Ronald: When anyone posts an article with too many links it gets filed in ‘awaiting moderation’. Sorry, I didn’t see it yesterday, but I put it through today and I read the article. Life never ceases to surprise me anymore. And although the article that you posted is true, there is so much satire out there that the general public is getting confused about what is real news, and what is just writers having a little fun.

I touched on this the other day in my write, when it was written in the Borowitz Report that Goldman Sachs had shorted the Gulf of Mexico. Now that, as I had written, was satirical news, but it was believable, and in reality really could have happened. (And, honestly I wouldn’t doubt it.)

We have a difficult enough time getting to the truth, now in this crazy funny world, we need to discern between what is real and what is satire.  So how do we do that? Well, I just happen to be able to answer that question….or at least scambusters can.

Readers: This is an excellent read because the news is so important to us. This news is our connection to each other, and to the events around the world.  And because news travels fast it is easy for a rumor to get started and spread like wildfire. We know how fast true stories spread – well, fake ones have the same power, and we need to be able to discern the difference between the two. Scambusters shows us how, and addresses some areas you might not have thought of:

Fake news stories, bogus product reviews and even satirical websites can all fool us into believing something that’s simply not true.

Sometimes the intention is to turn us on or off to a particular idea or purchase decision. Other times, it’s supposed to be just entertainment.

In this week’s issue we explain the latest tricks and techniques and offer some guidance on how to spot and avoid them.

<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>
How Fake News Stories and Bogus News Websites Try to
Deceive You
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Fake news stories help crooks lure victims into all sorts of traps. We’ve reported previously on how scammers distribute emails with links to a sensational but fake news article or with an attachment that carries a deadly virus payload.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gXQlyufF0tWfo&b=rDviwyk3etz3hAdugGkfeQ

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gXQlyufF0tWfo&b=6eoSFJsf1h8w5IOMx.B65A

Either way, the aim is to install malware on your PC when you click the link or open the attachment.

But in a new twist, con merchants are trying to pass off their websites as genuine newspaper or TV sites to convince victims about whatever it is they’re trying to sell.

The really frustrating thing is that often they are not breaking the law. They invent a legitimate-sounding name for their “publication” or fake TV news station and dress the web page up to look like it’s a real report.

Pretending to be impartial, the report usually either promotes a particular product or explains how you can easily make a fortune on the Internet.

Sometimes, they carry videos that purport to be objective TV news reports explaining just how fantastic this new product or money-making idea is.

The aim is to either get you to hand over a lot of money for a questionable or even worthless purchase, or join a pyramid or multi-level marketing scheme, in which you then have to recruit others to buy from you and they must, in turn, find more people to join. And so on.

It’s easy to get taken in but you can easily spot what these con artists are up to with two easy check steps:

* Be skeptical if the page is promoting a miracle product (like health cures or how to run your car on water) or an easy-money scheme. Remember that in real life these rarely, if ever, exist.

* Do a search on the name of the TV station or publication. If it’s a scam, you’ll generally find that there are no other pages or news reports from the same supposed newspaper or TV station.

In fact, you’ll more likely find someone else reporting it as a con trick.

Satire sites — for entertainment or mischief

While we’re on the subject, it’s worth mentioning another type of fake news site you might come across on the Internet.

These are so-called satire sites in which the operators just make up news stories — often about political figures or celebrities.

Sometimes, their motive is to entertain — just like a skit on a TV satire show like Saturday Night Live. Other times people with an axe to grind or just a desire to make mischief are at work.

There are several well-known and popular fake news sites, the best known probably being theonion.com. Their offerings can be very thought-provoking — as long as you know what they’re up to. In other words, ”news” from The Onion is not true — but it can be very funny.

More serious are sites that let people create their own hoax stories, for example claiming that an individual has been arrested. The user supplies the name and the site generates both the story and a link to it.

The important point here is never to act on or pass on any information you read or view unless you know for sure whether it’s true or false. Then you can let the recipient know.

Bogus product and travel reviews

Another sneaky and dishonest trick that’s become increasingly common on the Internet is the creation of bogus reviews for products and services.

