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Regulate This!
Author: BobR
Date: 05/14/2010 12:45:55
Regulations suck! The Free Market isn't free! Get Big Government out of the way and let business get down to business! Such are the cries from Republicans, Libertarians, and Tea Partiers, who all seem to live in a utopia where large corporations never do anything wrong, and government ALWAYS does everything wrong (Goofus and Gallant, as it were). History shows, however, that left to their own devices, business will always put profits before the public good, and the two are often not compatible. It also matters WHO is in government when one makes judgments about how effective and competent it is. Allowing the foxes to guard the henhouse is a sure recipe for disaster.
The ongoing catastrophe in the Gulf is a vivid example of this. By all accounts, the disaster could have been averted with proper equipment, and possibly stringent adherence to existing regulations. This did not happen. Why? Because it was cheaper for BP to cut corners. It was a gamble and they lost. Of course - so do the rest of us, with their screw up destroying our coastline, and with it the environment and livelihoods of small businesses all along the coast. Why were they able to do this? The problem can be chalked up to weak regulations and poor enforcement of them.
The weakening of regulations can be directly attributed to Dick Cheney (who just happened to be the head of Halliburton - one of the guilty parties in the Gulf spill - prior to 2000). One of the first things Bush did after taking office was to create the Energy Task Force, with Cheney as its Chair. The members and its meetings were secret. However, a list of known participants reads like a who's who of drilling and mining interests. Did the oil companies help write their own regulations? We'll never know for certain, but sure seems that way.
The other side of regulation is enforcement, which falls under the auspices of MMS. One would hope that the government entity charged with regulating the oil industry would not be in bed with them - literally. But of course - we all know better:
In essence - the oil companies were screwing the government, and the government was letting them. Of course - that's what happens when you have an oil tycoon as president. Was deregulation better in this case?
That energy task force that Cheney created to allow business to rape and pillage our country's natural resources for obscene profits extended beyond the oil business. Coal was another focus. Over the next few years, the Bush administration actually reduced the fines for mine safety violations. Who was put in charge of mine safety? - a former coal company executive. When people wonder why government doesn't seem to work sometimes, they should consider who's working for government, and who those people are really working for. Was deregulation better in this case?
Besides the loss of life and destruction of the environment, the other side effect of all this is the cost of energy. Deregulating utilities was supposed to make our energy costs cheaper, because "competition" was supposed to allow us to choose who we buy our energy from. The reality is that we had a choice for all of about 6 months before all the companies merged and were bought out. Remember Enron? Do you think the people of CA had a choice? They ended up with blackouts and astronomical electric bills while Enron played with the electric faucet. Was deregulation better in this case?
We are all still suffering the hangover from the drunken debauchery on Wall St. and in the banking industry. That whole scenario is a poster child for what happens when you remove carefully crafted controls and let the Free Market run unfettered. We had one of the most revered economic systems in the world until the meltdown happened in fall of 2008. How did we manage to screw it up? Free Market proponents in Congress rolled back the Glass Steagall Act by passing the Gramm Leach Bliley Act. This allowed federally insured banks to take risks previously only allowed to commercial banks (ie: gambling houses). It allowed monopolies to form (ie: Too Big To Fail). Was deregulation better in this case?
This sort of thing has been endemic for years: gutting regulations that have protected Americans for decades in the interest of promoting capitalism, and putting industry hacks or incompetent small-government lackeys in positions of power, so that enforcement of weakened laws is nearly non-existent. Why? It reinforces the notion that "government is the problem, not the solution", so that it can be drowned a little more in the bathtub.
However, that sort of approach results in tainted beef, oil spills, mine explosions, economic meltdowns, and in general - large businesses running roughshod over the Regular Joes that we all are. Is deregulation the answer?... or is it the problem? Even football games have rules and referees.
