WHAT THE OIL PLUMES WILL KILL

From Susan D. Shaw in the New York Times:

FOR the last few days, attention has understandably been directed at the shores of the Gulf Coast as oil has started to wash up on beaches and in marshes. But last week I had the chance to see the effects of the spill from another perspective — when I dived into the oil slick a few miles off the Pass a Loutre wetlands in southern Louisiana. What I witnessed was a surreal, sickening scene beyond anything I could have imagined.

As the boat entered the slick, I had to cover my nose to block the fumes. There were patches of oil on the gulf’s surface. In some places, the oil has mixed with an orange-brown pudding-like material, some of the 700,000 gallons of a chemical dispersant called Corexit 9500 that BP has sprayed on the spreading oil. Near Rig No. 313, technically a restricted zone, the boat stopped and I (wearing a wetsuit, with Vaseline covering exposed skin) jumped in.

Only a few meters down, the nutrient-rich water became murky, but it was possible to make out tiny wisps of phytoplankton, zooplankton and shrimp enveloped in dark oily droplets. These are essential food sources for fish like the herring I could see feeding with gaping mouths on the oil and dispersant. Dispersants break up the oil into smaller pieces that then sink in the water, forming poisonous droplets — which fish can easily mistake for food.

Though all dispersants are potentially dangerous when applied in such volumes, Corexit is particularly toxic. It contains petroleum solvents and a chemical that, when ingested, ruptures red blood cells and causes internal bleeding. It is also bioaccumulative, meaning its concentration intensifies as it moves up the food chain.

Further from Newsweek:

These undersea rivers of oil, though not nearly as concentrated as oil at the surface, are likely to affect the gulf through two mechanisms. The first is oxygen depletion, which has been estimated at 30 percent in the plumes. The other will be direct toxic effects of the oil and methane. Leatherback turtles and sperm whales dive to the 3,200-foot depths where plumes have now been detected, and aren't smart enough to take evasive action. "They don't necessarily recognize the plumes as something dangerous," says marine scientist Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, who works with the green group Oceana. Sharks, shrimp, and squid are all inhabitants of the deep, which would protect them from a Valdez-type spill on the surface, but now puts them in the crosshairs. Marlin, snapper, and grouper swim hundreds of feet down. One of the biggest losses may be bluefin tuna. Already imperiled from overfishing, the species breeds only in the Mediterranean Sea and the gulf. "This could spell the end to bluefin," says Harrould-Kolieb. Even small bits of crude, like those in the plumes, can suffocate fish by gunking up their gills.

Other species imperiled by the deep-sea plumes include those that migrate down from the surface and others that make the reverse commute. "There are plankton that go from the surface to the middle of the water column, and other things eat them and go down deeper, and other things eat them and go to the bottom," says oceanographer Lisa Levin of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "All the zones of life interact, and now they're probably all being hammered."

The worst effect of large-scale death on the gulf floor is nothing as photogenic as dead pelicans, but much more pernicious. "The organisms most likely to be harmed by the oil plumes are those at the base of the food chain," says biological oceanographer Andrew Juhl of Lamont-Doherty. "Most of the primary producers, such as phytoplankton, live throughout the water column. Effects on them would cascade to the larger species we care about."

To hear those who know say that the oil in the marshes and on the beaches, and the oil-covered birds and turtles demonstrate the least of the damage from the oil gushing into the Gulf, is sobering, infuriating, and depressing. What we will see is killing on a grand scale. Marine biologist Jeffrey Baguley of the University of Nevada says, "In the time scale of man, this will be a catastrophic event".

"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE WELL?"

bwinship1 — May 31, 2010 — Written as a plea, a shout out, a prayer for the folks & critters of the Gulf. Memphis Minnie's "What's the Matter with the Mill" was calling for this re-write. While I had fun creating this, it is my sincere hope that it becomes obsolete sooner than later. Thanks to Mike Dowling, Jeff Newsom, John Kidwell and my boys, Owen & Sam, for helping with this.

As Ann's correspondent said, "Music is a great catharsis for such disasters". Those of us down here feel so helpless. We wanted to go to Grand Isle to see the damage there and take pictures, but the beach is closed off to visitors.