A long time ago, we reported on web awards that charge fees. You pay your money and you get your five stars.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1gXQlyufF0tWfo&b=XGLp11ZYRmIaEpvKSTnyUg

More recently, this sort of scheme has been used by less reputable software producers to create the impression they have one of the best products on the market.

And now, with the advent and widespread use of consumer product reviews, a similar technique fools people into thinking a book they’re considering buying or a hotel they might visit is top-rated.

Authors and hotels have been known to pay others or just invite employees or acquaintances to give them top ratings online, to encourage more purchases.

They’ve even done things the other way — giving low marks to competitors.

This year, for instance, on a trip to Mexico, Scambuster Keith found among the reviews for his hotel one describing it as “paradise” and another claiming it was overrun with bugs, warning travelers never to stay there.

(He went anyway and, fortunately, found the first description nearer the truth!)

Some big online organizations like Amazon (for books) and Expedia (for travel) have introduced measures to try to halt this phony review process — for example, making it clear whether a reviewer has genuinely purchased a product or stayed in the place they’re writing about.

Five review tips

If you use other people’s ratings to influence your buying decisions, here are five things to consider:

1. If a review is written anonymously or uses a nickname, don’t count on it. If a name is given, check out the author’s other reviews. With some travel sites, you can actually email the author to find out more.

2. If a product has only one or a handful of reviews unanimously claiming it’s wonderful, be skeptical. Even Olympic judges rarely give top marks across the board.

3. The more reviews, stars or marks, the fairer the scoring is likely to be. If there are a lot of reviews, sample comments from appraisers right across the spectrum — from ravers to rubbishers.

4. Longer reviews and those written by experts in the field are more likely to be honest appraisals. The writer has taken the time to think things through before delivering a judgment. Ignore the one-liners.

5. Remember the old saying “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Just because someone else liked something doesn’t mean you will. Purchasing decisions are down to you — you can’t blame others.

It’s a well-known fact that you should never believe everything you read. Since humans first started committing their thoughts to writing, they’ve been using their skills not only to record thoughts and history but also to purposely mislead and dishonestly influence our opinions.

The only difference is that in the old days they used chisels and then quill pens. Today they use keyboards, manufactured opinions and fake news sites.

Good stuff huh?

*************

Ahoo: Of course she was. I had a brain malfunction. Thanks for enlightening me. :)

Hannah: My aplogies. Madaline knows that Iran is a top priority. But presently, she is helping Azza and the rest of the TAO. I am sure she will head back to Iran when she is able. Be safe.

Lydia: We are both in agreement. It is disappointing because I have liked their films before. Actually I have only seen one, but a few others have been on my list to view. Additionally, I liked what you had to say though. You took my point even further, made some very valid considerations, and enlightened me to things I didn’t think about, so thank you.

Peace out everyone…I hope that you are enjoying the long weekend!

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

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Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

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or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

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John Curley Photography

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The other day I was reading Ode Magazine and while flipping through the pages I discovered some beautiful photography that was shot in Uganda. The article titled ‘The Net Effect’, talked about how mosquito nets are vital in countries like Uganda where Malaria kills one person every 30 seconds(!)

At a displaced persons camp near Gulu in northern Uganda, a woman and child shelter under a mosquito net.

Malaria is one of the biggest killers in the developing world. Nine out of 10 times a young African Child is the victim of Malaria. In Nigeria alone, a population of roughly 150 million, each year half of all Nigerians come down at least once with Malaria; 300,000 children die from the disease. The Malaria transmitting mosquito, the Anopheles mosquito, comes out and feeds at night, so if a family doesn’t have a net to hang over their beds, the chance of getting infection is high. Unfortunately many families can not afford these nets.

Thankfully the Malaria Consortium, the world’s largest organization dedicated to fighting Malaria, operates in more than 20 countries distributing free mosquito nets to those in need. They not only provide these nets but they teach prevention and provide medical treatment as well.