The ongoing catastrophe in the Gulf is a vivid example of this. By all accounts, the disaster could have been averted with proper equipment, and possibly stringent adherence to existing regulations. This did not happen. Why? Because it was cheaper for BP to cut corners. It was a gamble and they lost. Of course - so do the rest of us, with their screw up destroying our coastline, and with it the environment and livelihoods of small businesses all along the coast. Why were they able to do this? The problem can be chalked up to weak regulations and poor enforcement of them.
The weakening of regulations can be directly attributed to Dick Cheney (who just happened to be the head of Halliburton - one of the guilty parties in the Gulf spill - prior to 2000). One of the first things Bush did after taking office was to create the Energy Task Force, with Cheney as its Chair. The members and its meetings were secret. However, a list of known participants reads like a who's who of drilling and mining interests. Did the oil companies help write their own regulations? We'll never know for certain, but sure seems that way.
The other side of regulation is enforcement, which falls under the auspices of MMS. One would hope that the government entity charged with regulating the oil industry would not be in bed with them - literally. But of course - we all know better:
Scathing reports released Wednesday charge officials with “a culture of ethical failure” involving sex, drugs and financial shenanigans at a federal agency in Denver charged with collecting energy royalties for taxpayers.
In three reports prepared for Congress by the Department of Interior’s inspector general, 13 current and former employees at the agency’s Minerals Management Service were charged with violating the public trust in a frat house atmosphere. MMS employees, according to the reports, accepted gifts from oil companies, had sex with industry contacts, and did drugs at the office and at oil company parties. Other MMS officials steered business to their own companies and set up consultancies to win contracts they drew up themselves.
In essence - the oil companies were screwing the government, and the government was letting them. Of course - that's what happens when you have an oil tycoon as president. Was deregulation better in this case?
That energy task force that Cheney created to allow business to rape and pillage our country's natural resources for obscene profits extended beyond the oil business. Coal was another focus. Over the next few years, the Bush administration actually reduced the fines for mine safety violations. Who was put in charge of mine safety? - a former coal company executive. When people wonder why government doesn't seem to work sometimes, they should consider who's working for government, and who those people are really working for. Was deregulation better in this case?
Besides the loss of life and destruction of the environment, the other side effect of all this is the cost of energy. Deregulating utilities was supposed to make our energy costs cheaper, because "competition" was supposed to allow us to choose who we buy our energy from. The reality is that we had a choice for all of about 6 months before all the companies merged and were bought out. Remember Enron? Do you think the people of CA had a choice? They ended up with blackouts and astronomical electric bills while Enron played with the electric faucet. Was deregulation better in this case?
We are all still suffering the hangover from the drunken debauchery on Wall St. and in the banking industry. That whole scenario is a poster child for what happens when you remove carefully crafted controls and let the Free Market run unfettered. We had one of the most revered economic systems in the world until the meltdown happened in fall of 2008. How did we manage to screw it up? Free Market proponents in Congress rolled back the Glass Steagall Act by passing the Gramm Leach Bliley Act. This allowed federally insured banks to take risks previously only allowed to commercial banks (ie: gambling houses). It allowed monopolies to form (ie: Too Big To Fail). Was deregulation better in this case?
This sort of thing has been endemic for years: gutting regulations that have protected Americans for decades in the interest of promoting capitalism, and putting industry hacks or incompetent small-government lackeys in positions of power, so that enforcement of weakened laws is nearly non-existent. Why? It reinforces the notion that "government is the problem, not the solution", so that it can be drowned a little more in the bathtub.
However, that sort of approach results in tainted beef, oil spills, mine explosions, economic meltdowns, and in general - large businesses running roughshod over the Regular Joes that we all are. Is deregulation the answer?... or is it the problem? Even football games have rules and referees.
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
wickedpam on 05/14/2010 13:25:02
wickedpam on 05/14/2010 13:25:02
Morning 
Sleepy this morning ........must.......not.......fall asleep.....at desk.....