Tom talked to a man whose company is running boats, one of which he pilots, under contract to BP. According to him, the clean-up work is quite disorganized and, in many cases, ineffective. An entity besides BP should be put in charge of mitigation and clean-up. It's nice that Obama visits, but what will he do to correct the problems now that he's back in the White house?

Thanks to Ann for the link.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THEME (NEAL)

From Petty Witter:

I was right - the light at the end of the tunnel was indeed the next train about to hit us. Husband dearest was admitted to hospital this morning (4th of June)

Husband dearest is TheMe (Neal) at Conscientization. Since Neal has spoken about his illness on his blog, I don't feel that I'm breaking a confidence to reveal that he has Crohns disease, which, as many of you may know, is difficult to treat.

His lovely wife, Petty, was badly injured in an accident years ago and uses crutches in the home and a wheel chair when she goes out. I met the two of them when I was in England last year. They are a wonderful couple, charming company. Despite a good deal of adversity in their lives, Petty and Neal face the world with admirable courage. They are two of the bravest people I know.

Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servant Neal, and give your power of healing to those who minister to his needs, that he may be strengthened in his weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

UPDATE: Petty says if Neal "remains stable over the week-end, he may be home Monday (I so hope so)".

I hope so, too.

UPDATE 2 from Neal:

...and so he is.

...home that is. Good news, indeed, Neal.

NOT "UNJUST DISCRIMINATION" TO FIRE GAYS - USCCB

In All Things at America Magazine posts a letter sent to the members of Congress by the USCCB (US Conference of Catholic Bishops) on Same-Sex Marriage and ENDA

The Catholic Church makes an important distinction between actions and inclination. While the Church is ardently opposed to all unjust discrimination on the grounds of sexual inclination, whether homosexual or heterosexual, it does teach that all sexual acts outside of a marriage between one man and one woman are morally wrong. The Catholic Church’s teaching cannot, therefore, be equated with “unjust discrimination,” because it is based on fundamental truths about the human person and personal conduct. Homosexual conduct is categorically closed to the transmission of life, and does not reflect or respect the personal complementarity of man and woman. In contrast to sexual conduct within marriage between one man and one woman—which does serve both the good of each married person and the good of society— heterosexual and homosexual conduct outside of marriage has no claim to special protection bythe state.

Just as every other group in our society, the Catholic Church enjoys the same rights to hold to its beliefs, organize itself around them, and argue for them in the public square. This is guaranteed by our Constitution. This includes the right to teach what it holds to be the truth concerning homosexual conduct—and to act as an employer consistent with that truth—without the threat of government sanction.

The USCCB continues to oppose “unjust discrimination” against people with a homosexual inclination, but we cannot support a bill – such as ENDA in its current form – that would legally affirm and specially protect any sexual conduct outside of marriage.

H/T to Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Dish, who says:

Notice that there is no attempt here to argue that straight people who violate church doctrine - anyone who masturbates or uses contraception, is divorced or re-married - should not be protected from discrimination. It is always just the gays who are the target, because their identity inherently proves their iniquity, while most straight people can hide theirs. Notice also that the focus here is entirely on the victims of discrimination, not the perpetrators.

So the church that emerged from a man who preached the story of the good Samaritan, is now in the business of identifying Samaritans and ensuring they remain the targets of discrimination in the workplace. It does not matter whether they are good at their job; their orientation, even if no one even knows it results in sodomy, is sufficient to allow them to be fired and no law be broken.

And what about the unmarried folks? Must each single employee affirm that she/he is not sexually active?

There are church laws and church laws - laws that must not be transgressed by the employees of Roman Catholic institutions and other laws that may be transgressed and will not trigger job termination. My goodness! That sounds an awful lot like "unjust discrimination".

Of course, the Roman Catholic Church has "...the right to teach what it holds to be the truth concerning homosexual conduct...", but the church does not have the right to impose those teachings on the rest of us who do not belong to the fold.

Not too very long ago, I included Andrew's blog in my Google Reader, but he more than monopolizes the space with his vast number of new posts. I say that only because I'm jealous of and daunted by his prolificity. Does he even take potty breaks?

