The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig collapsed in the Gulf of Mexico on April 22, as indicated in the time code on this photograph.
Forensic engineers say it is too soon to know what happened with Deepwater Horizon, whose demise flooded the gulf with crude oil. They note that numerous federal agencies are involved in a series of detailed investigations, and that President Obama has appointed a blue-ribbon commission to make recommendations on how to strengthen federal oversight of oil rigs.
But the engineers hold, seemingly with one voice, that the investigatory findings will eventually improve the art of drilling for oil in deep waters — at least until the next unexpected tragedy, and the next lesson in making the technology safer.
Taking Lessons From What Went Wrong
Michael Brennan/Abrams Books
Led Zeppelin gather around a fireplace on the private jet they chartered while touring the States in 1975.
Picture: Jeff Moore
This is Kevin, a baby kestrel who broke his leg after falling from his nest in St Albans. Nurses at St Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital, in Buckinghamshire, have used metal pins to fix the 4 week old bird’s leg and expect him to make a full recovery. He will live in the hospital’s aviary before his released back into the wild.
gabriel and anna
this is my broken ankle. i did it playing soccer. it hurt pretty badly.
the world cup has been incredible so far this year. the USA has played out of their minds for two out of three games and i’ve just been having a ball watching it with friends and family. i hope the tourney doesn’t end for us tomorrow, but regardless of the outcome, it’s been fantastic.
Landon Donovan of the United States (front left) celebrates after scoring a goal with fellow team members Clint Dempsey (back left) and Edson Buddle, during the World Cup group C soccer match between the United States and Algeria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, June 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal spoke to Marines and Afghan soldiers and police officers last year in Helmand Province. photograph: Eros Hoagland for The New York Times
this rolling stone story about general stanley mcchrystal is extremely interesting.
The general first encountered Obama a week after he took office, when the president met with a dozen senior military officials in a room at the Pentagon known as the Tank. According to sources familiar with the meeting, McChrystal thought Obama looked “uncomfortable and intimidated” by the roomful of military brass. Their first one-on-one meeting took place in the Oval Office four months later, after McChrystal got the Afghanistan job, and it didn’t go much better. “It was a 10-minute photo op,” says an adviser to McChrystal. “Obama clearly didn’t know anything about him, who he was. Here’s the guy who’s going to run his fucking war, but he didn’t seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed.”
and this nytimes story about the story is pretty great too..
Over all, the magazine article depicted General McChrystal at the head of a small circle of aides engaged in almost locker-room trash talk as they discussed foreign policy, the French, their allegiance to each other and their own concerns about course of the war.
Delicate patterns in the sea breaking on Orange Beach, Alabama, more than 90 miles from the BP oil spill, cannot distract from the mess four to six inches deep on parts of the shore. Photographer: Dave Martin/AP