Sleepy this morning ........must.......not.......fall asleep.....at desk.....
Comment by 
BobR on 05/14/2010 13:45:31
BobR on 05/14/2010 13:45:31
Re: the blog... I was looking for a link to something I read from (I believe) Micheal Moore, where he reported that USDA inspectors were forbidden from shutting down meat-packing assembly lines, unless it was something really horrendous. They (the government inspector) would actually get in trouble (and possibly fired) for calling for a stop of production if the reason for the stoppage turned out to be a not the problem they thought it to be.
I couldn't find the link...
I couldn't find the link...
Comment by 
TriSec on 05/14/2010 13:45:40
TriSec on 05/14/2010 13:45:40
Greetings, comrades!
Waiting for liv....I need to wrestle the blog into a basketball ditch. (Lebron to the Knicks, mmm?)
Now if only the Black & Gold can pull it off tonight....I'd rather not know what it feels like to be a Yankees fan, circa 2004.
Waiting for liv....I need to wrestle the blog into a basketball ditch. (Lebron to the Knicks, mmm?)
Now if only the Black & Gold can pull it off tonight....I'd rather not know what it feels like to be a Yankees fan, circa 2004.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 14:00:52
TriSec on 05/14/2010 14:00:52
You might have missed it, because it's not American...
Another rig has sunk.
A Venezuelan natural gas exploration rig sank in the Caribbean Sea early Thursday, less than a month after a deadly explosion in the Gulf of Mexico sank a BP-owned oil rig and created a natural disaster.
All 95 workers on the Venezuelan rig were rescued and there was no gas leak, the government said. The BP accident claimed 11 lives and triggered one of the world's worst oil spills, threatening sensitive coastal areas.
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the wellbeing explored by the Aban Pearl platform had been safely sealed after the rig sank near the northeast coast, close to the Trinidad and Tobago islands.
"This is different from the Gulf of Mexico, because it is a testing well," Ramirez said.
Another rig has sunk.
A Venezuelan natural gas exploration rig sank in the Caribbean Sea early Thursday, less than a month after a deadly explosion in the Gulf of Mexico sank a BP-owned oil rig and created a natural disaster.
All 95 workers on the Venezuelan rig were rescued and there was no gas leak, the government said. The BP accident claimed 11 lives and triggered one of the world's worst oil spills, threatening sensitive coastal areas.
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the wellbeing explored by the Aban Pearl platform had been safely sealed after the rig sank near the northeast coast, close to the Trinidad and Tobago islands.
"This is different from the Gulf of Mexico, because it is a testing well," Ramirez said.
Comment by 
Raine on 05/14/2010 14:04:57
A testing well? Deepwater Horizon was an exploratory well. I'm trying to find the difference.
Raine on 05/14/2010 14:04:57
Quote by TriSec:
You might have missed it, because it's not American...
Another rig has sunk.
A Venezuelan natural gas exploration rig sank in the Caribbean Sea early Thursday, less than a month after a deadly explosion in the Gulf of Mexico sank a BP-owned oil rig and created a natural disaster.
All 95 workers on the Venezuelan rig were rescued and there was no gas leak, the government said. The BP accident claimed 11 lives and triggered one of the world's worst oil spills, threatening sensitive coastal areas.
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the wellbeing explored by the Aban Pearl platform had been safely sealed after the rig sank near the northeast coast, close to the Trinidad and Tobago islands.
"This is different from the Gulf of Mexico, because it is a testing well," Ramirez said.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 14:12:26
TriSec on 05/14/2010 14:12:26
Well, Ramirez should have said:
"This is different from the Gulf of Mexico, because we have regulations that are actually enforced..."
"This is different from the Gulf of Mexico, because we have regulations that are actually enforced..."
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 14:14:49
Raine on 05/14/2010 14:14:49
You are aware of this? BP says the Oil Spill is just a drop in the Bucket
BP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis. In an newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." But newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change." Mr Hayward, who has been at BP for 28 years, said he has had trouble sleeping and has received hate mail since the Deepwater Horizon blew up.
