So, when you saw footage of the Deepwater Horizon explosion or the oil blasting out of the Macondo Well, what did you think about it? The New York Times described it this way: “Dazed and battered survivors, half-naked and dripping in highly combustible gas, crawled inch by inch in pitch darkness, willing themselves to the lifeboat deck. . . . Crew members, certain they were … Continue reading “Tremendous” oil spill!
Hello again. Yes, I still kill people for a living. But this doesn’t mean I can’t be imbued with the holiday spirit, I am…in my own way. Just yesterday I was standing at the corner of Mandeville and St. Claude Ave when I noticed an SUV going much faster than it should have, so I took out the driver side rear tire with one well … Continue reading Merry Christmas from the New Orleans Assassin…
Kenneth Feinberg, the arbitrator of BP’s oil spill fund, has forwarded twelve names to the Justice Department for fraudulently attempting to get money from the claims fund as reported in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Bloomberg. Not only this, his legal team is currently examining 2000 other claims they suspect to be fraudulent. Said Feinberg, “The fund is working closely with the … Continue reading Feinberg fights back in the press…and blows it.
December 15th is looking to be a disappointingly memorable day for citizens of the Gulf Coast. This is the deadline when all emergency claims to BP’s $20 billion fund must be processed and since August 23rd when Kenneth Feinberg took over the fund from British Petroleum, he has denied 173,000 claims including 100,000 in the past seven days alone. Documentation, documentation…documentation.. “The number of denied … Continue reading Feinberg out smoking a cigarette while 100,000 claims denied in ten days
Making things right. Over the past seven months or so this has become the new slogan, British Petroleum’s brand new bumper sticker they wish to slap on every American’s forehead who is paying attention to the Gulf. The CEO says it. The underlings say it. The television throws it at you every chance it gets. But what does that even mean? And who gets to … Continue reading Making Things Right…By Whose Definition?
British Petroleum’s Bob Dudley states he is looking forward to getting back to work in the Gulf of Mexico, and in his excellent column, Tyler Hamilton asks some interesting questions about this. Noting that, so far, BP has stated they will have spent $40 billion dollars on cleanup from their oil spill catastraphuk, he asks what might have happened if they had used safer precautions … Continue reading Robert Dudley – “Not going to shy away from the risk”
Last week, a co-worker came into my office and noted that I’m still going on about the BP Gulf oil spill. I don’t share this blog with too many people I know personally, and this co-worker was one of the few I had mentioned it to. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised by her comment but I did ask anyway… “What do you mean?” “Isn’t it kind … Continue reading If a tree falls in the woods, will the media still be there?
My apologies Mr. Feinberg. I have written a number of things up here, laying the blame for the slow payments of reparations firmly at your feet. I questioned your promises. I doubted your ability to do the job. I insinuated you were naive. Sorry. I felt that by promising people they would get their emergency payments in twenty-four hours and businesses inside a week you … Continue reading My bad, I thought the slow payments were Ken’s fault
Okay, so maybe they didn’t say that directly, but what else are we to assume if these two agencies, designed to protect and inform the American electorate tells us the water and air in the Gulf of Mexico are safe despite independent testing by Oregon State University that shows this dramatic elevation in PAH’s? And yes, exposure to some of these Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons have … Continue reading NOAA, EPA Says 40 Fold Increase in Gulf Carcinogens is Safe
When Kenneth Feinberg took over disbursement of the $20 billion dollar fund from BP one month ago, he made the rather startling claim that emergency payments would be underway to people within 24 hours and businesses within a week. One month later, over 40,000 claims remain to be processed. He has been forced to do town hall meetings, to add personnel, then to streamline the claims … Continue reading Feinberg Should Make Amends…
Drake Toulouse: Photography and Words 