The 411 on spray paint

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I made a little bit of progress on the kitchen, but otherwise we just enjoyed having hubby home for four days straight!

School�s out for summer!!  ;) Whoohoo!

If you�ve read this blog for 2.1 seconds, you know how much I luuurve spray paint. In my humble opinion, there is no cheaper way to transform accessories and furniture.

And floor vents.

And roman blinds.

And plates.

Just about anything folks. Believe you me.  :)

Today I worked on a couple of spray paint projects for the kitchen that I wanted to show you. And while I was at it, I figured I would answer some of your most often asked spray paint questions.

I�ve had this large tray from Goodwill forever � almost ten years I think?:

I sprayed it in black spray paint, then later I added a vinyl monogram to it. Since I am redoing the kitchen and lightening things up a bit, I thought I would give it a little spray paint update!

I took off most of the vinyl but left just a bit, then sprayed it in an apple green spray paint (from Home Depot). After it dried, I peeled the vinyl off and left the black underneath:

It will most likely not stay as is -- it�s very very apple, and the coverage isn�t great, so I may to something to tone it down a bit. :) Maybe some distressing? We will see! I�m rearranging the tops of the cabs, but for now it sits next to a clearanced Pottery Barn bird cage � isn�t that adorable?

Which brings me to one of the FAQ spray paint questions:

Q:  Which brand/type of spray paint works best?

A:  I use black and white dollar spray paint (from various places � WalMart, Home Depot, Meijer, Lowe�s) all the time and it works great! Usually it just comes in glossy and matte, (shiny and not shiny) and it doesn�t cover quite as well as the more expensive stuff.

If you are working on something that already has a base coat, or something small, the cheap stuff will work just fine. If it�s furniture, plastic, outdoor equipment, etc. � use the nicer paint made for that.

Because I�m involved in the Amex spring home makeover initiative (yippeee!), I am redoing our kitchen with Membership Reward Points � and wooeee, it�s been fun! (I�ll give you another update later this week!) Today I got a new chandelier for over the kitchen table.

I really loved our old light, (which was a $30 Lowe�s score!), but I had hung it just a bit high, and it always felt just a teeny bit small for the table:

So today I was able to purchase a purdy new fixture for the space:

As you can see, it came in a brushed nickel finish, and I was thisclose to keeping it that way, I liked it so much! But when I held it up over the table, it disappeared a bit with that finish. I wanted it to have some visual substance up there, so my ORB spray paint was to the rescue!

**I have no idea what �visual substance� means. But it sounded good. ;)

I taped off the lights, then hung the fixture from a hook out in the garage (I took down hubby�s lawn trimmer to do so) and then used nails to secure an old sheet on the wall behind it.

Which brings me to a couple more questions I get a lot:

Q:  Where do you spray paint in the different seasons?

A:  In the spring/summer/fall that�s easy � usually in the backyard or on the deck. Usually I can be found holding an item out at arm�s length, over the edge of the deck, spraying away. Then I�ll just lay it on the railing to dry.

I keep old sheets around that I use as drop clothes when I paint, but most often I use them on the garage floor to spray paint. A few many, many times hubby has come home to a slew of items drying on his side of the garage floor. Which I know thrills him to no end.  ;)

In the winter, I have been known to spray paint in the basement � but I do quick, light sprays, then leave immediately. Usually anymore, I do my winter painting in the garage.

Q:  Do I need to prep my surfaces for spray paint?

A:  Other than thoroughly cleaning an item, honestly I don�t prep much. :) If it�s bare wood, a spray primer is a really good idea. You�ll prime the surface and use way less spray paint in the end.

On wood items, sometimes I will do a light sanding to prepare the surface � but most of the time I don�t. On metal, I usually just spray directly on the surface, but if it�s something that will get a lot of handling, I definitely prime it first. I have sprayed many metal lamps and did not prime because (the bases) don�t get touched much.