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 14:17:47
Video at link.
Raine on 05/14/2010 14:17:47
OBAMA: After they drove the car into the ditch, made it as difficult as possible for us to pull it back, now they want to keys back. No! You can’t drive! We don’t want to have to go back into the ditch. We just got the car out.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 14:22:04
TriSec on 05/14/2010 14:22:04
Comment by wickedpam on 05/14/2010 14:33:55
He actually said that?
I thought Steph was just editorializing
wickedpam on 05/14/2010 14:33:55
Quote by Raine:Video at link.OBAMA: After they drove the car into the ditch, made it as difficult as possible for us to pull it back, now they want to keys back. No! You can’t drive! We don’t want to have to go back into the ditch. We just got the car out.
He actually said that?
I thought Steph was just editorializing
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 14:43:54
Raine on 05/14/2010 14:43:54
Nope he really said that! It was awesome -- and today he I am reading that his speach is going to be even more-- Blunt.
President Obama is angry about the oil spill, its magnitude, and BP's stalling -- and tomorrow, he is going to let his frustrations spill out at a late-morning press availability after he meets with senior officials.
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 14:44:34
Raine on 05/14/2010 14:44:34
This is what I want to see today:
Comment by 
Scoopster on 05/14/2010 14:53:27
Scoopster on 05/14/2010 14:53:27
Morning all.. is it Friday yet?
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 15:06:49
TriSec on 05/14/2010 15:06:49
Say, one thing about the Kagan/Harvard thing....
It was a limited ban that restricted the military from ONE area of the campus. When the Feds came back and threatened to pull grants and other money, she caved in like a house of cards and let the military back in.
So, think about that.
Besides, anyone that's ever been to Harvard Square...they could set up a table in "the pit" at the MBTA station and recruit all day if they wanted to. They'd get far more traffic than anywhere on Harvard property.
It was a limited ban that restricted the military from ONE area of the campus. When the Feds came back and threatened to pull grants and other money, she caved in like a house of cards and let the military back in.
So, think about that.
Besides, anyone that's ever been to Harvard Square...they could set up a table in "the pit" at the MBTA station and recruit all day if they wanted to. They'd get far more traffic than anywhere on Harvard property.
Comment by 
velveeta jones on 05/14/2010 15:12:17
"Goofus and Gallant" !!!
BTW, we should also remind the teabaggers - who all want a strong military as well as less Gov'mint - that the soldiers all work for....... (wait for it) ....... The Government.
(Just heard a guy complaining on my local radio show this morning).
velveeta jones on 05/14/2010 15:12:17
"Goofus and Gallant" !!! BTW, we should also remind the teabaggers - who all want a strong military as well as less Gov'mint - that the soldiers all work for....... (wait for it) ....... The Government.
(Just heard a guy complaining on my local radio show this morning).
Comment by 
Mondobubba on 05/14/2010 15:13:09
Bobber, that is in the Omnivore's Dilemma as well.
Mondobubba on 05/14/2010 15:13:09
Quote by BobR:
Re: the blog... I was looking for a link to something I read from (I believe) Micheal Moore, where he reported that USDA inspectors were forbidden from shutting down meat-packing assembly lines, unless it was something really horrendous. They (the government inspector) would actually get in trouble (and possibly fired) for calling for a stop of production if the reason for the stoppage turned out to be a not the problem they thought it to be.
I couldn't find the link...
Bobber, that is in the Omnivore's Dilemma as well.
Comment by 
Will in Chicago on 05/14/2010 15:16:17
Will in Chicago on 05/14/2010 15:16:17
Good morning, bloggers!!!
BobR, thanks for an interesting blog. For those who oppose any regulations, I wonder if they would feel safe on roads without stop lights, traffic laws, and police. Would they feel comfortable with no safety precautions for flying.