Thanks to Wade for the link.

STORY OF THE DAY - QUIET PRIDE (DAUGHTER)

For Alison:

There has never been a day when I have
not been proud of you, I said to my
daughter, though some days I'm louder
about other stuff so it's easy to miss
that.


From StoryPeople.

YA GOTTA LOVE THE ALASKANS

From the The Huffington Post:

Don't worry about the oil spilling into the Gulf, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) says, because the worst spill in U.S. history is "not an environmental disaster," just nature taking its course.

"This is not an environmental disaster, and I will say that again and again because it is a natural phenomenon," Young said after Congressional hearings last week. "Oil has seeped into this ocean for centuries, will continue to do it. During World War II there was over 10 million barrels of oil spilt from ships, and no natural catastrophe. ... We will lose some birds, we will lose some fixed sealife, but overall it will recover."

One might think that ignorance in Congress critters had its limits, but one would be wrong.

"...THOSE MORONS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING"

From Yahoo News:

Film director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron said on Wednesday that BP Plc turned down his offer to help combat the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Over the last few weeks I've watched, as we all have, with growing horror and heartache, watching what's happening in the Gulf and thinking those morons don't know what they're doing," Cameron said at the All Things Digital technology conference.
Cameron, the director of "Avatar" and "Titanic," has worked extensively with robot submarines and is considered an expert in undersea filming. He did not say explicitly who he meant when he referred to "those morons."

But we all know whom Cameron meant, don't we?

His comments came a day after he participated in a meeting at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington to "brainstorm" solutions to the oil spill.

Cameron said he has offered to help the government and BP in dealing with the spill. He said he was "graciously" turned away by the British energy giant.

Perhaps, a great mistake. In this kind of desperate situation, in which BP failed time after time, I say pay attention to anyone with any kind of expertise. And BP should not have the final say on which plan would or would not work.

DOGS DETECT PROSTATE CANCER

From the Los Angeles Times:

Man's best friend may cement his position if early results from French researchers can be replicated. A team of researchers from Tenon Hospital in Paris reported Tuesday at a San Francisco meeting of the American Urological Assn. that dogs can be trained to detect the characteristic odor of unique chemicals released into urine by prostate tumors, setting the stage for a new way to identify men who are most at risk from the cancer. If developed, the test might be more effective than the PSA test now used because it would have fewer false positives.
....

The researchers are now attempting to identify what specific chemicals the dog is reacting to in hopes of developing an "electronic nose" that wouldn't require treats and potty breaks.

It seems to me that treats and potty breaks are not a big price to pay to keep the doggies working. What's wrong with letting the dogs live with their humans and working them for limited periods of time (no sweatshop hours)? After all, in past times, many dogs were working dogs, and even today we have working dogs, such as seeing-eye dogs, airport security dogs, sheep dogs, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, as Yul Brynner would say,

I once flew across the Atlantic, seated next to a man and his seeing-eye dog. The dog lay quietly at her/his human's feet and only shifted around slightly during the whole seven hour trip.

AND MORE PRAYERS...

...for the family of Ann Fontaine's brother, Steve, who passed away on Monday. The funeral will be tomorrow, Friday, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, at 1:00 PM (PDT). Ann will lead the service, and Steve and Marlene's priest will serve with her.

Ann asks for prayers to bear her through the service.


From Arkansas Hillbilly:

I spoke with Fr. Roger again today about going to see Bishop Benfield about starting the official discernment process. His answer? We're forming a pre-discernment committee to meet a couple times before approaching the Bishop. More red tape. Well, nothing worth doing is done quickly, I guess. It is frustrating. I mean I've spent the last 18 months working on the degree to get to this point. Well, if I can get my 4 year degree in 18 months while holding down a full time job and with a wife and two babies at home I think I can make it to the next step.

In the meantime, please pray for me that no matter what happens I accept whatever it is Christ has in store for me.

PLEASE PRAY FOR KIRSTIN

From Kirstin:

Pray please


Some of you know I had a mass removed from my abdominal wall last week. They told me it was a lipoma; harmless something like 99% of the time.

My pathology report came back today, consistent with metastatic melanoma.

