Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Headlines - Wednesday June 9

The BP Oil Spill Re-Enacted By Cats in 1 Minute
 
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"Nobody could have anticipated ..."

Seems that if anyone in a position of authority was doing their jobs and/or paying attention, they would have seen
BP's pattern of disregard for the safety of their workers and the integrity of the environment.
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A 2001 report noted that BP had neglected key equipment needed for emergency shutdown, including safety shutoff valves and gas and fire detectors similar to those that could have helped prevent the fire and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf.

A 2004 inquiry found a pattern of intimidating workers who raised safety or environmental concerns. It said managers were shaving maintenance costs with the practice of "run to failure," under which aging equipment was used as long as possible. Accidents resulted, including the 200,000-gallon Prudhoe Bay pipeline spill in 2006, the largest ever spill on Alaska's North Slope.

During the same period, similar problems surfaced at BP facilities in California and Texas.

In 2002, California officials discovered that BP had falsified inspections of fuel tanks at a Los Angeles-area refinery and that more than 80 percent of the facilities didn't meet requirements to maintain storage tanks without leaks or damage. Inspectors were forced to get a warrant before BP allowed them to check the tanks. The company eventually settled a civil lawsuit brought by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for more than $100 million.

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While we on the Left are all concerned about keeping the wall between church and state intact, it's time to build a wall between corporations and state because this sleazy partnership will lead to our downfall long before the theocrats get a chance to do it.
 
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Sanders explains that the beached oil absorbs the heat from the sun and can get to 100-plus degree temperatures. When heated to that extreme level, bird experts say the oil begins to "literally cook the birds" as they get coated in it.
 
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birds-cleaned-die-gulf-spill photo
 
 
The horror gets worse and worse every minute.
 
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How any oil company made the list in the first place says a lot about how phony those lists of 'ethical stocks' can be. Delaying the review until the six month planned session is equally lame though not surprising.
 
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Seems nobody really wants to close Gitmo.

It's been more than five months since the Obama administration missed its self-imposed deadline for the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. And as things stand now, one key member of Congress says, the White House is showing little to no willingness to continue pursuing one of the more high-minded promises made by the president before entering office.

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White House? Check.

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The senator, who is a leading proponent of Gitmo's closure, acknowledged (more implicitly than explicitly) that the issue was, for all intents and purposes, off the table -- at least for the noticeable future. It was not the president's fault per se, he said. Though a bit of lobbying on the matter wouldn't hurt. Simply put, the congressional skepticism has been too steep to overcome.

"The majority of my committee voted basically to keep it open indefinitely. Because they took away from the money for the alternative," said Levin. "You can't close it unless you have some other place to take people and put people. I happen to think it should be closed. Our military leaders think it should be closed... I think it is dangerous to America to keep that symbol there. But as long as you have the majority of Congress that oppose closing it, all the Republicans and some Democrats, it won't be easy to close it."

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Congress? Check.

Oh, that Gitmo. We're workin' on it.

I think, between the White House and Congress, they're all hoping whoever is still there will die off and solve the whole problem before any of them have to put their political ass on the line any further.
 
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Greenwald: Congrats to Rush Limbaugh on his fourth traditional marriage.
 
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Now that Helen Hitler Thomas has been forcibly retired, more video of the interview miraculously has become available for viewing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc4OeRu7cfs&feature=player_embedded

Clearly, this woman is evil beyond words. The way she smiled at those Jewish kids while giving them friendly advice to enter careers in journalism so they can have fulfilling lives of learning and accomplishment when secretly, I have been assured by liberals and others, what she really wants is to transport them back to the gas ovens of the Holocaust (for the morons- see the update).

You guys got played. And by this jackass, running around doing Mexican impressions in his spare time. Does anyone still want to try to pretend she was suggesting people be time-warped back to Auschwitz? Or that her pleasantly offering advice to Jewish students was horrifying anti-Semitism at work? Anyone?

On the upside, no one is talking about the unpleasantness with the flotilla anymore.

*** Update ***

For the folks with comprehension problems, the sarcasm employed regarding her chatting with the students is directed at the foolish notion she was implying folks should head off to the ovens, not to deflect from what I have repeatedly stated were her idiotic and obnoxious remarks. There seems to be some desire in every one of these pile-ons to turn stupid remarks by someone into something altogether unforgivable. I'm reminded of the time I spent days arguing that no, Republican Bill Bennett wasn't actually suggesting that all black babies be aborted in order to lower the crime rate.

Grow up. 

Helen Thomas never accused anyone of being a terrorist simply for showing concern for the mass slaughter of innocent Arabs. She also never grossly misquoted anyone.

Helen Thomas never wished for the President to fail.

Helen Thomas never broke her own personal rule to never go after the President's children.

Helen Thomas never beat the war drums for any administration
and spreading rumors about fictional WMD's.

Helen Thomas never outed a covert CIA agent with impunity.

I could go after every right wing lunatic and pro-Israel apologist for much more despicable remarks that were made with complete impunity, remarks that stood unchallenged by the Obama White House and the ten other administrations covered by Helen Thomas in her half century of covering our nation's seat of power. But time forbids.

The redoubtable Thomas, once a person who commanded respect from all until Obama's brain-damaged predecessor held his last presser, is now herself behind a redoubt of another sort. She's now replaced Jim Joyce, Tony Hayward and Lloyd Blankfein as the most hated person in America for simply speaking the truth: That the Israelis ought to leave Palestine and stop using Hamas as an excuse for committing war crimes and starving the Palestinians to death in their slow-motion genocide. The woman who provided America with countless Gotcha moments has now been toppled from her hard-won perch with a single Gotcha moment from a group of pro-Israeli amateurs.