Same goes for light fixtures � I mean, how often do you touch them? At least around here, it�s not much. :)

So for the kitchen fixture, I didn�t prime. I did light, quick sprays and worked my way around the light as it hung. I LOVE the way it turned out!:

It�s got loverly, graceful lines:

Swoon! (Ignore the pantry door in front of the window!) Now the light hangs about 29 inches above the table instead of 31 (I know, but I notice.) And it�s 23 inches wide instead of 18 inches � which fills in that area much better.

Visual substance and all.  ;)

I�m thinking of an update for the shades � you know I can�t leave well enough alone!

The Krylon oil rubbed bronze paint I used dried super fast, even out in the freaking-insane-I�m-sweating-just-standing-here-heat we had today, but you need to be sure to let anything you spray paint cure (dry) long enough before you handle it.

Because I�m insanely impatient, I waited till this fixture was dry to the touch and then started installing. Because of that, there were a few little scratches here and there after I got it up.

I just threw the sheet over the kitchen table and sprayed little touch ups. I don�t recommend doing this unless you really have yours spaces covered. But I am me and me is crayyyyzay! :)

So if your project doesn�t go just right, what do you do?

Q:  How do I fix bubbles/crackling/drips/oopsies?

A: Imperfections usually mean one of two things � either you didn�t prep properly so the paint isn�t adhering well, or you are spraying too much, too fast. Drips always mean you�ve used too much. To correct those, wipe them off immediately if you can, then spray over. If you notice them later, sand it down lightly and spray again.

Same goes for crackling. Whenever I see that it means I haven�t prepped well. Sometimes I�ve noticed crackles when I�m using spray paint that has been in the heat or the item I�m spraying has been in the heat.

Crackle can be harder to cover � so sand down as much as possible and spray again.

If you follow these tips, you should get a finished product that will last you for years!:

You can transform just about anything with a can of spray paint! For a few bucks you can spray outdoor furniture, plastic stuff, furniture (I usually only recommend spray paint for smaller pieces � otherwise it gets expensive!), baskets � whatever!

Light fixtures are one of my favorite items to use spray paint on � you can make a builder grade shiny brass light look fantabulous with a $6 can of spray paint!

And anymore your color choices are endless -- the metallic options are great too. You know how I love the ORB, but I also used brushed nickel all over the Bub�s big boy room and I LOVED it:

The possibilities are truly endless � I�ve seen some of the most outdated, hideous �befores� become some amazing, up-to-date afters with just five minutes with a spray paint can. :)

Try it out and I swear you�ll be hooked!

Any of you seasoned spray painters got a great spray paint project you want to share? Link it up in the comments!

Any other questions? I�ll answer them in this post or in the comments throughout this week.

Thank you to this week�s sponsor!:

Euro Bailout Plan is all about Rescuing Banks and Rich Greeks

Here is an interesting article you may have missed from earlier this month.

Former Bundesbank Head Karl Otto P�hl says Bailout Plan Is All About 'Rescuing Banks and Rich Greeks'

SPIEGEL: Mr P�hl, are you still investing in the euro -- or has the European common currency become too unstable of late?

P�hl: I still have money in euros, but the question is justified. There is still danger that the euro will become a weak currency.

SPIEGEL: The German government has said that there was no alternative to the rescue package for Greece, nor to that for other debt-laden countries.

P�hl: I don't believe that. Of course there were alternatives. For instance, never having allowed Greece to become part of the euro zone in the first place.

SPIEGEL: That may be true. But that was a mistake made years ago.

P�hl: All the same, it was a mistake. That much is completely clear. I would also have expected the (European) Commission and the ECB to intervene far earlier. They must have realized that a small, indeed a tiny, country like Greece, one with no industrial base, would never be in a position to pay back �300 billion worth of debt.

SPIEGEL: According to the rescue plan, it's actually �350 billion ...

P�hl: ... which that country has even less chance of paying back. Without a "haircut," a partial debt waiver, it cannot and will not ever happen. So why not immediately? That would have been one alternative. The European Union should have declared half a year ago -- or even earlier -- that Greek debt needed restructuring.