That is literally all I know. I expect my oncologist in Oakland to call me tomorrow; I'll do a phone consultation with him. And see the oncologist here (Stockton) who is not the one who tried to kill me two years ago. The very least it means is scans and probably more surgery. I don't even know the protocol, if interferon would be done a second time.

I don't know what it means for my ministries in Sacramento. I know I want to continue doing everything I can. And I know that right now, I feel physically fine.

Keep praying.

Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servant Kirstin, and give your power of healing to those who minister to her needs, that she may be strengthened in her weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


GOD'S AID

God to enfold her,
God to surround her,
God in her speaking,
God in her thinking.

God in her sleeping,
God in her waking,
God in her watching,
God in her hoping.

God in her life,
God in her lips,
God in her soul,
God in her heart.

God in her sufficing,
God in her slumber,
God in her ever-living soul,
God in her eternity.

From the Carmina Gadelica. (Edit.)

A PASTORAL LETTER TO THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH FROM THE PRESIDING BISHOP

Pentecost continues!

Pentecost is most fundamentally a continuing gift of the Spirit, rather than a limitation or quenching of that Spirit.

The recent statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury about the struggles within the Anglican Communion seems to equate Pentecost with a single understanding of gospel realities. Those who received the gift of the Spirit on that day all heard good news. The crowd reported, “in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power” (Acts 2:11).

The Spirit does seem to be saying to many within The Episcopal Church that gay and lesbian persons are God’s good creation, that an aspect of good creation is the possibility of lifelong, faithful partnership, and that such persons may indeed be good and healthy exemplars of gifted leadership within the Church, as baptized leaders and ordained ones. The Spirit also seems to be saying the same thing in other parts of the Anglican Communion, and among some of our Christian partners, including Lutheran churches in North America and Europe, the Old Catholic churches of Europe, and a number of others.

That growing awareness does not deny the reality that many Anglicans and not a few Episcopalians still fervently hold traditional views about human sexuality. This Episcopal Church is a broad and inclusive enough tent to hold that variety. The willingness to live in tension is a hallmark of Anglicanism, beginning from its roots in Celtic Christianity pushing up against Roman Christianity in the centuries of the first millennium. That diversity in community was solidified in the Elizabethan Settlement, which really marks the beginning of Anglican Christianity as a distinct movement. Above all, it recognizes that the Spirit may be speaking to all of us, in ways that do not at present seem to cohere or agree. It also recognizes what Jesus says about the Spirit to his followers, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:12-13).

The Episcopal Church has spent nearly 50 years listening to and for the Spirit in these matters. While it is clear that not all within this Church have heard the same message, the current developments do represent a widening understanding. Our canons reflected this shift as long ago as 1985, when sexual orientation was first protected from discrimination in access to the ordination process. At the request of other bodies in the Anglican Communion, this Church held an effective moratorium on the election and consecration of a partnered gay or lesbian priest as bishop from 2003 to 2010. When a diocese elected such a person in late 2009, the ensuing consent process indicated that a majority of the laity, clergy, and bishops responsible for validating that election agreed that there was no substantive bar to the consecration.

The Episcopal Church recognizes that these decisions are problematic to a number of other Anglicans. We have not made these decisions lightly. We recognize that the Spirit has not been widely heard in the same way in other parts of the Communion. In all humility, we recognize that we may be wrong, yet we have proceeded in the belief that the Spirit permeates our decisions.

We also recognize that the attempts to impose a singular understanding in such matters represent the same kind of cultural excesses practiced by many of our colonial forebears in their missionizing activity. Native Hawaiians were forced to abandon their traditional dress in favor of missionaries’ standards of modesty. Native Americans were forced to abandon many of their cultural practices, even though they were fully congruent with orthodox Christianity, because the missionaries did not understand or consider those practices exemplary of the Spirit. The uniformity imposed at the Synod of Whitby did similar violence to a developing, contextual Christianity in the British Isles. In their search for uniformity, our forebears in the faith have repeatedly done much spiritual violence in the name of Christianity.

We do not seek to impose our understanding on others. We do earnestly hope for continued dialogue with those who disagree, for we believe that the Spirit is always calling us to greater understanding.

