Gulf Coast Castastrophe

Hello Everyone,

Not all of you will agree with me on what's going on in the gulf coast, but this is my blog, and I'm going to give my opinion. Many of you have probably watched the senate and listened to the testimony from them and the BP CEO, Tony Hayward. Of course, he said very little on the advice of lawyers.

Anyone who knows me knows I like everyone. I do not hate Tony Hayward, he's only as greedy as everyone else on this earth. That includes you and me. Do I think he thought of the bottom line and his stockholders before he thought of ordinary folks who make a living in the region. Most definitely. Do I believe he was sincere when he said he was sorry. Humph. No way. The only thing I think he's sorry for is that he was CEO when the catastrophe happened. He meant it when he said, he wanted his life back. Well, Mr. Hayward, so do the people in the gulf.

There is one person I dislike immensely, and his name is Joe Barton, Republican representative from Texas. If I lived in Texas, and I voted for him I would be asking him to step down immediately. For a man in our congress to apologize for his country for asking for money to help the people and businesses in the Gulf area and call it a shakedown is apprehensible. He's not a patriot, and he's in bed with the oil companies. How would his constituents feel if this had been off the beaches of Galveston? Maybe, he wouldn't have said those words to appease BP then.

Everyone is pointing fingers at someone. The President is being condemned because he didn't act faster. We have a President who is analytical (remember my blog last week about are you analytical), and he tries not to jump in and start doing things without considering all possibilities before acting. We had a President who jumped to action, and he went after the wrong target. No matter whether we act slow or fast there are bound to be mistakes. We all make them.

Here's a group I point fingers at and that is whoever was supposed to be inspecting every detail while the rigs were built and the maintenance of them. Who was being bought off? Someone knew there was a problem. Certainly, the workers did but they didn't speak up for fear of losing their jobs. Instead they lost their lives. These inspectors definitely need to be held accountable for allowing BP to continue drilling.

Those people who are yelling about their jobs, I say: Are you willing to risk your lives that this won't happen to you? Wouldn't you rather the drills are inspected thoroughly before going back to work? I know that's easy for me to say when it's you with the bills you can't pay. Just ask yourself who will pay them if you're dead. I understand very well what is happening even if I'm not there. Keep reading and you'll see why I think I understand.

BP wants to make it right but unfortunately they can't undo what has happened. There's no way to make it right now, but only help make it better. BP is burning off oil now. It's keeping the oil from the shores, but what is the fire doing to the fish in that area? The fire may keep the oil from going inland, but how much oil has already made it from the gulf into the ocean? I bet no one has thought of that. What kind of damage has this oil spill done long range to the sea life in the gulf and oceans?

Now to get back to blame. We are all to blame for this problem because of our dependence on oil. Will this catastrophe teach us anything? I hope so, but I doubt it. Why do I say that? It's because of the 'me factor'. We all think of me and what we want. I'm not excluding myself either.

To those people who think they aren't effected by this drill spill, well guess again. You'll start feeling it in your pockets as gas prices go up. You'll notice it as your food choices decline and the price goes up for sea food.

For those of you not concerned about any of this and who think nothing like this can happen to them. Guess again. There are volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes just to name a few nature made disasters but the man made ones can be just as bad. Do you have a nuclear plant near you? We have one not too far from us. Do we know how well they are inspected? Could something like what happened in the gulf happen at a nuclear plant?

Damn right it could and may if the inspectors are bought off. I can understand how the people in the gulf are feeling because something very similar or even worse could happen here.

Most corporations are greedy, and so are there stockholders. They want more and more. Those stockholders may be you. I know I own stock, and I want my dividend every quarter. I can remember a time when companies were happy with a 10% profit, and now they want a 300% or more profit. Where does it end? BP was one of those greedy company's. They are suspending their dividend to set aside the $20 billion to help those effected by the oil spill. Will the stockholders sell their shares because they aren't making any dividend and the stock is going down. They could. Will BP decide to declare bankruptcy and therefore no one would get any money. All of these things could happen.

All of this could have been prevented if only someone had listened to the workers. On my blog all of you are allowed an opinion and you can voice it here even if you don't agree with me. One word of warning, respect everyone's right to say what they think and don't put anyone down for their opinion.

I could say a lot more, but I think by now everyone is tired of hearing me rant. lol

Have a good week. I'll see you next week.

Hugs,
Sandy
http://www.skaymarshall.com
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm

Eclipse by Richard North Patterson

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever read a book that caused you sleepless nights after reading it? Every once in a while I’ll pick up one that has me tossing and turning with thoughts of it piercing my mind.

Just recently, I read Eclipse by Richard North Patterson, one of my favorite authors. His story has been in my head ever sense. Patterson drew me in gently, and then without warning he possessed my mind, pierced my conscience while shattering my heart. This is a story of man’s inhumanity to humanity. This story is about our dependence on oil and the monster it has created because of greed.

It’s about a gentle man who wants peace and environmental rights for his people, and he is willing to stand up for them at the cost of his life and others around him. Eclipse is a sad story, but there is hope in it along with a most certain fatalism.

Even though Eclipse is a work of fiction the origin for this story is Nigeria fifteen years ago when an environmental and human rights activist was hung by a corrupt dictator. The corruption, including oil bunkering, still goes on today in the Niger Delta and the environmental despoliation has continued. Patterson simplified the law for the lay persons like you and me, and it was easy for me to read and understand what went on during that period.

How much blame we must shoulder in the Western hemisphere is up to each individual. Myself, I believe our reliance on oil and all other oil dependent countries have created these fiends. My judgment is we should not buy oil from a country where the people don’t reap the benefits, but a corrupt government does. The ethnic group who lives in the Niger Delta is being murdered on a daily basis. It’s genocide pure and simple, and the land is without any law controlled by the lawless.

There is a love story in this story and Patterson weaves it in magnificently. He is a master storyteller who has managed to weave both fact and fiction throughout Eclipse. I recommend this book to both men and women to read. Just remember you may never get the descriptions out of your mind.

We as a people need to know that the basic human rights that we all take for granted have to be fought for, and if we ever stop fighting for them we’ll lose them. Nigeria is still fighting, but with a corrupt government it is an uphill battle.

After reading Eclipse I felt horrible shame for all we have at the expense of others. Do we really have that right? It’s a good question for all of us to ask of ourselves, but only after reading this story.

This is a thinking person’s book, and it is very worth reading.

Have a great week.

Sandy