SPIEGEL: But according to Chancellor Angela Merkel, that would have led to a domino effect, with repercussions for other European states facing debt crises of their own.

P�hl: I do not believe that. I think it was about something altogether different.

SPIEGEL: Such as?

P�hl: It was about protecting German banks, but especially the French banks, from debt write offs. On the day that the rescue package was agreed on, shares of French banks rose by up to 24 percent. Looking at that, you can see what this was really about -- namely, rescuing the banks and the rich Greeks.

That interview is about as candid as one can get. In my opinion it is also accurate. Worse yet, by lending Greece still more money, the ECB has increased the problem.

It should be crystal clear that Greece cannot and will not pay back that debt. The ECB kicked the can down the road. Now it's a far bigger can. I doubt it can be kicked much farther.

For more on this line of thinking please see France Worries About AAA Rating; UK Economists Urge Greece to Abandon Euro; Spanish Prime Minister Losing Support

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

France Worries About AAA Rating; UK Economists Urge Greece to Abandon Euro; Spanish Prime Minister Losing Support; Japan�s Industrial Output Weakens

Inquiring minds might be interested in an international roundup for Memorial Day. Let's take a look at top stories about France, Germany, Greece, the EU, Spain, and Japan.

French Finance Minister Says "Keeping AAA Rating a Stretch"

As Eurozone trade unions prepare to battle over various austerity programs, the French budget minister warns on credit rating.

France admitted on Sunday that keeping its top-notch credit rating would be "a stretch" without some tough budget decisions, following German hints that Berlin may resort to raising taxes to help bring down its deficit.

Euro zone trade unions are preparing for possible confrontations in the coming week if governments impose austerity measures or labor reforms unilaterally. But ministers made clear they were ready to take unpopular steps to prevent the Greek debt crisis spreading to their economies, although doubts are growing about whether the Spanish government in particular has enough support to get its way.

Budget Minister Francois Baroin indicated on Sunday that France should not take for granted its AAA rating, which allows Paris to borrow relatively cheaply on international markets and finance its big budget deficit.

"The objective of keeping the AAA rating is an objective that is a stretch, and it is an objective that, in fact, partly informs the economic policies we want to have," Baroin said. "We must maintain our AAA rating, reduce our debt to avoid being too dependent on the markets, and we must do this for the long term," he told Canal+ TV in an interview.

France has forecast its deficit will hit 8 percent of gross domestic product this year, but aims to bring it down to within the European Union's 3 percent limit by 2013.

UK Economists Advise Greece to Abandon the Euro

The Times Online reports Greece urged to give up euro

THE Greek government has been advised by British economists to leave the euro and default on its �300 billion (�255 billion) debt to save its economy.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), a London-based consultancy, has warned Greek ministers they will be unable to escape their debt trap without devaluing their own currency to boost exports. The only way this can happen is if Greece returns to its own currency.

Greece�s departure from the euro would prove disastrous for German and French banks, to which it owes billions of euros.

Doug McWilliams, chief executive of the CEBR called the move �virtually inevitable� and said other members may follow. �The only question is the timing,� he said. �The other issue is the extent of contagion. Spain would probably be forced to follow suit, and probably Portugal and Italy, though the Italian debt position is less serious.

I believe it is impossible for Greece and Spain to pay back those debts. Here is a hilarious video on that subject.

Clarke and Dawe: Lending merry-go-round



Spanish Prime Minister Loses Support

If you think Spain will head full force into austerity measures to shore up its credit rating and reduce its deficit, you need to think again. Please consider Zapatero Losing Credit as Fitch Strips Spain of AAA.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, isolated in parliament and his popularity slumping amid the biggest budget cuts in 30 years, is finding his efforts aren�t paying off internationally either.