We live in great concern that colonial attitudes continue, particularly in attempts to impose a single understanding across widely varying contexts and cultures. We note that the cultural contexts in which The Episcopal Church’s decisions have generated the greatest objection and reaction are also often the same contexts where women are barred from full ordained leadership, including the Church of England.

As Episcopalians, we note the troubling push toward centralized authority exemplified in many of the statements of the recent Pentecost letter. Anglicanism as a body began in the repudiation of the control of the Bishop of Rome within an otherwise sovereign nation. Similar concerns over self-determination in the face of colonial control led the Church of Scotland to consecrate Samuel Seabury for The Episcopal Church in the nascent United States – and so began the Anglican Communion.

We have been repeatedly assured that the Anglican Covenant is not an instrument of control, yet we note that the fourth section seems to be just that to Anglicans in many parts of the Communion. So much so, that there are voices calling for stronger sanctions in that fourth section, as well as voices repudiating it as un-Anglican in nature. Unitary control does not characterize Anglicanism; rather, diversity in fellowship and communion does.

We are distressed at the apparent imposition of sanctions on some parts of the Communion. We note that these seem to be limited to those which “have formally, through their Synod or House of Bishops, adopted policies that breach any of the moratoria requested by the Instruments of Communion.” We are further distressed that such sanctions do not, apparently, apply to those parts of the Communion that continue to hold one view in public and exhibit other behaviors in private. Why is there no sanction on those who continue with a double standard? In our context bowing to anxiety by ignoring that sort of double-mindedness is usually termed a “failure of nerve.” Through many decades of wrestling with our own discomfort about recognizing the full humanity of persons who seem to differ from us, we continue to work at open and transparent communication as well as congruence between word and behavior. We openly admit our failure to achieve perfection!

The baptismal covenant prayed in this Church for more than 30 years calls us to respect the dignity of all other persons and charges us with ongoing labor toward a holy society of justice and peace. That fundamental understanding of Christian vocation underlies our hearing of the Spirit in this context and around these issues of human sexuality. That same understanding of Christian vocation encourages us to hold our convictions with sufficient humility that we can affirm the image of God in the person who disagrees with us. We believe that the Body of Christ is only found when such diversity is welcomed with abundant and radical hospitality.

As a Church of many nations, languages, and peoples, we will continue to seek every opportunity to increase our partnership in God’s mission for a healed creation and holy community. We look forward to the ongoing growth in partnership possible in the Listening Process, Continuing Indaba, Bible in the Life of the Church, Theological Education in the Anglican Communion, and the myriad of less formal and more local partnerships across the Communion – efforts in mission and ministry that inform and transform individuals and communities toward the vision of the Gospel – a healed world, loving God and neighbor, in the love and friendship shown us in God Incarnate.

May God’s peace dwell in your hearts,
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Churh


Quickly - I think the letter is brilliant and pastoral, as a pastoral letter should be.

H/T to John Chilton at The Lead, where you can view the video of Bishop Katharine giving the address.

THE WINDSOR REPORT - "A DOCUMENT OF FAITH AND ORDER"?

Bishop Marc Andrus of the Episcopal Diocese of California writes an excellent response to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' Pentecost letter.

The words in Bishop Marc's response concerning the Windsor Report caught my attention:

For example, the Lambeth Conference was explicitly advertised as a non-legislative meeting; indeed we voted on nothing. However, lo and behold, through a non-transparent “consensus building” process, the bishops present (and so, in Archbishop Rowan’s thinking, the Communion) have affirmed the three moratoria put forward by the Windsor Report.

Here it is also important to note that the Windsor Report itself has been reified and given the status of a central Anglican document of faith and order, not by the test of time and use, but by the Archbishop and those who agree with him saying so.

The process by which the Windsor Report morphed to "a document of faith and order" greatly alarms me. What seems to me to be operative is the putting-the-facts-on-the-ground strategy. Whether a matter is so, or not, continue to say it is so, and it will be so. Amazing! Is it really that simple? I think not, but many in the Anglican Communion, from the ABC on down, seem to have either participated in the fabrication of the ruse or fallen for it. The entire maneuver is dishonest and unworthy, and I thank Bishop Marc for laying the matter out so clearly.

