban on oil exploration, twice struck down by the courts, and reimposed again today. The rigs are picking up and moving away, perhaps never to return. An entire industry knee-capped, businesses ruined, careers lost.
In other words, just what Obama intends. Never let a crisis go to waste, ya'll.
In the meantime, the New Orleans Times-Picayune just released a photo showing the new cap installed by BP, now beginning testing.
Did BP and its contractors create this mess? Yep. And, they are working to fix it. For all their many failings, amply discussed already, they have a huge stake in successfully capping the well, cleaning up the mess, and restoring credibility with the Gulf Coast. The existence of the firm is on the line, and potential criminal liability for many executives, if they fail.
Has the federal government worsened the damage? Definitely. And they are working to spread the pain far and wide. They have a stake in failure, as it creates chaos, and the opportunity to expand power. They need the crisis, and thus exacerbate it.
When all else fails, check for moral hazard. Insurance agents do. So should we.
In the meantime, a chart of the oil spill based on yesterday's overflights, provided by BP.
The Heritage Foundation noticed, and sent its own team to report on progress, or lack thereof.
They met a universal response of disgust with the behaviour of the federal government, beginning with the ban on oil exploration, twice struck down by the courts, and reimposed again today. The rigs are picking up and moving away, perhaps never to return. An entire industry knee-capped, businesses ruined, careers lost.
In other words, just what Obama intends. Never let a crisis go to waste, ya'll.
In the meantime, the New Orleans Times-Picayune just released a photo showing the new cap installed by BP, now beginning testing.
Did BP and its contractors create this mess? Yep. And, they are working to fix it. For all their many failings, amply discussed already, they have a huge stake in successfully capping the well, cleaning up the mess, and restoring credibility with the Gulf Coast. The existence of the firm is on the line, and potential criminal liability for many executives, if they fail.
Has the federal government worsened the damage? Definitely. And they are working to spread the pain far and wide. They have a stake in failure, as it creates chaos, and the opportunity to expand power. They need the crisis, and thus exacerbate it.
When all else fails, check for moral hazard. Insurance agents do. So should we.
In the meantime, a chart of the oil spill based on yesterday's overflights, provided by BP.
Monday, July 12, 2010
To My 'Extra Daughter', On Her Wedding Day
Who-cooda-node, suspected, foretold
What a decade would do to transform you.
It makes me feel old, respected, and bold
to speak frankly while marriage is new.
Ten years is a third of your earthly tenure,
It takes nerve to stay single til thirty;
While siblings and friends are all settled in, you're
postponing the time to be flirty.
(talk about forced rhyme!)
The day did arrive, that magical day
When diploma and cheers did reward you.
The goal was achieved, none stood in the way
of the walk down the aisle, 'xept a groom!
(arrgh! that one hurt!)
Ambitious girl, you conquered your world,
With pluck and high spirits you 'showed it'
With heart undemurred, you declared undeterred:
'Mr. Right's out there, I just know it!'
And so, today, I had the great pleasure
To see you sail down center aisle;
A moment in time, forever to treasure:
Your dress, your veil, your smile.
And, he is 'Mr. Right', in spite of my rants
'bout 'Old Whats-Hiz-Name, I seem to forget'.
So ignore my poor grumbles, get on with the dance
Of love, 'cuz you ain't seen nothin' yet.
*******
And, on a more sober note:
I'm so incredibly proud of you, and of Mrs. OS as well. I was dubious of your prospects, and Mrs. OS just hung in with you, taking you from where you were to where she thought you could be--and you're still on that journey. It's been amazing to watch you make fifteen years of progress in ten, get an education, build a business, and not succumb to almost overwhelming social pressure to give up and settle for less.
I have to sound the obligatory cautionary note. It's my job:
Failure is a possibility. That's why love and marriage are risky. I arrived home tonight, and amongst my emails is one from a friend in another corner of the world, detailing the dark and absurd journey through his divorce. Quite a contrast from yesterday's celebrations. Having once participated in the failure of a marriage, I hope you never even come within a mile of that tragedy. But, failure is a possibility. Life is weird and unpredictable.