Fitch Ratings late last week stripped Spain of its top AAA credit grade and questioned the nation�s ability to grow its economy as the government reduces spending. U.S. stocks and the euro declined after the downgrade to AA+, on concern the European debt crisis will deepen.

�It�s bad news for the government,� said Fernando Fernandez, a former International Monetary Fund economist at IE business school in Madrid. �It shows a lack of confidence in the government internationally. It looks like the budget cuts haven�t helped.�

Zapatero, a Socialist running a minority government, faces strike threats from his traditional allies in the unions and risks being unable to pass next year�s budget because of opposition to his plans. His attempt to rein in the euro area�s third-largest budget deficit has also failed to reverse a surge in Spain�s risk premium amid concern that the European Union�s 750 billion-euro ($920 billion) bailout plan won�t solve the problems of its indebted nations.

The measures are aimed at reducing the budget gap from 11.2 percent of gross domestic product last year to 6 percent in 2011. While they were initially welcomed by markets, pushing up bond prices and Spanish stocks, concerns have resurfaced.

Spain�s Ibex-35 share index fell 0.6 percent at 9:40 a.m. in Madrid to 9,360 points. The Ibex has declined 22 percent this year amid concerns over the economic outlook. Even as bad loans are stabilizing after a two-year surge, shares in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA have fallen by almost a third.

The yield on Spain�s benchmark 10-year bond rose 4 basis points to 4.27 percent, while the 2-year bond yielded a three- week high of 2.60 percent, up 18 basis point.

The extra yield that investors demand to hold Spanish debt rather than German equivalents rose 5 basis points to 158 basis points, 15 basis points less than the post-euro high of 173 basis points reached on May 7. The average spread over the last decade is 23 basis points.

Japan�s Industrial Output Advances Less Than Forecast

Bloomberg reports Japan�s Industrial Output Advances Less Than Forecast.

Japan�s industrial production increased less than economists forecast in April, the latest sign that the economic recovery may be losing momentum.

Factoryoutput rose 1.3 percent from March, when it gained 1.2 percent, the Trade Ministry said in Tokyo today. The median estimate of 26 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 2.5 percent increase.

�The report reinforces the view that the pace of recovery is going to get slower this quarter,� said Yoshiki Shinke, a senior economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo. �Even so, we�re likely to see production stay on a rising trend because of the recovery in exports, particularly from Asia.�

The expansion may lose steam as the effects of stimulus spending taken worldwide last year wear off, according to Naoki Tsuchiyama, market economist at Mizuho Securities Co. in Tokyo. Government expenditure cuts in Europe may damp sales of Japanese cars and electronic goods over time, he added.

�Production will remain in a recovery trend but its pace of growth may slow in the months ahead,� Tsuchiyama said. �The effects of the governments� stimulus will wane, and we can�t ignore the European sovereign problem as a downside risk to the global economy.�

It will be interesting to see the reaction of Trichet when Spanish government yields take out the May 7th high. This crisis in sovereign debt is far from over. In fact the crisis has barely begun.

These problems cannot help but slow the world economy, much more than the cheerleaders think.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Review of P&O's Oriana cruise.

In April of this year we went on a cruise on the Oriana cruise ship part of the P&O group.

It was our second cruise but the first with P&O. We booked it via Gills cruises website last year. Correspondence from them was excellent. Payment was easy with a minimal deposit and final payment due 14 weeks before the cruise. Their emails and telephone conversations were always polite and very helpful. Well done Gills cruises.

Day One

Our cruise started on a Sunday and left from Southampton. The drive down was a little eventful due to our choice of route. The M25 around London was nose to tail traffic, very slow moving and frustrating. Once moving past the M25 the traffic cleared and it was a clear run down to Southampton docks.

P&O have a dedicated port at Southampton which was easy to find and get into. We pulled up out front of the terminal and were met by courteous staff who took all our bags from the car and delivered them straight to our cabin on-board. The car was then valet parked for us in a secure car park to wait for us until our return.