I, for one, don't buy the package.

FEAST OF BLANDINA AND THE MARTYRS OF LYON

Painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme - Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

Readings:

Psalm 34:1-8
Jeremiah 12:1-3a
1 Peter 1:3-9
Mark 8:34-38


Henceforth, when I am tempted to complain about the difficulties of being Christian, or Anglican, or Episcopalian - mea culpa - I should take time to read stories of the Christian martyrs through the ages, up to and including today, and I'd gain a better sense of perspective on the price that certain of my brothers and sister pay to proclaim their faith.

At first, Christians were excluded from the public baths, the market place, and from social and public life. They were subject to attack when they appeared in public, and many Christian homes were vandalized. At this point the government became involved, and began to take Christians into custody for questioning. Some slaves from Christian households were tortured to obtain confessions, and were induced to say that Christians practiced cannibalism and incest. These charges were used to arouse the whole city against the Christians, particularly against Pothinus, the aged bishop of Lyons; Sanctus, a deacon; Attalus; Maturus, a recent convert; and Blandina, a slave. Pothinus was beaten and then released, to die of his wounds a few days later. Sanctus was tormented with red-hot irons. Blandina, tortured all day long, would say nothing except, "I am a Christian, and nothing vile is done among us." Finally, the survivors were put to death in the public arena.

PRAYER

Grant, O Lord, we pray, that we who keep the feast of the holy martyrs Blandina and her companions may be rooted and grounded in love of you, and may endure the sufferings of this life for the glory that shall be revealed in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

From Satucket.

JESUS AND MO

Click on the picture for the larger view.

From Jesus and Mo.

DAVID VITTER LOVES BP

From Time:

What happens when you're a small government, pro-business conservative and your state gets pummeled by one of the worst man made disasters ever – not five years after getting pummeled by one of the worst natural disasters (Hurricane Katrina)? If you're Louisiana Senator David Vitter, you double down on offshore drilling and push for a liability cap for BP.

Doubling down on drilling is not particularly surprising. Much of Louisiana's much-needed revenue comes from off-shore drilling leases. “By the same token, after every plane crash, you and I should both oppose plane travel,” Vitter quipped on Sunday to CNN's Candy Crowley. “I don't think that is rational.” Even Vitter's Democratic challenger, Rep. Charlie Melancon, reiterated his support for expanded drilling in the wake of the disaster.

But it's Vitter's early support of a liability cap – he introduced legislation that he promoted in last weekend's weekly GOP radio address – that's landing the son of a Chevron petroleum engineer in trouble. Local and national Democrats have been pounding Vitter for seeking to limit the amount of legal damages BP would be responsible for to the last four quarters of profit. “Unlike Republicans, Democrats are not going to protect BP – and given their track record, we are certainly not going to rely on BP's word as the only thing ensuring that taxpayers are not left on the hook to pay for the disaster they caused,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement.

Who does Vitter work for? Who pays Vitter's salary? Why we do. Vitter leads Charlie Melancon by a large margin in the polls for the senate seat in which Melancon is the Blue Dog Democrat challenger.

That Vitter was on the phone list of the DC madam seems to have hurt his popularity very little here in Louisiana, the land of good church-going folks, but perhaps his support of limiting BP's liability for the oil gusher will cause folks to think again about their choice for senator.

"I'D LIKE MY LIFE BACK" - TONY HAYWARD

I'm sorry. We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I'D LIKE MY LIFE BACK.

Tony Hayward, BP CEO

Gonna be a long time, Tony, unless you're terminated.

From Think Progress.

UPDATE: On second thought, even if Tony is terminated, he still won't have his life back, because a criminal investigation is underway, and BP faces multiple civil suits.

STORY OF THE DAY - ADVANTAGE

 

I'm fastest, he said, when I'm the one
that gets to say go.


From StoryPeople.


Alternative title: ROWANSPEAK.

MIRIAM AND ZELDA

Miriam and Zelda, two "senior" widows, are talking.

Miriam: "That nice Hymie Cohen asked me out for a date. I know you went out with him last week, and I wanted to talk with you about him before I give him my answer."