So, continue to show the pluck, courage, good cheer and kind heart that led you to yesterday. If 'Old Whats-Hiz-Name' does likewise, and I think he will, you're in for some happy times.
Enjoy the honeymoon. See you in two weeks.
OS
What a decade would do to transform you.
It makes me feel old, respected, and bold
to speak frankly while marriage is new.
Ten years is a third of your earthly tenure,
It takes nerve to stay single til thirty;
While siblings and friends are all settled in, you're
postponing the time to be flirty.
(talk about forced rhyme!)
The day did arrive, that magical day
When diploma and cheers did reward you.
The goal was achieved, none stood in the way
of the walk down the aisle, 'xept a groom!
(arrgh! that one hurt!)
Ambitious girl, you conquered your world,
With pluck and high spirits you 'showed it'
With heart undemurred, you declared undeterred:
'Mr. Right's out there, I just know it!'
And so, today, I had the great pleasure
To see you sail down center aisle;
A moment in time, forever to treasure:
Your dress, your veil, your smile.
And, he is 'Mr. Right', in spite of my rants
'bout 'Old Whats-Hiz-Name, I seem to forget'.
So ignore my poor grumbles, get on with the dance
Of love, 'cuz you ain't seen nothin' yet.
*******
And, on a more sober note:
I'm so incredibly proud of you, and of Mrs. OS as well. I was dubious of your prospects, and Mrs. OS just hung in with you, taking you from where you were to where she thought you could be--and you're still on that journey. It's been amazing to watch you make fifteen years of progress in ten, get an education, build a business, and not succumb to almost overwhelming social pressure to give up and settle for less.
I have to sound the obligatory cautionary note. It's my job:
Failure is a possibility. That's why love and marriage are risky. I arrived home tonight, and amongst my emails is one from a friend in another corner of the world, detailing the dark and absurd journey through his divorce. Quite a contrast from yesterday's celebrations. Having once participated in the failure of a marriage, I hope you never even come within a mile of that tragedy. But, failure is a possibility. Life is weird and unpredictable.
So, continue to show the pluck, courage, good cheer and kind heart that led you to yesterday. If 'Old Whats-Hiz-Name' does likewise, and I think he will, you're in for some happy times.
Enjoy the honeymoon. See you in two weeks.
OS
Home Again, Sunday Evening: Road Trip To Indianapolis
As always, so very glad to be home, in the OldSouth ComfyChair, the dogs happily dozing at our feet, a summer thunderstorm blowing through as so often happens this time of the year in the South.
Indianapolis is not unfamiliar to OS, at least goodly parts of it. This trip was for a wedding of a dear friend (more about that in another post).
Downtown was impressive, not a doubt about it. Goods and services, hotels, shopping, restaurants, excellent. And, there seemed to be a lively amount of activity, considering these are hot midsummer days. Downtown hotel was lovely (the staff was equally lovely) but irritatingly insisted on the 'nickel-and-dime-the-guest' approach, $32 per night to park, charging for internet service in rooms, over-priced restaurants, eye-wateringly over-priced bar. The bar remained a ghost town for the duration of our stay. OS broke down and treated himself to a congratulatory Jack Daniels on the rocks after the wedding, but only one, since that one set him back more than he is willing to admit in print. Puhleeze!
A few blocks from downtown was impressive as well, differently. A number of blocks with most of the businesses boarded up. Apartments with plenty of vacancies, and 'for sale' signs blooming in the front yards of the houses. A few houses boarded up as well. It's as if someone let the air out of once-great neighborhoods. Most of the structures are solid, brick-and-mortar pre-1930 creations, built to last, but no one seems to have an idea of what to do with them, or is willing to incur any risk in that location. A few blocks further out, conditions improve again. Hard to pinpoint why this seems to have happened, just that there is a swath of the city that just seems to have rolled over and died. OS suspects that the culture of drug use and the chaos and despair it creates has much to do with this. Again, it's that 'culture thang'...the economic malaise is symptomatic of the cultural unwinding.