BobR, thanks for an interesting blog. For those who oppose any regulations, I wonder if they would feel safe on roads without stop lights, traffic laws, and police. Would they feel comfortable with no safety precautions for flying.
Comment by 
livingonli on 05/14/2010 15:22:17
livingonli on 05/14/2010 15:22:17
Good morning everyone.
It seems like with my schedule I can't get up early enough even though I can now listen to all of Momma on the internet again.
The whole Lebron situation is going to be interesting because we run MSG Network at work and they have been dreaming of Lebron jumping ship next season and now it will be full wishful thinking mode. Ironically, we also do the master control's of CSN New England and FSN Ohio so there was a lot of talk about the series even if we didn't televise the games since they were all national telecasts.
It seems like with my schedule I can't get up early enough even though I can now listen to all of Momma on the internet again.
The whole Lebron situation is going to be interesting because we run MSG Network at work and they have been dreaming of Lebron jumping ship next season and now it will be full wishful thinking mode. Ironically, we also do the master control's of CSN New England and FSN Ohio so there was a lot of talk about the series even if we didn't televise the games since they were all national telecasts.
Comment by wickedpam on 05/14/2010 15:36:10
wickedpam on 05/14/2010 15:36:10
Who is Lebron? 
Comment by wickedpam on 05/14/2010 15:39:52
wickedpam on 05/14/2010 15:39:52
I love Kathleen Madigan 
Comment by livingonli on 05/14/2010 15:49:20
Lebron James is the biggest NBA player at the moment. He's on the Cleveland Cavaliers who he's helped get into the playoffs but it has not been enough to get the team a title and he becomes a free agent this summer which has led to endless speculation as to whether he will stay on that team or jump ship to another team that offers him a huge paycheck.
livingonli on 05/14/2010 15:49:20
Quote by wickedpam:
Who is Lebron?
Lebron James is the biggest NBA player at the moment. He's on the Cleveland Cavaliers who he's helped get into the playoffs but it has not been enough to get the team a title and he becomes a free agent this summer which has led to endless speculation as to whether he will stay on that team or jump ship to another team that offers him a huge paycheck.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 15:51:06
TriSec on 05/14/2010 15:51:06
Something I've been meaning to muse about...
It's not that every other option so far has failed, and BP is thinking about stuffing a whale into the pipe that gets me.
It's that they actually have a name for it. [The Junk Shot]
It's not that every other option so far has failed, and BP is thinking about stuffing a whale into the pipe that gets me.
It's that they actually have a name for it. [The Junk Shot]
Comment by wickedpam on 05/14/2010 15:59:00
Is this what its like when I talk tv shows?
wickedpam on 05/14/2010 15:59:00
Quote by livingonli:Quote by wickedpam:
Who is Lebron?
Lebron James is the biggest NBA player at the moment. He's on the Cleveland Cavaliers who he's helped get into the playoffs but it has not been enough to get the team a title and he becomes a free agent this summer which has led to endless speculation as to whether he will stay on that team or jump ship to another team that offers him a huge paycheck.
Is this what its like when I talk tv shows?
Comment by livingonli on 05/14/2010 16:05:02
Jon Stewart did a whole bit on last night's Daily Show ripping on the various names for the capping devices BP had pulled out.
livingonli on 05/14/2010 16:05:02
Quote by TriSec:
Something I've been meaning to muse about...
It's not that every other option so far has failed, and BP is thinking about stuffing a whale into the pipe that gets me.
It's that they actually have a name for it. [The Junk Shot]
Jon Stewart did a whole bit on last night's Daily Show ripping on the various names for the capping devices BP had pulled out.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 16:32:24
TriSec on 05/14/2010 16:32:24
Seen on the history channel website today...
Anyone else remember this?
It's got a spot in Troop Lore....at the time, Troop 61 owned a similar gas bus. The next weekend we went out to West Point (from Saugus, MA) and many of the parents were a bit nervous about it.
