Oil Spill is Another Nail in the Coffin

Came to me this morning that I grew up hearing the old folk say "Ole Randy Newman was right." Never thought all that much about it back then. Now, "Damn, damn, damn and no need to excuse my French."


Gulf Coast Towns Brace as Huge Oil Slick Nears Marshes


Ann Heisenfelt/European Pressphoto Agency
Thousands of feet of containment boom line the Louisiana coast, an effort to protect the shore from the encroaching oil spill.

By LESLIE KAUFMAN and CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
New York Times
Published: May 1, 2010

COCODRIE, La. — Oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico unabated Saturday, and officials conveyed little hope that the flow could be contained soon, forcing towns along the Gulf Coast to brace for what is increasingly understood to be an imminent environmental disaster.

The spill, emanating from a pipe 50 miles offshore and 5,000 feet underwater, was creeping into Louisiana’s fragile coastal wetlands as strong winds and rough waters hampered cleanup efforts. Officials said the oil could hit the shores of Mississippi and Alabama as soon as Monday.

The White House announced that President Obama would visit the region on Sunday morning.

Adm. Thad W. Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, who is overseeing the Obama administration’s response to the spill, said at a news conference Saturday evening that he could not estimate how much oil was leaking per day from the damaged underwater well.

“There’s enough oil out there that it’s logical it’s going to impact the shoreline,” Admiral Allen said.

The imperiled marshes that buffer New Orleans and the rest of the state from the worst storm surges are facing a sea of sweet crude oil, orange as rust. The most recent estimate by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the wreckage of the Deepwater Horizon rig, which exploded on April 20 and sank days later, was gushing as much as 210,000 gallons of crude into the gulf each day. Concern is mounting that the flow may soon grow to several times that amount.

The wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta have been losing about 24 square miles a year, deprived of sediment replenishment by levees in the river, divided by channels cut by oil companies and poisoned by farm runoff from upriver. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita took large, vicious bites.

The questions that haunt this region are how much more can the wetlands take and does their degradation spell doom for an increasingly defenseless southern Louisiana?

Many variables will dictate just how devastating this slick will ultimately be to the ecosystem, including whether it takes days or months to seal the leaking oil well and whether winds keep blowing the oil ashore. But what is terrifying everyone from bird watchers to the state officials charged with rebuilding the natural protections of this coast is that it now seems possible that a massive influx of oil could overwhelm and kill off the grasses that knit the ecosystem together.

Healthy wetlands would have some natural ability to cope with an oil slick, said Denise Reed, interim director of the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences at the University of New Orleans. “The trouble with our marshes is they’re already stressed, they’re already hanging by a fingernail,” she said.

It is possible, she said, that the wetlands’ “tolerance for oil has been compromised.” If so, she said, that could be “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

To an untrained eye, the vast expanses of grass leading into Terrebonne Bay, about 70 miles southwest of New Orleans, look vigorous. Locals use boats as cars here, trawling though the marsh for shrimp or casting for plentiful redfish. Out on the water, the air smells like salt — not oil — and seabirds abound and a dolphin makes a swift appearance.

But it is what is not visible that is scary, said Alexander Kolker, a professor of coastal and wetland science at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Piloting a craft through the inland waterways, he pointed out that islands that recently dotted the bay and are still found on local navigation maps are gone. Also gone are the freshwater alligators that gave the nearby town Cocodrie its name — French settlers thought they were crocodiles.

All evidence, he says, is that this land is quickly settling into the salt ocean.

The survival of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is not only an environmental issue here. Since successive hurricanes have barreled up from the gulf unimpeded, causing mass devastation and loss of life, just about every resident of southern Louisiana has begun to view wetlands protection as a cause of existential importance. If the wetlands had been more robust when Hurricane Katrina’s waters pushed up from the ocean, the damage might not have been as severe.

But they were not. Levees holding back the Mississippi River have prevented natural land replenishment from floods. Navigation channels and pipeline canals have brought saltwater into fragile freshwater marshes, slowly killing them, and the sloshing of waves in boats’ wakes has eroded natural banks.

Since 1932, the state has lost an area the size of Delaware. Not all the damage is caused by humans: the hurricanes of 2005 turned about 217 square miles of marsh into water, according to a study by the United States Geological Survey.

Garret Graves, director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, said that since Hurricane Katrina, extraordinary efforts at restoration had been made and, to some extent, had slowed the decline. But, he said, a severe oil dousing would change that.

“The vegetation is what holds these islands together,” Mr. Graves said. “When you kill that, you just have mud, and that just gets washed away.”

Leslie Kaufman reported from Cocodrie, La., and Campbell Robertson from New Orleans.

Back Door Slammin'

Two from their tour de force Roll Away album. Stevie Ray had to be smilin' down when they played Austin in '07 - no doubt about it.

No Shame in a Little Therapy

A favorite of mine from '99...

On Any Given Day

Talk about a shocker! Not much going well for this team (or school) as UNO is headed down to Division III due in large part to Hurricane Katrina. They sure came through last night though against one of the best programs around. LSU's coach just happens to be a UNO grad.