The trip home also had its contrasts. A visit to the outlet mall in Edinburgh, IN was surprising. Shoppers were out in force, and they were buying, not aggressively as in years past, but they were spending money on deeply-discounted brand-name merch.
Coldwater Creek's store was brimming with inventory, all 40% off, and a further discount at the register because Mrs. OS is a regular online customer. It was almost embarrassing to carry off that much stuff for that small a cash outlay. Other stores with banners of up to 70% off, etc. Every store space was occupied, however. A few miles down the road, at the next outlet mall, it looked like half the space was empty. OS has no explanation...
Late lunch in Jeffersonville, across the river from Louisville. A little 1890's town that went through serious decline, and now seems on the way back up on an aggressive trajectory. Physically, about the same distance from Louisville as the ruined parts of Indy, and much the same architectural styles. Yet, it seems to thrive. No smell of despair here, clean streets, occupied retail, etc., a sense of itself. That culture thang....
There are real signs of life out there, along with evidence of doldrums. It will be a long crawl back for this part of the country, even if everything goes right for the next five years or so. The good news is that Midwesterners are a hardy, industrious breed, and tend to be pragmatic.
Indianapolis is not unfamiliar to OS, at least goodly parts of it. This trip was for a wedding of a dear friend (more about that in another post).
Downtown was impressive, not a doubt about it. Goods and services, hotels, shopping, restaurants, excellent. And, there seemed to be a lively amount of activity, considering these are hot midsummer days. Downtown hotel was lovely (the staff was equally lovely) but irritatingly insisted on the 'nickel-and-dime-the-guest' approach, $32 per night to park, charging for internet service in rooms, over-priced restaurants, eye-wateringly over-priced bar. The bar remained a ghost town for the duration of our stay. OS broke down and treated himself to a congratulatory Jack Daniels on the rocks after the wedding, but only one, since that one set him back more than he is willing to admit in print. Puhleeze!
A few blocks from downtown was impressive as well, differently. A number of blocks with most of the businesses boarded up. Apartments with plenty of vacancies, and 'for sale' signs blooming in the front yards of the houses. A few houses boarded up as well. It's as if someone let the air out of once-great neighborhoods. Most of the structures are solid, brick-and-mortar pre-1930 creations, built to last, but no one seems to have an idea of what to do with them, or is willing to incur any risk in that location. A few blocks further out, conditions improve again. Hard to pinpoint why this seems to have happened, just that there is a swath of the city that just seems to have rolled over and died. OS suspects that the culture of drug use and the chaos and despair it creates has much to do with this. Again, it's that 'culture thang'...the economic malaise is symptomatic of the cultural unwinding.
The trip home also had its contrasts. A visit to the outlet mall in Edinburgh, IN was surprising. Shoppers were out in force, and they were buying, not aggressively as in years past, but they were spending money on deeply-discounted brand-name merch.
Coldwater Creek's store was brimming with inventory, all 40% off, and a further discount at the register because Mrs. OS is a regular online customer. It was almost embarrassing to carry off that much stuff for that small a cash outlay. Other stores with banners of up to 70% off, etc. Every store space was occupied, however. A few miles down the road, at the next outlet mall, it looked like half the space was empty. OS has no explanation...
Late lunch in Jeffersonville, across the river from Louisville. A little 1890's town that went through serious decline, and now seems on the way back up on an aggressive trajectory. Physically, about the same distance from Louisville as the ruined parts of Indy, and much the same architectural styles. Yet, it seems to thrive. No smell of despair here, clean streets, occupied retail, etc., a sense of itself. That culture thang....
There are real signs of life out there, along with evidence of doldrums. It will be a long crawl back for this part of the country, even if everything goes right for the next five years or so. The good news is that Midwesterners are a hardy, industrious breed, and tend to be pragmatic.
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