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May 22, 2010 Oil’s Well That Won’t End Well: The disaster that is threatening the Gulf States, courtesy of British Petroleum, Transocean and Halliburton’s ineptitude, is making the Exxon Valdez incident look like a weekend romp with Jessica Alba. It will be years, if not decades for the wildlife and the industries dependent on that body of water to recover. Though it will affect some food prices, that is the least of America ’s worries. The mire in the Gulf of Petrol raises three immediate questions: How safe is offshore drilling? Is any gain worth the risk? How will this affect long-term oil prices? Prices will rise, and the industry will say it was because of the spill. This is like a godsend to the petroleum industry, who are perhaps a half-step above snake oil salesmen, used car peddlers and the semi-literate Nigerian bank scam artists. The dangers in off-shore drilling, greater than working in a coal mine, are made even riskier when there is little oversight and the companies are rife with incompetence and buck passing. The Congressional hearings held last week were a joke. The Three Stooges couldn’t have appeared daffier. If safety is enhanced at the expense of productivity, I don’t see BP doing what’s best for its employees. I hope BP goes belly up. Slipshod management of this magnitude should not be rewarded under any circumstances. However, they have gouged the American people for such mammoth profits that they will be able to—pardon the pun, absorb the loss. But whether BP survives or not, those responsible for the explosion and mucking up the waters of the Gulf of Mexico should be put on trial, another unlikely scenario. Second, even if such drilling made America independent of OPEC, at what point is the loss of life no longer acceptable? Would future incidents, even those much smaller in scale, simply be seen as the price of doing business?. These are some of the issues the Obama administration will have to deal with, along with the issue of why the Minerals Management Service was lax in its enforcement of industry safety mandates. According to CBS News, “The company whose drilling triggered the Gulf of Mexico oil spill also owns a rig that operated with incomplete and inaccurate engineering documents, which one official warned could ‘lead to catastrophic operator error,’ records and interviews show.” This report also stated that 19 members of Congress asked the MMS to investigate the claims of the whistleblower who provided the information, but nothing was ever done. DUKING IT OUT: Betty Dukes is a sixty-year-old black woman from my hometown of Pittsburg, California, who is the lead plaintiff in the largest civil rights lawsuit in America (Dukes V. Wal-Mart); a discrimination suit against Wal-Mart. Dukes’ suit alleges that Wal-Mart pays female employees less for than male employees for the same work. Wal-Mart, of course, denies the charges. But uinlike those who have tried to organize unions at Wal-Marts across the country and in Canada , Betty Dukes has a firm belief in God and in her cause, and she will not back down. The suit, now ten years old, is in the hands of the Supreme Court, as Wal-Mart seeks to prevent the suit from continuing as a class action event, which could affect up to 2 million female employees. The company, the nation’s largest retailer, is notorious for its heavyhandedness toward suppliers and for fighting off all efforts by its employees to unionize. Still, the Bentonville, Arkansas based company could find itself on the losing end of what would be a victory for all women. Dukes’ attorney, Brad Seligman, noted that “It is extraordinarily difficult to find someone who wants to risj their job by filing a lawsuit against their employer.” But when all is said and done, the risk may be worth the reward, as other employers who copy Wal-Mart’s business model, may have to adopt fairer systems regarding pay and promotions. Equally as important, Dukes deserves to be whispered in the same breath as civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Dorothy Height, for her accomplishment would be no less spectacular and would be historical not just for black women, but all women. NINE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT: 54-year-old Douglas Gardner of St. Albans, Vermont, is a man facing a DUI conviction. Not for the first time, mind you, but for the ninth time. But that’s not the half of it. 31 days earlier Gardner was released from prison after serving 19 years of a 30-year sentence. His incarceration was brought about by his eighth DUI conviction, when he was sentenced for killing a 20-year-old. At the time of the fatal accident, he was facing his 7th DUI. According to the Associated Press, Gardner was convicted of DUI in 1976, 1977, 1983, twice 1985, 1989 and 1991. Garner also has several other convictions, including larceny, escape, burglary, false imprisonment and breaking and entering. In the most recent episode, he was driving a stolen car without a license. What’s with the judges there? Are they drinking too? This cat should have been pout away fro life. However, something tells me that won’t be a problem this time around, but as is often the case, its too little too late. AMERICAN IDLED?: The ninth season of American Idol is winding down and the Fox network has acknowledged that changes are needcd. Both the the singing segments (Tuesdays) and the results shows (Wednesdays) are being shortened next year by a half-hour. The most notable change however, will be the absence of Simon Cowell, the acerbic Brit who has built a Howard Cosell-like persona—you love him or loathe him. The question is, who will replace Cowell? Rumor is that Elton John has already mixed the idea. I would suggest Barry Gordy, who built a musical empire that became “”The Sound of Young America.” His acumen built the careers of too many legends to list here, so it is obvious he is a great judge of talent. Plus, Gordy is a songwriter himself (Daddy’s Home, You Got What It Takes). Second, they should have fewer theme nights next year and let the singers freelance. If the contestants picl songs they’re comfortable with, the performances will be better. This is needed because this years edition was bland from start ti finish and about hjalfway through became predictable. Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze are posed to battle in the finals, even though Casey James is still in the running. CJ’s is a lost cause. I think Bowersox wins, but not like it really matters, since the top four usually get signed by top record industry execs anyway. ‘Til next time, peace. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly is a poet, essayist, novelist and screenwriter from northern California. His novel, HUMAN TRIAL, is the first part of a sci-fi trilogy and is available from Amazon.com, allthingsthatmatterpress.com and in e-book format at mobipocket.com. HUMAN TRIAL II: ADAM'S WAR is now available. Stelly also has a short story included in the AIDS-themed anthology, THE SHATTERED GLASS EFFECT, due out in February 2010. His story, SNAKES IN THE GRASS, Is a tale of love, betrayal and its deadly consequences. Reviews of HUMAN TRIAL can be read at amazon.com Visit me at: http://www.myspace.com/pittwit website: http://www.stellyhumantrial.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com 
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