Of course, the bus got lost, and we were 6 hours overdue....many folks at home weren't happy when we got back.
Anyone else remember this?
It's got a spot in Troop Lore....at the time, Troop 61 owned a similar gas bus. The next weekend we went out to West Point (from Saugus, MA) and many of the parents were a bit nervous about it.
Of course, the bus got lost, and we were 6 hours overdue....many folks at home weren't happy when we got back.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 16:40:18
TriSec on 05/14/2010 16:40:18
A double-extra-deep moment of dork:
Happy birthday wishes to Prentis Hancock!
Happy birthday wishes to Prentis Hancock!
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 16:42:12
TriSec on 05/14/2010 16:42:12
And Ronan Tynan, too I notice.
Speaking of which, can anyone tell me what the big freakin' deal is about "Irish Tenors"?
Nobody cares about a Bolivian Tenor now, do they?
Speaking of which, can anyone tell me what the big freakin' deal is about "Irish Tenors"?
Nobody cares about a Bolivian Tenor now, do they?
Comment by 
trojanrabbit on 05/14/2010 16:49:40
So if we take what little we recovered and dump it on Mr Hayward's estate he'd be OK with that?
And yeah, fuckwad, you're going to be judged by your response but much more importantly, you'll be much more harshly judged by your reckle$$ endangerment of the environment. It would be nice if the CEOs of Halliburton and Transwhatever are hanging beside you in the bowels of hell.
trojanrabbit on 05/14/2010 16:49:40
Quote by Raine:
You are aware of this? BP says the Oil Spill is just a drop in the BucketBP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis. In an newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." But newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change." Mr Hayward, who has been at BP for 28 years, said he has had trouble sleeping and has received hate mail since the Deepwater Horizon blew up.
So if we take what little we recovered and dump it on Mr Hayward's estate he'd be OK with that?
And yeah, fuckwad, you're going to be judged by your response but much more importantly, you'll be much more harshly judged by your reckle$$ endangerment of the environment. It would be nice if the CEOs of Halliburton and Transwhatever are hanging beside you in the bowels of hell.
Comment by livingonli on 05/14/2010 16:59:05
Hell is going to be a very greasy and sleazy place once these people and Cheney join them.
livingonli on 05/14/2010 16:59:05
Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by Raine:
You are aware of this? BP says the Oil Spill is just a drop in the BucketBP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis. In an newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." But newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change." Mr Hayward, who has been at BP for 28 years, said he has had trouble sleeping and has received hate mail since the Deepwater Horizon blew up.
So if we take what little we recovered and dump it on Mr Hayward's estate he'd be OK with that?
And yeah, fuckwad, you're going to be judged by your response but much more importantly, you'll be much more harshly judged by your reckle$$ endangerment of the environment. It would be nice if the CEOs of Halliburton and Transwhatever are hanging beside you in the bowels of hell.
Hell is going to be a very greasy and sleazy place once these people and Cheney join them.
Comment by Will in Chicago on 05/14/2010 17:15:51
Will the oil and gas make the fires burn hotter?
Will in Chicago on 05/14/2010 17:15:51
Quote by livingonli:Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by Raine:
You are aware of this? BP says the Oil Spill is just a drop in the BucketBP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis. In an newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." But newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change." Mr Hayward, who has been at BP for 28 years, said he has had trouble sleeping and has received hate mail since the Deepwater Horizon blew up.
So if we take what little we recovered and dump it on Mr Hayward's estate he'd be OK with that?
And yeah, fuckwad, you're going to be judged by your response but much more importantly, you'll be much more harshly judged by your reckle$$ endangerment of the environment. It would be nice if the CEOs of Halliburton and Transwhatever are hanging beside you in the bowels of hell.
Hell is going to be a very greasy and sleazy place once these people and Cheney join them.
Will the oil and gas make the fires burn hotter?