The book in was quick and due to my wheelchair we were guided up a dedicated ramp helped by staff onto the ship. The lifts from the entrance deck to our cabin platform was spacious clean and quick. The corridor on the deck of our cabin was a little narrow, which meant if anything such as luggage or cleaners trolley was there then getting passed in my wheelchair was difficult. Fortunately these where kept clear for most of the holiday.

There was a big 'Sail away' party as we pulled away from the dock which included a brass band on the dock to play us off.

Flags were handed out to everyone so we could celebrate our departure which went smoothly and on time. As we sailed out of Southampton we passed P&O's new liner the Azura accompanied by lots of cheering and horn blowing we left Southampton.

We had an inside cabin this cruise. It was spacious but the air conditioning unit was very noisy and took a little getting used to. As we spent very little time in the cabin this was not a problem to spoil the cruise.

Dinner that evening was in the smart Oriental restaurant situated at the rear or stern of the ship. It had huge panoramic windows all the way round giving good views.

Dress was smart casual which meant shirt and trousers for men and smart skirt/trousers and top for the ladies. Food was excellent and service was polite and very prompt.

The evenings big show in the theatre at the bow of the ship was changed due to one of the production companies stars had had to leave the ship for a family emergency. It was replaced by a show by a comedian. The comedian was good but used lots of the usual cruise material and one liners to pad out his repertoire but was still entertaining.

After the show we had a stroll around the Art gallery and library and then went for a drink, a couple of Mocktails non alcoholic cocktails, in the Tiffany bar accompanied by the resident pianist, who was excellent.

All in all it was a great first day. The ship was stunning the staff were polite well dressed and pleasant it looks like it will be a good cruise.

Keep watching for the rest of the review over the next few days.

BP Robots to Cut Damaged Pipe; Oil Dispersant Maker Says 'We Have Nothing to Hide'; Oil D�j� Vu

With Top Kill officially dead, BP has moved on to an option involving underwater robots to cut the pipe, followed by another funneling scheme.

Please consider BP�s Robots to Begin Next Attempt to Curb Record Oil Spill

BP Plc will use undersea robots to begin cutting damaged pipe from its leaking oil well off Louisiana as early as today, risking temporarily increasing the flow as it makes another attempt to end the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

�BP and the government have no choice but to proceed,� Jason Kenney, an Edinburgh-based analyst for ING Commercial Banking, who rates the shares a �buy� and owns none, said yesterday in an interview. �This is war. As in all wars, it rarely goes smooth.�

Using remote-controlled vehicles at the mile-deep well, BP plans to shear away most of the damaged pipe that once rose from the well to the Deepwater Horizon. Then it will make a more precise cut with a diamond-toothed band saw, BP Managing Director Robert Dudley said in television interviews yesterday.

That will make a clean junction for a gasket-lined cap intended to catch most of the oil and route it to the surface through a pipe, Dudley said.

The new funnel may enable BP to capture as much as 90 percent of the oil and gas escaping from the well, Dudley said on �Face the Nation.� BP is also preparing a second blowout preventer that may be bolted on in place of the cap and used to try again to stop all leakage, he said.

The spill may cost BP $22 billion should it continue through early August, when the company expects to plug the leak with one of the relief wells, Kenney, the ING analyst, said yesterday. That compared with his estimate of $5.3 billion had the latest attempt to plug the well worked.

BP fell 5 percent to 494.8 pence in London trading on May 28 and has lost 25 percent of its market value since the blast.

Well Could Leak Until August

An aide to Obama says US Spill could last until August.

Oil could gush into the Gulf of Mexico from the BP BP.L. rig until August and the U.S. government is "preparing for the worst," Carol Browner, President Barack Obama's top adviser on energy and climate change, said on Sunday.

Speaking on the CBS TV show "Face The Nation," Browner said: "There could be oil coming up till August when the relief wells are done."

She said BP's latest effort to try to capture and contain oil would not provide a permanent solution or prevent some oil escaping into the sea even if the maneuver succeeded.