What was different about this very brief article was that it was not only informative of the need for mosquito nets in places such as Uganda and Nigeria,  but I got the opportunity to also discover and read about a non profit, called “PhotoPhilanthropy” (Don’t you just love the name?).

So you may ask, ‘What does one have to do with the other?’

Well….let me tell you. The founder photographer Nancy Farese, a local girl, provides photographic support to non-profit organizations to help document and promote causes. Farese  pioneered the concept of Photophilanthropy: Promoting Social Activism Through Photography, to encourage and reward people who use photography for social purpose. Isn’t that cool?

Farese, a veteran social documentary photographer, believes that through the camera lens you can, witness both the desperate need for action as well as the heroic efforts of the non-profit organizations who are striving to meet these challenges. And when people, like myself, are moved by the powerful photos that they see, it can inspire people to take action.

The photograph above was taken by William Daniels. Daniels was awarded the PhotoPhilanthropy Activist Award 2009, which acknowledges excellence in social photography, for the photos essay, which includes the one I posted above, that was featured in Ode magazine for the said article.

I like the whole concept that Faresh has created with her business. People around the world are photographed so that we can be witness to their lives. The photo essays are designed to educate and engage people in a wide variety of social campaigns, and at the same time, the photographers are recognized for their amazing work. But most importantly, the concept comes around full circle as the non-profits get exposure for what they are trying to do for their cause:  The people…the animals…the environment, etc.

I love when people take their creativity and meld it with something that really matters. I am all about being creative in as many areas in my life as I can. And if I can help others and incorporate my creative talent at the same time, well then…I am just as happy as I could be.

***********

Hey ZL: How wonderful that Lily actually picked out that book for you – what inspired that? She’s such a cool girl. :) Anyway it does sound very interesting – maybe I can borrow when you are through? Enjoy your weekend eh? With all of those studs out there after you, I can imagine that you will. :)

Hannah: I am a bit confused about your comment: ‘If this message gets through, would you consider sending back to Iran?’ Is the ‘you’ missing in this sentence? Blog me to clarify please.

Dolores: That is not an easy question to answer in one simple sentence. I did not read that post in the Huff, but perhaps I can still give a simple answer, although easier said than done. The first thing that comes to mind is transparency and regulations, and that is done by voting people into office that are working for the people and not the banks and big corporations.

Perhaps this comment from Anonz will help: ‘Sure I have more money that I will every be able to spend, but if you are too stupid to regulate me, and too stupid to make me pay my fair share of taxes, and if you continue to allow me to set up corporations with all the rights of a living person, I WILL CONTINUE TO GET RICHER AT YOUR EXPENSE.’

Hi Josh: Thanks for taking the time to write your letters. And yes, everyone should do the same. These big corps need to be held accountable for their ‘accidents’. As we’ve said here so often, people don’t police themselves – regulations need to be in place. And Liability limits need to be removed – 75 million obviously doesn’t even scratch the surface when it comes to the damage done – pennies for BP. And if there is no detrimental consequences (hit ‘em where it hurts – their wallets), why bother taking the precautions?

Ken: You were used. Simple as that. Those ‘drill baby drill’ republicans were only on your side when they needed you. Once they no longer needed you, you were dropped like a hot potato. That is their MO. Learn from it.  It is the time – Obama is your saving grace.

Hi Shri Khan: Believe me, I am very aware of the risk that you and others take by reading my blog. And I assure you, all precautions are done on my end to protect everyone’s identity. You are in my thoughts – The plight of women is something I never stop thinking about. Hope is there for all of us.

My pleasure Mollie. :)

Suzy: Loved the video – thanks for sharing.

Hey Evelyn: How are you? Great article – so informative and important. Thanks too for sharing.

Doug: Thanks for posting. I usually like the movies that Zeitgeist puts out, and I like this video clip too. As Robert said, it is a feel good video, but what is the Solution?  And racism and sexism are huge issues in this world, that prevent a sense of ‘one’ community – ‘world citizens’ is still a concept that hasn’t arrived yet. I, like Robert, am a little skeptical too when people promote a better way but don’t give us ideas. But hey, the inspiration is there. Now we just have to ‘do something’.

