Is it enough?

Never has two letters caused such debates and discussions, and to my surprise little uproar or protest. BP (British Petroleum for those who didn’t know it actually stood for something) has won the crown of being responsible for the biggest spill in American history, which brings me to my thoughts…so far.

A multi-billion dollar company sets up a drilling mechanism without proper research, no, without adhering to the outcome of said research for the sake of making more money. In doing so, cutting costs (saving/making money) on behalf of the company and at the risk of surrounding communities, the environment, businesses, families (I could keep going…)
 Meanwhile back at the ranch, it’s business as usual. For years, it’s business as usual because everybody’s wallets are growing. Stocks are up and acquisitions are growing. Nobody bothers to step and say, “Hey, that drill in the Deepwater Horizon isn’t up to code.” Nope, they continued drilling, ignoring the flags that were raised during inspections, turned blind eyes to the warnings of possible dangers and deaf ears to the counsel of revamping the process and making it safer, and more eco-friendly.
 And then “The Spill” (which is more like a gusher)
 BP execs are scrambling and taking cover. Pointing fingers and throwing blame as fast as the oil that’s being pumped into the Gulf (estimated at 2 million gallons a day!!) Those that were wrangled and being forced to take responsibility aren’t going down alone. I would (and I’m not a gambler) these are some of the same men, who took all the credit (and bigger bonuses) for coming up with the idea of drilling there in the first place. Interesting how they want company now.
 Nobody has chastised or forced BP to revise their drilling techniques or have held them accountable for drilling until, the unthinkable has happened. Suddenly, proof of failed inspections and reports of managers pushing for work/drilling to continue have emerged. Executives claiming never to have seen or heard of such warnings are rising. What sickens me is that these individuals sit at the tables of the hearings and all repeat the rehearsed answer “BP will pay for everything connected to the spillage” No one is taking responsibility! No one has yet stepped up to the plate and swung the Bat of Moral Conduct and admitted they were WRONG!

To add to the circus, execs from other leading oil/energy companies are being questioned about their drilling operations and one had the nerve to exclaim that nothing like this would happen with his company because they “have a plan” (??)

My take: I think the other companies are just gloating that it was BP and not them. They’re angry at the growth of BP, for getting to Deepwater before them and when BP negotiated amongst their immediate contacts for partnership, therefore NOT sharing the wealth, they are now on the outs. It’s every greedy oil company for itself. Amidst these researchers, scientists, and anyone else that could possibly come up with a solution to this monster sized problem, still nothing is getting done. Sure, a few million gallons have been collected, but still millions are being pumped into the Gulf.

Our President declared we WILL get this resolved and BP will be held accountable. But at what cost to our coasts?

I’m In Love with A Blackberry (and I don’t mean the fruit!)

Okay, I know that sounds so corny and so, umm 2010 (doesn’t quite flow like ‘80’s) but I have become one of “Them” OMG!

Seriously, I remember being on the train or sitting in Starbucks seeing people totally absorbed with the little device in the palm of their hands. I recall saying to myself “there is nothing THAT important” Well…I broke down and upgraded my Razor for a BB last summer and my life hasn’t been the same. I know that sounds dramatic, and I totally agree, but it really hasn’t been the same. I don’t spend nearly as much time sitting in front of my desktop as I did before. Unless I’m updating my iPod or doing research, or something else that requires or is more comfortable to view on a larger screen, I’m giving my thumbs a vigorous work-out!

Now, of course this handy little dandy has its downfalls. You become so alert at receiving Alerts, every “Ding”, “Chime”, or “Vibe” you’re reaching for that smooth machinery clipped onto your hip. Whenever the word “Apps” is mentioned, your ears perk up. “Sync” has taken on new dimensions in your world and there’s no stopping it. Unless of course, you trade it in for something else, which is considered a “Downgrade” (Never that!)

All I can say is once you go BLACKberry, you’ll never go back!

Remembering... (#1)

Feeling nostalgic and remembering the ‘good old days’ I read once is good for the soul. Which may explain why mine is so healthy…for the most part.

All these studies are being conducted to prove how unhealthy kids are today and the BIG solution is for them to get outside (??) When did the basic concept of fun get lost? How did it get lost and why isn’t anybody looking for it?

See, I’m talking about a time when long walks were an adventure and the destination didn’t matter. I remember wandering through the woods, picking flowers, and pussy willows for my mother. So many of them that she asked me to stop picking them for a while.

Remember when a pair of cut-off jean shorts was mandatory to have and how you cut about 3 pairs of jeans to get the length of them just right? When at least one pair became THE pair to “get wet” in? While your mother yelled from the window “You better not get your hair wet!!”

**Sigh**

I sure can go for a bag of “Dispy Doodles”

Breaking News!

I bet when you saw that header, you thought to yourself “Now what’s happened?” I know I did when I read the same header within my news feed, followed by: “Al Gore and his wife of 40 years are separating”


???


Since when did someone’s breakup become “Breaking News” I don’t know if I was more angry than annoyed. Angry because I thought another devastating storm hit or was on its way or BP has finally figured out a way to stop the oil from flowing (stay tuned for more on that one!) But as I scrolled down and read the caption about the former VP, I became annoyed. Not to mention I had to hear it at the top of every hour on the radio, because they’re streaming and reading from the same feed.


Whose job was it to say “Yes, that’s breaking news…run it!” Really? This actually takes precedence over the fact that in a matter of weeks, there will be THOUSANDS of young adults out of school with NOTHING to do for the summer. (I’d also like to add that I’m just sick to death of hearing about Jesse and Sandra. He cheated. She left. End of story!)


You know, I once read that the government will issue “news” to divert from what’s really happening.


Hmmm….