Two Things: Oil and Oration

Our leader tells us BP has been lying and the workers are cheating. I have it on good authority that most of the other worldwide oil companies have sent teams of workers to the scene of the oil spill and those who live around the area have been working 10 days on and 2 days off and are in their third tour.

For instance, Chevron's annual meeting focused on the Gulf oil spill. Outlined for the stockholder audience, Chevron's worldwide major actions included reviews of their processes and procedures at drilling operations along with well-control contingency plans. (I don't have the exact number but Chevron has more deep wells than any other company with operations in the gulf.)

They also sent subsea experts to help BP and joined a Coast Guard incident command team further participating in two industry taskforces examining offshore drilling procedures. Last week Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (I call him Ken the Slow Moving Reactor) received draft recommendations for improving offshore safety. We may hear from him some time after the Fourth of July.

So, yes, there may be anecdotes of low level employees goofing off, but for the most part I tend to believe that most of these people are not only interested in solving the ecological problems, they are also sure as heck trying to preserve their jobs. Stands to reason.

As far as Obama is concerned, this one hits a little closer to home. A Kalamazoo High School Commencement audience was treated to a speech by the most powerful man in the world. His message focused on advice to the young graduates with tidbits to get them through life such as: "Don't make excuses," "Do not finger point," Take responsibility as much for failure as for success." He further indicated that: "You will screw up," "You will hurt people you love," "You will stray from values you hold deeply."

Now I ask you: Have you any evidence that he has ever taken his own advice? How many times have you heard him say he inherited the bad economy? Or that the breakdown by BP was not his fault but that he would take control and deal with it? And one of my favorites: "'They' drove the car into the ditch."

He campaigned on having all the answers and yet he hasn't demonstrated one.

Food for thought: Has he ever admitted to a mistake? That entire speech could have been the best example of classic irony ever if he were using it to ridicule or show contempt which I assume he was not. The other most common definition would entail humor but if he thought he was being funny, he wasn't and it went over the heads of the audience and everyone else. So, if he truly meant what he said, it turns from irony to hypocrisy. Take your pick.

Have you been blown away by the beauty of the pines this year?
The mix of rain and various temperatures must have been perfect.

God bless.........