"We are prepared for the worst. We have been prepared from the beginning," she added.

Nothing to Hide

The Oil Dispersant Maker Says 'We Have Nothing to Hide'

The manufacturer of the oil-dispersing chemicals being used by BP PLC in the Gulf of Mexico said today that injecting the dispersant on a still-gushing wellhead was unprecedented and should be carried out with ample testing.

"That's a new approach," said Erik Fyrwald, CEO of Nalco, whose dispersants are marketed under the name Corexit. "Our belief is, because it is a new approach, it needs to be done with a lot of testing to make sure there are no unfavorable impacts, and we encourage that."

Scientists have compared BP's heavy use of dispersants in the Gulf to a massive chemistry and biology experiment, saying it is an exercise in environmental trade-offs. The chemicals break up oil that would otherwise float on the surface into tiny droplets that can sink and be consumed by fish, bacteria and microorganisms.

The consensus is that the 870,000 gallons of Corexit that have been either sprayed on the Gulf's surface or injected underwater at the broken wellhead has likely spared beaches and wetlands from an even worse oil slick, while contributing to the formation of massive, difficult-to-track oil plumes underwater that could have long-term ecological consequences.

Fyrwald said Nalco has disclosed the complete chemical constituents of Corexit to EPA to assist in the government's evaluation and testing of the otherwise proprietary formula.

"We've given the exact formulation," he said. "We have nothing to hide."

Hallelujah. The maker has released the exact formula. What good does it do to know the formula when no one knows if use of dispersants is the right thing to do.

The problem is everyone is guessing.

If they are supposed to be testing Corexit as the CEO suggested, then they sure as hell should not be using 870,000 gallons of it as the test.

D�j� Vu



If you have a sneaking suspicion we have been through this before, with the exact same efforts to contain the spill and the exact same failures to do so, then you are correct.

Please play the above video. It's D�j� Vu all over again. Technology has gotten a lot better at drilling deeper and deeper wells. Technology to cleanup spills has made no gains.

Is that a sign the penalties for major screwups are not big enough? I think so.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Sunday Funnies 2010-05-30 Public Union Benefits; Title Loans - No Title Required

The above in response to Padded Pensions and What to do About Them

It�s what the system promised, said Mr. Tassone, now 47, adding that he did nothing wrong by adding lots of overtime to his base pay shortly before retiring. �I don�t understand how the working guy that held up their end of the bargain became the problem,� he said.

Title Loans, No Title Required



The above image from "Glenn G" who writes "I was driving through SC a couple of weeks ago and saw this sign. Pretty funny."

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Hosed in Canada; Housing Crash is a Given

Inquiring mind may be interested in an email from Robert Clegg at the University of Calgary regarding housing prices in Canada vs. disposable income.

Robert writes ...

Mish, I love your blog and read it daily. I came across this article with respect to Canada's housing bubble. The articles states, " Canadians are spending more and more of their disposable income on housing. In Toronto, 44% of disposable income goes to housing and in Vancouver the figure is a whopping 68%. The trend is likely not sustainable."

Imagine, 68% of your disposable income being spent on housing costs with the remaining disposable income likely being spent on their favorite Top Ramen and KD dinners. This is insane as well as unsustainable. It's funny that many Canadians seems to think that the 49th parallel has magically created immunity from a housing bust that in their minds is exclusive to the United States. I can't tell you how many times friends and acquaintances say that Canada's banks are sound and there was no sub-prime lending and it just can't happen here. I'm quick to remind them that the loss of one income from a two income family will in essence convert a low credit risk to a poor credit risk akin to that of a sub-prime borrower real fast. Now, multiply this my hundreds of thousands if not millions of borrows and we too have a major problem in Canada no different from that of the US. Wishful thinking really. The proof's in the pudding and this puddings going to bring a dose of reality to those that are living in fantasy land, way beyond their means and who apparently have missed the global financial crisis that's been gaining traction and intensity since August 2007.

We're not only "Hosers" in Canada but we're royally Hosed as well!!

