4/20

A year ago today, this drill rig had a gas problem and went "boom." Eleven people died outright, and the ensuing disaster lasted 85 days. An estimated 200 million gallons of crude spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, disrupting the lives of people throughout the region, and killing tremendous number of other creatures. The above image is from In Focus, where you can, if you have the stomach for it, see 38 other photos from this sickening disaster.

The Guardian answers a number of key questions regarding the spill.

The Christian Science Monitor asks another important question: In the end, did huge Gulf oil spill underwhelm oil-hungry Americans?
As shocked and angry as I was at the way the disaster unfolded- and the way it was handled- I'm chastened to be reminded that no one was as heavily impacted as the families whose loved ones were lost in the initial seconds of the disaster. (picture from the linked article)

And if anything, The Rude Pundit is even more pissed about the situation than I am. Oddly, it's the relative lack of profanity in this post that puts me in mind of Eastwood-esque cold fury in this post... most of his work is much saltier.

On a lighter note, it's also Hitler's birthday. (If you aren't familiar with Hipster Hitler, today's strip is a good one. I guess it helps if you're familiar with hipsters, too.)

Followup: Oh yes... Skynet was activated last night, becomes self-aware any time now, and launches Judgment Day sometime tomorrow. In the movies, it always looked like mid-afternoon LA time, so adjust to your local time zone, and lather up with sunscreen as needed.