May 2010 Archives

John Lundberg published a nice compilation of Memorial Day poems here today and I thought I'd share a couple that touched me as we remember those that gave their lives for our rights to daily argue political philosophy. Murder--So Foul I shot a man yesterdayAnd much to my surprise,The strangest thing happened to meI began to cry. He was so young, so very youngAnd Fear was in his eyes,He had left his home in GermanyAnd...

Saturday, BP announced what TDH had concluded hours before, that the top kill was a failure.  It failed because they simply couldn't build up enough back pressure in the BOP (blowout preventer) to force sufficient mud into the well to kill the flow.  Clearly, the partially closed rams in the BOP, and the crimped riser above aren't restricting flow from the well as much as everyone had originally thought, and the "junk shot", pumping bridging...

This is what President Obama's critics have been reduced to-George Will yesterday on This Week saying the president is "being unfairly blamed" for his response to the Deepwater Horizon fiasco, but on the other hand "it sort of serves him right." From Media Matters:I used to have some degree of respect for George Will. He was one of the few remaining voices on the right who, on occasion, made some reasonable, rational arguments. Now he's...

One more reason why I hate homeowners associations. The sad but true story of Army Reserve Captain Michael Clauer, his wife May, and the Heritage Lakes Homeowners Association in Frisco, Texas. The HOA foreclosed on and sold the Clauer's home because of $800 in unpaid dues, and while Michael was on active duty in Iraq. "In May 2008, the HOA sold the Clauers' home for a pittance--$3,500--although its appraisal value was $300,000, according to court...

UPDATED 6:00 pm, May 29:  It's become obvious from BP's doublespeak and moving of the goalposts that the top kill hasn't worked.  I'm beginning to hear exactly that; that BP knows the top kill has failed, but that they are continuing to pump mud out on the ocean floor rather than admit it.  Typically, you know pretty quickly if a top kill works.  BP has been pumping the kill since Wednesday,  trying a number of...

Something to look forward to if Republicans re-gain control of the House in November--impeachment. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and the right-wing noise machine are revving up impeachment chatter over the allegations of Joe Sestak being offered an unpaid advisory position to stay out of the senatorial primary in Pennsylvania. Issa:"It's very clear that allegation is one that everyone from Arlen Spector to Dick Morris has said is in fact a crime, and could be impeachable,"...

It's a little too early to celebrate Festivus, but I feel the need for some pre-Memorial Day airing of grievances. As Frank Costanza said, "I got a lot of problems with you people." Well, maybe not YOU people, unless you're guilty of one of the following offenses, but people in general. Here goes:1. Put down the damn phone and drive. My job requires me to do a lot of driving in and around Houston, and...

I was on MSNBC this am, talking about my opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle and my recommendations for next steps.  Have a look:...

The Houston Chronicle printed my opinion piece this morning, where I talk about the BP blowout and next steps we should take before lifting the 6 month moratorium on deepwater drilling.  The editors took some license with my narrative, changing the order of some events, but left my recommendations intact.  I appreciate the Chronicle printing it.   Click here to read the piece....