UNO stuns LSU baseball team 7-4 at Alex Box Stadium
By Jim Kleinpeter, The Times Picayune
April 28, 2010, 12:08AM

BATON ROUGE - In a goodbye season full of disappointment and losses, the once-proud UNO baseball program provided a glimpse Tuesday night of what could have been and what once was.

The Privateers pulled together enough pitching, timely hitting and defense to stun reigning NCAA champion LSU 7-4 at Alex Box Stadium.

The victory snapped a nine-game losing streak for UNO (11-29), which will play as a Division I independent next season as it transitions into Division III status. It also provided a reminder of the program that was the first from Louisiana to reach the College World Series (1984).

"It is huge," said UNO second baseman Nick Schwaner, who homered and ignited the go-ahead rally with a leadoff double in the eighth inning. "The season has been kind of rough. We had high expectations, got off to a slow start and kept following the routine. We knew we were a good team from the beginning. Today we finally put it together and showed what we could do."

After his double, Schwaner scored on a sacrifice fly by Jerad Comarda to break a 3-3 tie. Rodarrick Jones came through with a run-scoring single later in the inning, his third run-scoring hit of the night.

When LSU (32-10) kept up the pressure with a run in the bottom of the eighth, UNO responded. Ryan Eden singled to start the ninth and came home on Mike Petello's double. Comarda made the score 7-4 with a base hit past a drawn-in LSU infield, scoring Petello from third.

LSU made one more push, as Blake Dean and Micah Gibbs started the ninth with singles off Kevin DeGroutolla, bringing the tying run to the plate. But third baseman Kevin Berry moved to the mound and got a double-play ball from Leon Landry, and then struck out Matt Gaudet looking to end the game for his first save.

It will be one of the sweetest memories from a season of uncertainty. With UNO's status changing, several players, and possibly coaches, are expected to leave.

"We certainly needed something good, something to hang our hats on," said UNO Coach Bruce Peddie, whose team also beat Tulane two out of three. "Like I've said all week, nothing surprises me with this group playing the Tulanes and LSUs. Unfortunately we haven't done it with the conference teams.

"These kids really needed this. It was a great pickup for them."

It was another nasty bump for the Tigers, who were clearly out of sorts coming off a three-game sweep by Ole Miss last weekend. LSU had 10 hits but couldn't put enough of them together to have a big inning against a UNO pitching staff with an 8.00 ERA coming in.

"Everybody that comes in here is going to play their hearts out and give us their best shot," LSU right fielder Mikie Mahtook said. "Tonight we didn't give them ours."

Schwaner hit his 15th homer, a solo shot in the third inning, and Jones had a run-scoring single in the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth.

UNO starter Joe Zimmerman allowed three runs and five hits in six innings and held the Tigers scoreless after the second inning.

"We've been waiting for it all year" Peddie said of Zimmerman's effort. "The kid's capable of doing it, and he gave us everything he had tonight. Really, all the pitchers came in and did their jobs for us."

LSU Coach Paul Mainieri, a UNO alumnus, was visibly disappointed in his team's effort. Starter Daniel Bradshaw had a decent outing with two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, but the bullpen allowed seven hits and four runs in the last two innings.

Mainieri said he tried to remind his players UNO was better than its record.

"Obviously they thought I was a little boy crying wolf," he said. "I knew it was going to be a tough game. It's THE game on their schedule and they wanted to play it very badly. The bottom line is we didn't.

"We're not a good enough offensive team to have half the team play well. You have to have the whole team play well. Unless you're going to knock the fences down and hit a lot of home runs, you've got to get more consistent, good at-bats throughout your lineup. We didn't do that tonight and didn't do it last weekend.

Neville Brothers Always Close Out Big Easy Jazz Fest

And for good reason... Nice touch with this Sonny Landreth song from back in the day. Dig the drums.

Remembering Pete Ham of Badfinger

Took his life on this day in 1975 three days before his 28th birthday. His daughter was born one month after his death.

Wrote and sang one of the coolest songs of all time.

One for the Dman from Cali

On This Day In 1965, the Beach Boys performed this gem on "Shindig." Just looked up the word "tight" in my American Heritage Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary to make sure the Boys were referenced...

Happy Birthday Paul Carrack

Another stroll down memory lane on the night before - the look, the voice, what an amazing talent. Squeeze wasn't bad either. Enjoy your Day!

This One's For Evan

Sure hope that you pick up your bass again before long. Your teacher meant it when he said you have what it takes. I spotted it too in your motion. Many parents dearly wish to pass on the gift of music and I'm no different. So my young son, indulge me if you would by noticing that the bass player is the lead vocalist, more than holds his own with two other incredible rock musicians and plays one wicked bass not unlike the next one that I promised to buy you if only...

Another True Talent - Lubbock's own Charles Harden Holley

Here's his first single released on this day in 1956. Struggling to put this in words - so simply put, he gave us hope and still does. Rock on, Buddy Holly!