Zelda: "Well, I'll tell you. He shows up at my apartment punctually at 7 P.M., dressed like such a gentleman in a fine suit, and he brings me such beautiful flowers! Then he takes me downstairs, and what's there but a luxury car... A limousine, uniformed chauffeur and all.

Then he takes me out for dinner... A marvelous dinner... Lobster, champagne, dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Then we go see a show.

Let me tell you, Miriam, I enjoyed it so much I could have just died from pleasure! So then we are coming back to my apartment and he turns into an ANIMAL.

Completely crazy, he tears off my expensive new dress and has his way with me two times!"

Miriam: "Goodness gracious!... So you are telling me I shouldn't go out with him?"

Zelda: "No, no, no... I'm just saying, wear an old dress."

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

MEMORIAL DAY - REMEMBERING THE FALLEN

Note: The picture and parts of the post are taken from my Memorial Day tribute last year, and the year before, and the year before, with the numbers of dead in the US military for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan changed. As of today the number of the fallen from the Iraq War stands at 4400 and the number in Afghanistan at 1087. Last year, the numbers were 4300 for the Iraq War and 687 in Afghanistan. When will it all end? When will the bodies stop coming?

The picture moves me greatly. Some years ago, a video surfaced showing the deeply respectful manner in which the caskets were transported to and loaded upon the planes headed for Dover Air Force Base, but it soon disappeared due to directives from the Bush maladministration, for "security reasons" and "respect for the fallen and their families". I don't recall that names were visible anywhere, and I'd think that many families and friends of the fallen would have cherished the portrayal of the loving respect with which the brothers and sisters in arms treated the remains of their loved ones. But it was not to be.

President Obama lifted the ban on media coverage of the remains of the fallen arriving at Dover, so long as the families don't object, which is exactly how it should be. The families' desire for privacy must always be respected.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those in all our wars who gave everything in the service of their country. We honor them for their courage and dedication to duty. We extend our sympathy to their families and friends, whether the loss is recent or from long times past. We stand with you. We mourn with you.

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. Micah 4:1-4

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, we pray for all those who have died in wars. We pray the they may rest in peace in the perpetual light of your love. We pray for your blessing upon the families and friends of all those who have died in service to their country. Console them for their aching loss. Bring them healing of body, mind, and spirit. Give them strength and courage to go forward, and Lord God, above all else, give them your peace that passes understanding to keep their minds and hearts.


UPDATE: Below is the faded bumper sticker that I put on my car in 2003 after the start of the war in Iraq. Originally, the top letters were bright yellow, and the bottom letters were bright blue and red.

The war in Afghanistan began in 2001. The military are suffering more losses now in Afghanistan than in Iraq. So far as I know, President Obama is following the time table for withdrawing troops from Iraq. I pray that he focuses on getting our troops out of Afghanistan. Nine years is enough.

 

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, DC

 

Thanks to Lapin for the cartoon.

JIM NAUGHTON ON THE PENTECOST LETTER

From The Lead.

About halfway through weighing some of the issues that I’ve written about here before, I had a sudden realization: reflecting on Rowan Williams’ letter wasn’t a worthwhile use of my time; writing it was not a worthwhile use of his. The issues at stake have become so trivial—We are not debating right and wrong, we are debating whether there should be trifling penalties for giving offense to other members of the Communion.—that to engage them at all compromises our moral standing and diminishes our ability to speak credibly on issues of real importance.

Amen. The time I spent parsing the Archbishop of Canterbury's letter could have been better spent.

PLEASE PRAY FOR STEVE AND HIS FAMILY

From Ann Fontaine about her brother Steve, whom we prayed for last Friday:

My brother died this am
Thanks for the prayers
It was quick and pain free physically

May Steve rest in peace and rise in glory.

Receive, O Lord, your servant, for he returns to you.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Steve.

Wash him in the holy font of everlasting life, and clothe him in his heavenly wedding garment.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Steve.

May he hear your words of invitation, “Come, you blessed of my Father.”
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Steve.

May he gaze upon you, Lord, face to face, and taste the blessedness of perfect rest.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Steve.

May angels surround him, and saints welcome him in peace.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother Steve.