I can tell you what does not sit well with me though is the fact that they are putting Obama side by side with Hitler and Stalin. He doesn’t belong in that picture…any picture with those two. I understand their gripe about the system – it’s mine too, but Obama is creating change. I know you know this. We’re pretty messed up. Change takes time. As Obama has said, “Hey, I’m just the president. I’m not a miracle worker.”

Hi Ruth: I hope you and the girls are well.  I hope Anonz gets better soon.

Helen: Me too.

Peace out everyone….

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2010

John Curley Photography

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

I’ve talked about the oil spill and the devastation it is causing in the gulf. We have heard from the UWI and Alyce, both whom have written in telling us how it is destroying them and theirs miles down below, where the oil is still gushing. But all we’ve been hearing about from the news is what is happening on the surface. What about below the surface?

Yesterday I watched a video from RePower America, showing some divers who dove down into the oil to take look. When the divers went below the surface, the scene they saw was not pretty, as they looked into the clouds of oil that were 25 feet below the surface and perhaps deeper.

The title: “What BP doesn’t want you to see”:

“ABC News went underwater in the Gulf with Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of famous explorer Jacques Cousteau, and he described what he saw as “one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen underwater.”

Readers: Comments? If your mouth is not wide open in shock, or grimacing in anger, flap your lips and blog me. Ah…just checked the blog comments from yesterday. Sorry peeps got to run – will respond tomorrow.

Peace & Love: “Live it, Give it”….

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2010

John Curley Photography

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Not enough can be said about the oil spill. I am sickened every day knowing that hundreds of gallons are still gushing. This is an e-mail that I received yesterday:

Michelle,

Jon Stewart recently did a brilliant job of showing how BP has responded incompetently to the mess they caused — the biggest environmental disaster in American history.

Now BP doesn’t want to pay for their mess?

WATCH THE VIDEO OF STEWART. Then, tell Representative Barbara Lee and others in Congress to require that BP pay 100% of the disaster costs.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) — chairman of the House Progressive Caucus — just announced a bill that would require that BP pay 100% for the cost of their mess.

It goes farther than other bills which also raise the liability on BP but don’t require BP to pay 100%. Rep. Lee hasn’t announced her position yet.

Let’s show Congress that the public wants the real deal. We’ll deliver your petition signatures to Congress — and inform the media about our momentum.

Go Jon! Your political humor is hilarious – I just wish it all wasn’t true.

Readers: Now that you’ve watched the video, let’s make sure that BP does foot the entire bill. Sign the petition please. Thank you.

Doug: Oh, you have…but when I’m wearing them, you’re always checking out that which is much more interesting than the boots….my legs...and whatever else is attached to them :)

Zen Lill: You know me, I am petite, therefore the higher the heel the better -I have at least 4 pair and they are as pointy in the toe, as they are spiky in the heel.  No hiding from Doug – See above answer :)

Howard: So has mine. And I think it is a good thing. I too have many days where I want to scream, not only about what is happening to our country, but the world. I don’t know what it is like for my readers on their end; I guess I never will, but I appreciate you reading and your determination to post a comment. I hope to hear from you again.

Brenda: Of course she is. That is all BP is liable for. Another reason to make sure EVERYBODY signs the petition, and makes a phone call.

Peter: I love your compassion and passion to stand up for your people.

Mike: And they’ll take what ever actions they need to also.

Hey Ruth: How are you? It looks like your entire article didn’t get posted. Please try again if you have some time. Thanks.

Leah: Now now…you know that is not true. There is no ‘allowing’…no one is ‘prevented’ on my end at least.

Peace out…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2010

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Thanks Doug for informing me of this article:

Rand Paul: Obama Sounds ‘Un-American’ For Criticizing BP Over Gulf Oil Spill (VID

In attempting to close the book on his controversial statements about the scope of the Civil Rights Act, Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul invited another round of intrigue and critique on an entirely unrelated front.