Comment by trojanrabbit on 05/14/2010 17:28:09
Only if properly mixed with oxygen.
trojanrabbit on 05/14/2010 17:28:09
Quote by Will in Chicago:Quote by livingonli:Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by Raine:
You are aware of this? BP says the Oil Spill is just a drop in the BucketBP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis. In an newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." But newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change." Mr Hayward, who has been at BP for 28 years, said he has had trouble sleeping and has received hate mail since the Deepwater Horizon blew up.
So if we take what little we recovered and dump it on Mr Hayward's estate he'd be OK with that?
And yeah, fuckwad, you're going to be judged by your response but much more importantly, you'll be much more harshly judged by your reckle$$ endangerment of the environment. It would be nice if the CEOs of Halliburton and Transwhatever are hanging beside you in the bowels of hell.
Hell is going to be a very greasy and sleazy place once these people and Cheney join them.
Will the oil and gas make the fires burn hotter?
Only if properly mixed with oxygen.
Comment by trojanrabbit on 05/14/2010 17:33:25
I have always said that as long as the Jacobs family owns the bRuins they will NEVER win. Even when they try spending money for players because FINALLY the fans are turning on them they can't do it right. Hell, the 2nd best defenseman they ever had (arguably) needed to go elsewhere to finally get his name on the Cup.
The Curse of the Jacobs Family is the present day Curse of the Bambino.
/yes - Orr changed everything. But Bourque was a steady superstar for many years, just not at Orr's level. Not that its Orr's fault - never got to benefit from the fancy surgical procedures they have today.
trojanrabbit on 05/14/2010 17:33:25
Quote by TriSec:
Greetings, comrades!
Waiting for liv....I need to wrestle the blog into a basketball ditch. (Lebron to the Knicks, mmm?)
Now if only the Black & Gold can pull it off tonight....I'd rather not know what it feels like to be a Yankees fan, circa 2004.
I have always said that as long as the Jacobs family owns the bRuins they will NEVER win. Even when they try spending money for players because FINALLY the fans are turning on them they can't do it right. Hell, the 2nd best defenseman they ever had (arguably) needed to go elsewhere to finally get his name on the Cup.
The Curse of the Jacobs Family is the present day Curse of the Bambino.
/yes - Orr changed everything. But Bourque was a steady superstar for many years, just not at Orr's level. Not that its Orr's fault - never got to benefit from the fancy surgical procedures they have today.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 17:36:57
TriSec on 05/14/2010 17:36:57
There might be something to that....
Three of the four major-league teams in this city have had an ownership change in this milennium. Three of the four have won championships.
The only one that hasn't? da Broons.
(And we need Lord Robin from the old message board to chime in here about the Revs...)
Three of the four major-league teams in this city have had an ownership change in this milennium. Three of the four have won championships.
The only one that hasn't? da Broons.
(And we need Lord Robin from the old message board to chime in here about the Revs...)
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 18:11:38
TriSec on 05/14/2010 18:11:38
Not sure what to make of this...
But then again, I've got my own entry. Did I ever tell the blog about the time I broiled a cake?
But then again, I've got my own entry. Did I ever tell the blog about the time I broiled a cake?
Comment by livingonli on 05/14/2010 18:19:17
livingonli on 05/14/2010 18:19:17
And we in New York, have been talking about how abysmal the Knicks and Rangers have been since Cablevision bought MSG and whether that management has been part of the problem.
Comment by Scoopster on 05/14/2010 18:19:40
Well they would be bringin' a lotta hot air with em..
Scoopster on 05/14/2010 18:19:40
Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by Will in Chicago:Quote by livingonli:Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by Raine:
You are aware of this? BP says the Oil Spill is just a drop in the BucketBP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis. In an newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." But newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change." Mr Hayward, who has been at BP for 28 years, said he has had trouble sleeping and has received hate mail since the Deepwater Horizon blew up.
