Words of Warning

"I think, when one has been angry for a very long time, one gets used to it. And it becomes comfortable like...like old leather. And finally...feels so humiliated one can't remember feeling any other way."
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard, The Wounded

Watch Your Head

This is what a 2-lb hailstone does to your car:

Imagine what it would do to a person's head.

Mayan Calendar Truth Revealed

The truth of the great Mayan Long Count Calendar has been revealed:

More ROV Views

This link shows even more ROVs that are currently being used to check on the new cap. The cap is on but it is not hooked up as they test the pressure and the effects of raising the pressure in the pipe. Time will tell if this will work or not.

What is That?

Something popped up over China. Could be something Chinese, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Soccer Truth

I like World Cup, but this really is soccer to a tee:

No Fishing Zone

NOAA has expanded the "No Fishing Zone" on the Gulf. It now comprimises approximately 33.5% of Gulf Waters:

Volcanic Contrast

This picture was taken earlier in the year showing the eruption of the Icelandic volcano while the Northern Lights play above. Very pretty.

Listing BOP

Even though Hurricane Alex is no where near the site of the oil leak, the wave action is having some serious effects on the BOP and the collection pipe. Watching the "front" end from Enterprise 1 and the "back" from Skandi 2 show the funnel waving back and forth quite a lot. The collective hits have been bad enough that one of the guide fins (which look like 1/2" plate steel to me) has been bent and is now askew.

The resulting hits seem to have had an effect on the BOP as well. The Coast Guard is stating that the BOP is now listing 12 degrees. When you watch the feeds (especially Skandi 2 which has a fixed object for a frame of reference) you can see the cap rocking and the BOP swaying like a tree in the breeze.

Knowing what I know about metal fatigue (especially low cycle fatigue), I'm not sure the BOP is going to last until the relief wells are drilled. Catastrophic failure of the BOP will certainly increase the flow rate of the leak and I don't know how that will impact the ability of the relief well to stop the overall leak.