For all who love Steve:

Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on God, and know the consolation of his love.

Almighty God, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. Remember them, Lord, in your mercy; nourish them with patience; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon them; and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, pp. 465-467)

VACUUM THE OIL!

Yobey Benjamin at SFGate writes an excellent post on what the next steps should be now that the BP's attempt at a top kill has failed to stop the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the flow of oil may continue until August, when the relief well operation begins, (if all goes well!) shouldn't increased efforts be directed to mitigation and containment of the oil?

What about the toxic dispersants? Are they of any use, but to hide the amount of oil in the Gulf?

STOP THE DISPERSANTS

Corexit is illegal in the United Kingdom. As I wrote in an earlier post, if there is a similar problem in the UK's North Sea, BP would not be allowed to use Corexit.

The dispersant Corexit and even the "less toxic" alternative Sea Brat are both highly toxic to marine life. Yes the ocean will look better on the surface but it does not solve the problem.

There is no good reason to use dispersants because all it does is hide the oil from the surface. Are our seas and marine life not as important as the UK's North Sea and their marine life?

WHAT COAGULANTS?

The real solution seem to be "coagulants" so that congealed oil could be mechanically collected from the water surface. In the Saudi Aramco disaster, Nick Pozzi reported they successfully used flour (yes, flour for baking) and straw (yes, the one you feed to livestock) to absorb oil. The congealed oil was then mechanically collected and properly disposed of.

Sucking congealed oil floating on top of the water is easier than shoveling oil out of beach sand. In the marsh, corral reefs or Everglades it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to extract oil.
....

VACUUM AND SUCK THE OIL OUT OF THE GULF NOW!!!

In 1993, a massive 800 million gallon oil spill happened in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco successfully cleaned up that spill. The lead engineer that cleaned that spill was an American engineer who worked for Aramco. His name is Nick Pozzi and is based currently based in Houston. Apparently Pozzi offered his solution to BP and Coast Guard and they promptly dismissed his solution.

Was it too expensive?

It's a lot simpler to understand than the top kill. It simply requires oil tankers equipped with giant vacuums (think a massive wet/dry shop vac) to suck the oil and water into oil tankers. Using a centrifuge, the tankers have the capability to separate the oil and water. The water is filtered and sent back to the ocean. The oil is recovered and processed as usual.

The method has been validated by John Hofmeister, former CEO of Shell Oil. So why are we not trying it? Nobody seems to know.

How about it, White House? The author's suggestions make a lot more sense to me than any I hear from BP. BP tried the top hat, the top kill, spoke of using the junk shot, and will next attempt to cap the well with a containment valve, which is not guaranteed to work. What are the chances that it won't? If past attempts are any indication....

Read Benjamin's entire post. Lots of good stuff there.

STORY OF THE DAY - BIRTHDAYS

When people asked how old she was,
she would say 1009365, more or less,
because she was so glad to be alive that
she counted every day a birthday.

She had some disagreement from her
knees about the actual figures though.


This one is mine, folks, written for me.

From StoryPeople

BP TOP KILL FAILED TO SHUT OFF GUSHING OIL WELL

From The Huffington Post:

BP PLC Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said the company determined the "top kill" had failed after it spent three days pumping heavy drilling mud into the crippled well 5,000 feet underwater. More than 1.2 million gallons of mud was used, but most of it escaped out of the damaged riser.

But BP has another plan.

Suttles said BP is already preparing for the next attempt to stop the leak that began after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April, killing 11 people.

The company plans to use robot submarines to cut off the damaged riser from which the oil is leaking, and then try to cap it with a containment valve. The effort is expected to take between four and seven days.

"We're confident the job will work but obviously we can't guarantee success," Suttles said of the new plan, declining to handicap the likelihood it will work.

He said that cutting off the damaged riser isn't expected to cause the flow rate of leaking oil to increase significantly.

Confidence, but no guarantee of success. If BP guaranteed that their next plan would work, would you believe them? What if the next plan doesn't work? Why do I doubt that the next plan will work? If the powers at BP are confident that the next plan will work, why didn't they try to cap the well with a containment valve, before they tried the top kill?

The relief well won't be operational until August.