Alex Spins: A Slippery Story

On April 20th a huge BP oil rig exploded off New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. Since then it has been spewing oil without mercy. How much oil? Which lie do you prefer? BP first said 1000 bbls per day. The latest lie is 50,000 bbls/day.

But not to worry. Yesterday we were told that oil has been seeping on its own into the Gulf for years, and nature’s bacteria takes care of it. So relax.

You like this story? I have a better one. This morning we are told that some “sea creatures” are already adapting to the slimy mess. Video shows a struggling goo-covered pelican, but if you listen carefully you learn that the new-found oil-loving creatures are “microscopic”. The doomed pelican video is only coincidental. It assumes that you are an idiot.

Want more good news? Hurricane Alex has been tracking north-north-east from the Yucatan heading for New Orleans. Here’s the good news....Yesterday it was to take a SHARP left turn and head due west toward Mexico City. Well, not yesterday - but today it did apparently graze Texas.

Sorry folks, but I didn’t believe it anyway. I’ve never seen a Gulf hurricane abruptly head for Mexico City, and the deadly north-east quadrant of this storm is already over the oil spill, pushing it further into Louisiana.

My take? Here is how I would correct all this spin:

100,000 bbls (not 50,000 bbls) of oil per day have been gushing into the Gulf for 73 days and ongoing.

Bugs and bacteria will not miraculously do away with the mess

Creatures adapting to the oil? Sorry. Hundreds of thousands of birds, fish and bugs of all kinds are already rotting, and humans will soon be unable to sustain life in the southern U.S., eastern Mexico, or on any of the Gulf Islands.

My guess: The hurricane (now downgraded to a tropical storm) is still heading for New Orleans.

Americans voted for “Spin”, and the bigger the mess the more creative the spin. I’m predicting more oil and more “spin”. More “words”. More and more and more....