So if we take what little we recovered and dump it on Mr Hayward's estate he'd be OK with that?
And yeah, fuckwad, you're going to be judged by your response but much more importantly, you'll be much more harshly judged by your reckle$$ endangerment of the environment. It would be nice if the CEOs of Halliburton and Transwhatever are hanging beside you in the bowels of hell.
Hell is going to be a very greasy and sleazy place once these people and Cheney join them.
Will the oil and gas make the fires burn hotter?
Only if properly mixed with oxygen.
Well they would be bringin' a lotta hot air with em..
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 19:04:08
TriSec on 05/14/2010 19:04:08
1700 can't come soon enough. When's the martini shot?
(No, I'm not pouring that down the Gulf...sheesh!)
(No, I'm not pouring that down the Gulf...sheesh!)
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 19:09:18
Tonite is date nite... We're thinking about heading into Georgetown.
Raine on 05/14/2010 19:09:18
Quote by TriSec:
1700 can't come soon enough. When's the martini shot?
(No, I'm not pouring that down the Gulf...sheesh!)
Tonite is date nite... We're thinking about heading into Georgetown.
Comment by livingonli on 05/14/2010 19:20:22
Sounds like fun. I liked trekking into Georgetown when I visited DC.
livingonli on 05/14/2010 19:20:22
Quote by Raine:Quote by TriSec:
1700 can't come soon enough. When's the martini shot?
(No, I'm not pouring that down the Gulf...sheesh!)
Tonite is date nite... We're thinking about heading into Georgetown.
Sounds like fun. I liked trekking into Georgetown when I visited DC.
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 19:46:17
TriSec on 05/14/2010 19:46:17
*grunt*
Nobody coming to Boston for a visit?
Nobody coming to Boston for a visit?
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 20:11:01
I think it's time this is posted:
EMBED-We Are Lebron Video - Watch more free videos
Raine on 05/14/2010 20:11:01
Quote by livingonli:Quote by wickedpam:
Who is Lebron?
Lebron James is the biggest NBA player at the moment. He's on the Cleveland Cavaliers who he's helped get into the playoffs but it has not been enough to get the team a title and he becomes a free agent this summer which has led to endless speculation as to whether he will stay on that team or jump ship to another team that offers him a huge paycheck.
I think it's time this is posted:
EMBED-We Are Lebron Video - Watch more free videos
Comment by TriSec on 05/14/2010 20:36:14
TriSec on 05/14/2010 20:36:14
Heading out....tonight *would* have been my last Pack meeting of the year, but our friend at the school decided to schedule the "Spring Fling" for tonight, thus bumping us a week.
I'd like to "fling" her into a nearby river.
In any case, the Principal is being retired in the wake of the bullying incident (along with the Superintendant and his assistant), so I'm not willing to take a chance on next season. We're moving over the summer to another chartering organization.
TTFN!
I'd like to "fling" her into a nearby river.
In any case, the Principal is being retired in the wake of the bullying incident (along with the Superintendant and his assistant), so I'm not willing to take a chance on next season. We're moving over the summer to another chartering organization.
TTFN!
Comment by Raine on 05/14/2010 20:38:35
Raine on 05/14/2010 20:38:35
HAve a great weekend Tri!
Comment by livingonli on 05/14/2010 22:00:56
livingonli on 05/14/2010 22:00:56
Have fun storming the castle, Tri.
Comment by trojanrabbit on 05/15/2010 01:41:07
trojanrabbit on 05/15/2010 01:41:07
Epic FAIL, bRuins.
Maybe this is what it will take for fans to stop supporting this useless ownership.
Who am I kidding, they won't learn. As long as the team is profitable, putting a winning product on the ice is way down on the list of priorities.
Maybe this is what it will take for fans to stop supporting this useless ownership.
Who am I kidding, they won't learn. As long as the team is profitable, putting a winning product on the ice is way down on the list of priorities.