So If Captain Kick-Ass…
~ Yes, Mr. President. Even after 400 people scour the beach to keep your puddies clean, tarballs slip through. Sticky little bastards. Makes even the most mild mannered guy wanna KICK SOME ASS…
Ahem…
…the PRESIDENT…
…should saunter into our little Pensacola shop tomorrow (or Monday or Tuesday) for, say, underwear, socks, replacement slacks/khakis/jeans/spandex or some other kick-assly accoutrement after getting what he had on soaked with oil strolling our once pristine beaches…anybody got anything for him they want me to pass on?
You know.
For the nano-second before the mask slips and the ths comes out?
Fun, Life, People, Politics, Public Service Announcement | tree hugging sister | 
June 10, 2010 5:33 pm
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Give my best wishes for a well earned retirement after his 1 term presidency.
PS: Keep in mind that the Secret Service don’t know you the way we know you, Sis.
You’d be your usual kind self until after the sale was made
Ask why he deliberately let this become a catastrophe to get cap ‘n’ trade rammed through instead of, you know, actually doing anything to help.
Such as allowing the Dutch to use their equipment for cleanup. Or use the Saudi idea of using tankers to suck up the oil and recycle it. Or demanding that BP do either or any of the other solutions that have been offered over the last month.
Then ask him why we shouldn’t give up and secede.
Don’t worry, ths, we’ll figure out a way to spring you.
Eventually.
Got this from a guy who knows quite a bit about drilling. I’m leaving his name off so you’ll just have to trust him.
When the Harvard professor’s rant landed him in the hands of the police for well founded reasons Obama ran his mouth well ahead of the facts and then tried to turn it into a teachable moment.
The BP tragedy illustrates to a greater degree the danger of Obama style management and a far better teachable moment for Obama and his followers.
Here’s my comment from 40 years in industry and teaching young MBA’s on making this a teachable moment.
Many of the facts are still not established, but what’s clear is that the drilling project was in trouble. For those at the BP home office it was a financial problem, the drilling project was far over budget and behind schedule. BP was paying for the rig and needed it on another well mas pronto. Those on the rig were struggling with one of the most difficult wells of their long careers. Not only were the technical challenges of drilling in deep water immense, but this well seemed to be possessed by bad juju. Along the way there were multiple hits of pockets of liquefied gas that threatened the project. Other times the drill pipe got stuck in the well.
Someone as yet not publicly identified was sent from BP to the rig to set things right. The suit from BP pulled rank on the drilling team and Halliburton and ordered them to do something they knew was wrong. Worse yet , he refused to listen to the arguments against his order to expedite completion of the well using non standard practices on a well that had been problematic.
Although I do have a sizeable chunk of savings at the bottom of a non productive well in California my knowledge of drilling is limited but most likely substantially more than the President’s . I did gain some understanding of drilling and the delicate balance that occurs. There’s varied pressure in the well from oil and gas wanting to get to the surface and the column of “mud” circulating down the drill pipe and up the outside bringing the debris from the drilling to the surface. The rig operators balance the weight of the mud by changing its composition) to maintain the proper pressure at the bottom of the well to keep oil and gas from entering the well during drilling. If the density of the mud is too high it is driven into the rock formations, causing the well to lose circulation which is essential. If the density is too light liquefied gas and oil enters the well since it is lighter than the mud will upset the balance, resulting in the blowout gusher.
The BP suit ordered them to stop using mud and switch to seawater after a single , relatively weak plug had been set but not fully tested. As the liquid gas entered the hole the density of the mud decreased, causing more liquid gas and oil to enter the hole. The blowout preventer was designed for just this problem but failed to perform its function.
The lesson for us is that it was not the lack of federal regulation, lack of responsibility or knowledge on the part of the drilling crew or Haliburton that caused the loss of the well, the human tragedy and the vast contamination. It was the arrogance of those at BP who sent the suit out to the rig empowered to inflict his bad judgement on the operation. It was a culture that worshiped management rather than leadership. It was management that refused to listen to those who had the experience. The results were very predictable.
Compare this with the training given young Marine Corps officers, the military equivalent of MBA’s . One of the first and most emphasized lessons is to set goals and then let those with knowledge and experience , the revered Gunny Sergeants, help develop the tactical plan. It’s proven its effectiveness over the last 234+ years. It’s a lesson not followed by BP or the Obama administration.
We should not be so worried about the consequences of the blowout as we should be with the multiple impending disasters from the same style of management being used to run our country . Our economy, our credit, our banking system, our military, our foreign relations and our freedoms are suffering the same fate, arrogant suits refusing to listen and driven by a single dimensional agenda. Obama summed up of his core problems in a plea for funds from San Francisco liberals during the campaign. His noble objectives were being challenged by those Americans who were clinging to their guns and their religion. Well, we have been clinging to our guns , our religion and our belief in freedom . It’s worked to provide not only a wonderful life for our citizen for more than 200 years but saved the world from tyranny on three occasions. Not a bad track record.
The worst thing to do at this point is to emphasize the punitive approach to BP. Rather the feds should be a) leaving BP the responsibility to get the flow of oil stopped. The second well has not been started and hurricane season is approaching. My guess is that the existing system of capturing the oil will not work if the ships can not maintain station over the well. b) have the feds take the lead in providing resources for the cleanup, perhaps involving the national guard. The cost of the cleanup will be charged to BP. If they fail we can charge off our costs as a tiny element of the stimulus program. c) when the cleanup is complete and the well under control it’s time to pursue the recovery of costs. Treating the blowout as a criminal matter at this point will result is following the failed pre 9-11 path to disaster of treating terrorism as a criminal matter.