Remembering Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien on her Birthday

Like many back in the day, my oldest brother was some in love with Ms. Dusty. What a voice!

Make that Call if you Can

Just heard my son tell his Grandfather that he loved him - a very good thing to remember...

Wisdom - To Realize early on & To Remember later on

A through E came to me the other day as I sat pondering certain team dynamics:

A., We age all too quickly, slow down a bit more with each passing year and forget things like where we put our glasses as they sit perched atop our heads. But once upon a time, I often wondered why certain coworkers or those who came before did not take on certain business challenges and rise to the occasion. Why didn't they negotiate and/or implement a better program or plan on behalf of the company?

B., For it's what some of us lived for back in the day. I did day in and day out. Didn't care if my team did or did not. Get on board or else hit the bricks...

C., Now that I am pacing myself (and you should too regardless of where you are along the career line), I hope that the next young buck hailed by leadership as an expert possesses the wisdom to realize and to remember that those who went before us did not necessarily fail due to lack of trying or lack or caring or what have you...

D., Perhaps there were other priorities at the time, perhaps their ideas were shot down by management, perhaps someone moved on to that elusive greener pasture mid-stream. Or perhaps someone was simply pacing himself or herself and the team...

E., What do you think?

Buddy's Hooked Big Time

And so is his wife perhaps even moreso thanks to yours truly.

This One's For Alexis

Your dear old dad was right for once, it is John on the harmonica and Paul on the vocals. And thanks pk7 for the cds that "hooked" my kids.

Thanks Butler for One Incredible Game

My good friend Mr. C is a proud Butler grad. Hat's off to a great team and effort - it was one helluva game.

By Mark Schlabach, Espn.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- In "Hoosiers," Jimmy Chitwood made the winning shot at the buzzer, lifting fictitious Hickory High School to an improbable Indiana state championship.

Butler star Gordon Hayward's half-court heave didn't go in at the end of Monday night's 61-59 loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. But his shot came so close to falling through the net that thousands of Bulldogs fans might have blown the roof off Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler campus.

Hinkle was the set for Chitwood's make-believe shot in "Hoosiers," and it's the home gym of Hayward, who came within about a half-inch of making the biggest shot in college basketball history.

Hayward's shot from halfcourt at the horn barely missed.If Hayward's shot had fallen through the net, kids around the country would be shouting "Butler," instead of "Hickory," every time they walked into a gym.

"I definitely thought it was going in," said Butler fan Josh Hartke of Fort Wayne, Ind. "It looked good the whole way."

When Hayward's half-court shot bounced off the rim, a crowd of about 8,000 fans which gathered here to watch the game on four large projection TVs, let out a collective groan of agony. But only a few seconds later, the fans gave the Bulldogs a much-deserved standing ovation.

The underdog team from the school of 4,200 students, which sits near the Broad Ripple Village section of Indianapolis, nearly pulled off one of the most improbable victories in NCAA tournament history on Monday night.

And that was definitely something worth cheering for.

Somewhere in this historic building, someone pushed a button to play Queen's iconic song, "We Are The Champions" as soon as the game ended.

The Butler fans sang along for several minutes, and they weren't singing about the Blue Devils, who won their fourth national championship.

"It was a great game," Hartke said. "When you thought they were down and out, they came right back."

Butler didn't look pretty for most of the second half, going nearly eight minutes without making a field goal, but it never stopped the Bulldogs fans here from believing their team would win. Even after the Bulldogs fell behind 60-55 with 3:16 to go, the crowd loudly chanted, "Defense! Defense!"

And after Butler junior Matt Howard scored two layups to cut Duke's lead to 60-59 with 55 seconds left, there wasn't a rear in a seat in the building. When the ball bounced out of bounds off Duke center's Brian Zoubek's foot with about 13 seconds to play, the place went delirious.

After a couple of timeouts, Hayward took the ball near the top of the key, dribbled behind his back and drove toward the baseline. But Hayward's shot was too strong, and Zoubek grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Zoubek intentionally missed the second foul shot, setting up Hayward's last-second heave.

The Bulldogs might have lost the game, but their fans believe they won much more during their improbable run to the Final Four. Butler became the first team since UCLA in 1972 to play in the Final Four in its hometown.

"It's been amazing, especially for the Butler community," said Hartke, whose wife, Anne, graduated from the school. "It's brought school spirit up beyond what it was before."

Matt Armwood, a pharmacy student from Land O' Lakes, Fla., wasn't happy with the final score, but he was pretty proud of the team representing his school.

"It was close," Armwood said. "The last month has been pretty exciting. Everyone has been totally blue."

John Thompson, a Butler fan from Southport, Ind., was confident the Bulldogs would be back in the Final Four soon.

"We almost toppled the giant," Thompson said. "They can't call us 'David' anymore. We're legit."

Cozy Powell Remembered

On this Day in 1998, Cozy Powell died in a car crash, apparently under the influence, driving over 100 mph in the pouring rain, not wearing a seat belt and talking to his girlfriend on a mobile phone. Need I say more...

Slydeco from the Bayou, Mr. Sonny sure can Play