And there's something very, very disturbing and infuriating about that.

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Since its contractors infamously shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians, Blackwater has rebranded itself, trying to insist that it's a reformed company. It even changed its name to "Xe" last year. But at this year's NRA convention, ThinkProgress discovered that the corporation was still marketing the Blackwater brand on merchandise like baseball hats, shot glasses, beach towels, and guns, which could be bought online. Now the site Soldier Systems reports that Blackwater enthusiasts will be able to buy their goods in persons, at two new stores opening in Fayetteville, NC and Salem, CT: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/08/blackwater-pro-shops/ 

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Senator Diaperman David Vitter who should be in prison because he wore diapers with hookers - and prostitution is illegal, says Obama's temorary moratorium on on deepwater drilling causes more devastation than BP's oil spill.

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Wonkette: Pig-eyed drunken would-be rapist and serial crook Jim Gibbons has lost the governorship of Nevada! Not that anyone will really notice; he never actually showed up for work, in Nevada. Too busy knocking down cocktail waitresses and getting divorced and "buying tomatoes" while those annoying voters asked him to cut taxes and send their welfare checks. Good-bye Jim!
 
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BP oil spill: Mississippi governor says press coverage is more damaging than slick 
Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, said that press coverage of the oil slick was more damaging to his state than the BP leak itself.
 
 
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It is unfortunate the Helen Thomas was forced to retire after speaking her mind about Israel. I happen to agree with her although I wouldn't have worded it the way she did.

No religion should have a homeland. 

Whenever there is a religious homeland it creates a caste system where one group of people are superior to all other religious groups. If the Jews get one then it justifies the Muslims getting one, then the Christians will want one, and eventually the Church of Scientology will want their homeland. 

In contrast, America is a secular nation where all religions and non-religions are equal.

I also don't like censorship. 

It seems that you can't say anything the criticizes Israel or draw cartoons of Muhammad without losing your job or your life. Helen is a role model for me.  Like Helen, I don't accept this form of oppression and I will say whatever I want about anyone I want. 

I encourage others to do the same. 

Marc Perkel

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The animals aren't fishing or swimming either, and they had no choice in allowing offshore drilling in their home.

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Jesus' General: Crushing A Black Child's Soul.

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Wonkette: Did Sarah Palin buy herself a couple of luxury items?

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How about shuttin' up and stuffin' it in yer piehole?

Lots of sound and fury, signifying bupkus:

50 days in, and we've just learned another shocking revelation concerning the Obama administration's response to the Gulf oil spill. In an interview aired this morning, President Obama admitted that he hasn't met with or spoken directly to BP's CEO Tony Hayward. His reasoning: "Because my experience is, when you talk to a guy like a BP CEO, he's gonna say all the right things to me. I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in actions."

This bit is fucking brilliant:

Second, to fellow baffled Americans: this revelation is further proof that it bodes well to have some sort of executive experience before occupying the Oval Office (as if the painfully slow response to the oil spill, confusion of duties, finger-pointing, lack of preparedness, and inability to grant local government simple requests weren't proof enough).

The Diva of the Double Wides goes on to slam BP, all without mentioning once that Taaaaahhhd was bringing home the oil-soaked bacon for 18 years while in BP's employ.

Facts are stupid.

And someone needs to confiscate the apostrophe keys on her Blackberry/computer/whatever.

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Wisco: it's only hate speech when liberals say it.

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Officials at the Empire State Building have turned down a request to light the building in honor of Mother Teresa. And Bill Donohue of the Catholic League is ever so pissed.

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Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That's all, Orly!

Sadly, birther loon Orly Taitz got hammered yesterday in her bid to become California's Secretary of State so that she could declare Barack Obama ineligible for the 2012 ballot. Taitz garnered only 25% of the vote, losing to 34 year-old former NFL player Damon Dunn, who had never voted until last year. But staying true to her mental illness, Taitz is suing Dunn too, claiming that HE is ineligible to hold office. Cue the men with the nets!

 
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Slate has an interesting piece on why Tony Hayward's job as BP's CEO might be one of the safer jobs around…for now.

Of all the mysteries of the BP oil spill, perhaps the most baffling is: Why does BP CEO Tony Hayward still have a job? Hayward, who has been CEO of BP since 2007, was in charge when the disastrous blowout at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico took place, and he's been in charge as BP has failed—and failed, and failed again—to stop the flow of crude oil into the Gulf. What's more, his (unbacked-up) reassurances and poor turns of phrase ("I want my life back") have aggravated the damage to BP's public image. Yet Hayward is secure in his job. In fact, he may have the most secure corporate seat in Great Britain.

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Hayward owes his continued tenure largely to BP's unsuccessful efforts to cap the well. For better or worse (mostly for worse), Hayward has emerged as the public face of BP. When he shows up at the Gulf, or on television, he catches all the flak—for his colleagues, for those who report to him, and for those to whom he reports. As a human punching bag, he absorbs all the blows thrown by politicians, the media, and locals that might otherwise land on the corporate board or on investors. He literally owns the spill—and its consequences. For this reason, it wouldn't be prudent to replace Hayward midstream.

New CEOs—especially those who step into troubled situations—like to have a clean slate.

No doubt Barack Obama relates in some measure to that last statement.