Gulf Oil Spill, Politics and Blame

OK, we're facing perhaps the largest natural disaster ever (by the time it's resolved) and everybody is looking at somebody else to blame. And there's plenty to go around.

Where to start? Me. And you. Our cars, trucks and SUV's require more and more oil. Most of us outside of a large central city don't have access to good public transportation and are 'dead in the water' (no pun intended) without a personal vehicle, and we're still using (needing, demanding) that oil. And by the way, keep the cost under $2 (or $3 or $4) a gallon, please.

Politicans. Are they too cozy with big businesses? Too afraid of losing campaign fund donations? Too busy to properly manage and oversee government departments that are supposed to be doing the regulating/overseeing?

Governments. Federal and State governments have to be held somewhat responsible, too. Allegations about corporate cost cutting, taking short cuts to get wells into production - shouldn't that have been discovered with proper oversight? How about the Minerals & Management Service of the US Dept, of the Interior? Sure, they're on the case now, but did they do everything the were supposed to do prior to this accident? Some Gulf States are also screaming up a storm about deep water drilling cuts that will adversely impact their budgets. Wow. How about another oil leak for adverse impact? You can't have it both ways.

Corporations. Yup, they exist to prevent any one person from being held responsible and to make the most possible money from their ventures. When times are good the management team gets kudos. As long as the shareholders keep collecting dividends there isn't a problem. It'll be very interesting to see what happens in this case.

Environmentalists. Did their successful lobbying to stop on-shore and drilling at shallower depths force companies to go a mile or more deeper with oil rigs? I'm not a rocket scientist, but even I can see that problems are more easily solved on land or at a few hundred feet than at 5,000 feet under water.

There is no 'cure' for this event. And I have doubts as to whether we will learn the myriad of causes. I have less confidence that we will adequately correct the causes the become known to us, too. There's too much money and political power at stake. Somebody will take the 'fall' for it, but a huge natural area will still be devastated.

I've long considered myself a political independent, trying very hard to choose the best candidate for the office regardless of political party affiliation. Political parties are entities that want to accumulate and then retain political power to further their goals. It becomes their primary purpose and you have to wonder how often the greater good is thrown out the window when it's convenient for them to do so. In that way, they are no different than what many people call 'big business'. You might even make the argument that organized political parties (at least the two primary ones) *are* big business.

Is there hope for our future? I think there is, when citizens start taking more than a passing interest in how business and government really works. I believe we have the best system and the best way of living in the world. Let's not let a group if idiots mess it up for us.

Real Estate, Poker and Head Colds

Here I sit at my computer. A long and productive day behind
me. A closing tomorrow. Two offers in negotiation - and
likely closings ahead. I'm working too many hours and have been
giving a lot of thought to local politics. I've been following the
Hamburg Township nonsense for months. Now it seems the
Hartland Township leadership wants to play, too. Today's
papers remind me of Detroit's dysfunctional politics where
the citizens get shorted and it makes me mad.

An impending foreclosure listing, fruitful progress on
another deal. Three others in 'the hopper'. Many typical
communications, good office interaction. My new assistant is
a quick learner and I'm very happy. I'm playing online poker
and listening to Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D by
Hilary Hahn on Accuradio.com - which I really endorse, by the
way.

I started a tournament with 227 players, now down to 18 and
I'm in 6th place. No, make that 4th place.

Fighting a cold for the last 3 days I am definitely sleep
deprived and getting nourishment from a lunch-time bowl of
soup, and a light dinner. I just sent off my last email and
will now enjoy the rest of my awake time playing poker and
relaxing. A bad read on an opponent at a new table just took
me down to 8th place. The tournament pays out to 10 and
there are now 16 players left. Make that 14 players
remaining.

I'm in 9th place now with 13 players. I can 'coast' into the
winners circle. But I'm only going to play semi-conservative.
Poker is about (excuse the term) playing 'ballsy'.

Beethoven's Symphony 8 is now on. A wonderful opening
movement. It counteracts the cold medication that I've been
taking for three days and literally jolts me awake. I bet
the bottom pair on the flop and the turn gives me two pair.
Betting the pot, I take it in and move to 7th of still 13
players. I just betted aggressively with one of the worst
starting hands (8-3 offsuit) and took it down.

I'm now 8th of 12 players and pretty sure I'll make the cut.
Good cards in early position, pocket 5's. But my only caller
has two Q's and I'm behind in this hand. I've hit a set
(three of a kind) on the flop and prevail. I finish in 4th
place of 10 places paying out.

After 2 hours and 6 minutes (some of it 'sitting out' to
spend time with my wife), I have won an entry into the WPT
(World Poker Tour) Boot Camp qualifier on 2/27 and the winner
of that gets a WPT boot camp of their choice for 2009.
Not bad for a guy drugged on too much cold medication and a
couple of glasses of red wine. By the 27th I should be
'cured' and ready to play for real. I *think* that I'm a
passable poker player, I'd love to make it to a high place in
a big tournament, at least once.

Tomorrow is a busy day and I need to get some sleep
(hopefully). But first I'll finish listening to the third
movement of Brahm's Symphony 3.