The Tea Party favorite, in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday morning, accused the Obama administration of being too tough on BP — the oil company directly responsible for the massive spill in the Gulf.

“What I don’t like from the president’s administration is this sort of ‘I’ll put my boot heel on the throat of BP.’ I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business,” he said. “I’ve heard nothing from BP about not paying for the spill. And I think it’s part of this sort of blame game society in the sense that it’s always got to be someone’s fault instead of the fact that sometimes accidents happen.”

From a sheer political standpoint, defending an oil company that has caused a massive amount of economic and environmental damage along America’s coast seems like a tricky proposition — even for a candidate from a landlocked state. (Though at least two Kentucky residents have suedthe oil company over the current spill).

Even BP itself wouldn’t go as far as Paul, declining to comment on its relationship with the Obama administration except to say, through spokesperson Mark Salt, that it continues “to work with the government on every aspect of the response.”

Substantively, Paul seems to be arguing that sharper regulatory oversight, or legislation that raises BP’s liability cap, are both redundant. BP, after all, has pledged to make full payments. And as for future spills, well, “accidents happen.”

It’s an element of libertarianism that may be ideologically pure but probably doesn’t prove all that comforting for those affected by the spill — or, for that matter, the national Republican Party. On Thursday, GOP officials largely skirted the issue of Paul’s controversial interpretation of the Civil Rights Act. In perhaps the comment that came closest to candor, National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman John Cornyn (R-Tex.) insisted that “Rand Paul, like every new candidate, is going to get better.”

Candidates, Cornyn added, in an interview with Bloomberg’s Al Hunt, “make mistakes and they misspeak.”

As for the oil spill remarks, Paul hasn’t taken much, if any, money from the oil and gas industry during his run for the Senate (under $8,000 total, according to Center for Responsive Politics). But it should be noted that BP does have major operations in his state.

Yeah, accidents do happen Paul, and sometimes it just isn’t about the money. But I’m not surprised that you would reference only that, and nay say a word about the dire damage and the relentless ruination of our ecosystem that will continue for years to come, from this ‘accident’, even after the gush is plugged. I am hopeful it will be soon.

Yes, BP should absolutely be footing the bill. But to me this isn’t an ‘accident’ – this is ‘negligence’. This wouldn’t have happened had BP been less greedy, and more caring and competent by putting a safety switch on the damn pipe in the first place. Not to mention whatever other safety measures that should’ve been taken to ensure that everything possible was done to prevent an ‘accident’ like this from ever happening. Only then would I feel okay to call it an ‘accident’ – anything less is ‘negligence’ in my book.

I’ve heard the back-up cut off switch would’ve costed $100,000 and I think I even read somewhere $500,000 – who cares; it is a measly sum for the protection of this ever happening. And in my opinion, it would’ve been money well spent. I’m sure BP is thinking that now too. But obviously BP didn’t care or see the need to take the precautions. Their greed cost them big time. And more importantly it came at a huge cost to our beloved planet and the sea life that we will never get the privilege to befriend.

So if Obama’s administration talks like they wants to put a heel on the throat of BP, they have my backing. In fact I’ll add the pressure of my spiked heel and accept and wear the label ‘un-American’, proudly too, if that’s what it takes. The administration has a right to be a little upset and demanding; many people are and I am too.

A lot of how we have operated in this country is reactionary – after the fact. What can we do now that we have totally polluted our oceans so that something like this doesn’t happen again? Instead of taking the precautions and putting things in place before these ‘accident’s’ happen. It’s really all about caring less about the bottom line, less about money, and caring more about the environment, our planet.

Since we know people don’t police themselves, and we are witness to what happens when there are no regulations in place, in order to protect ourselves, literally from ourselves, we must have regulations. The true bottom line is, if we can’t get people to do what is best and right for the planet, and not just for them and theirs, we must enforce it through regulations, or we will continue to destroy that which sustains us.

Readers: But…back to Paul Rand. He has got to be defeated. Thoughts? You know what to do.

********

Charles: What a horrific experience for all. That young girl was very lucky.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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