Robert Clegg, JD, LL.M
Ombudsman, University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta

Is Canada�s housing bubble about to burst?

Here is the article to which Robert Clegg referred: Is Canada�s housing bubble about to burst?

Canadians are spending more and more of their disposable income on housing. In Toronto, 44% of disposable income goes to housing and in Vancouver the figure is a whopping 68%. The trend is likely not sustainable.

The federal government imposed tighter mortgage restrictions months ago specifically to avoid causing a housing bubble. That might have helped, but keeping interest rates at historic lows for so long has flooded the market with buyers anyway. The Bank of Canada is expected to raise interest rates on June 1st, which should do something to reduce buyer demand in the housing market.

But whether that will facilitate the expected drop in average home prices while avoiding a steep decline in the short term, still remains to be seen.

As Robert Clegg suggests, recent Canadian property buyers will indeed be hosed.

A Canadian housing crash is a given. The only thing that remains to be seen is how deep the crash is.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

More Garden shots

After the less than perfect shots displayed yesterday I tried again to get a shot of the normally frequent birds in our back garden.
The only one that would come out to play was Mr Blackbird.

This shot is still not very sharp but at least colour and subject are good (if you can ignore the chicken house in the backgreound that is).

We have been fortunate this year to witness the first excursions from the nest of the Blackbird family into our garden. Even though we have cats they are doing well and can still be seen around the garden, just not on camera grrrrr!

BP Abandons Top Kill; More Images; Failed Politics and Policies; Can BP do Anything Right?

It's back to the drawing board. BP has given up with the idea of sinking mud, golf balls, tires, and other junk into the well to plug it. Top Kill is officially dead.

Bloomberg reports BP Abandons �Top Kill� Plan That Failed to Cap Leak.

BP Plc said it will switch to a new strategy to cap a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico after a three-day effort to stop the flow with a blast of pressurized fluids was unsuccessful.

At a press conference today, Doug Suttles, the BP executive in charge of the spill response, said the top kill strategy didn�t work. BP will now try a containment device known as a lower-marine riser package cap, Suttles said.

Oil from the spill may have spread underwater for 22 miles toward Mobile, Alabama, researchers aboard a University of South Florida vessel reported May 27. Initial tests aboard the Weatherbird II show the highest concentrations of �dissolved hydrocarbons� were 400 meters (1,312 feet) below the surface.

BP plans to install the new blowout preventer on top of the existing one, Suttles said. BP will then try to use the valves on the new blowout preventer to stop the flow.

�We�re still looking at a month before we get this thing killed,� Les Ply, a retired mud engineering consultant for the oil industry, said today in a telephone interview. �I think we�re looking at a week to 10 days to get this riser and cap in place.�

The new method, if successful, would stop the leak long enough for a so-called relief well to be drilled nearby and provide a permanent seal.

Crews are ahead of schedule in drilling a relief well and are about halfway to the end, with around 6,000 feet left to go, Suttles said. Completion of the well is still expected by about early August, he said.

Drilling on the second of two relief wells, which was temporarily suspended so that its blowout preventer could be available if the top kill failed, is expected to resume �shortly,� David Nicholas, a spokesman for BP, said today in a telephone interview.

BP�s costs from the spill rose to $940 million, the London- based company, the largest producer of oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico, said today. BP leased the rig destroyed in the explosion, the Deepwater Horizon, from Geneva-based Transocean Ltd., the world�s largest deep-water driller.

A Week Later

Here is a video from biologist Marc Gauthier on the oil spill.



Clips from the Above Video







BP's 'Systemic Failure' Endangers Gulf Cleanup Workers

Inquiring minds are reading BP 'systemic failure' endangers Gulf cleanup workers

Federal regulators complained in a scathing internal memo about "significant deficiencies" in BP's handling of the safety of oil spill workers and asked the Coast Guard to help pressure the company to address a litany of concerns.

The memo, written by a Labor Department official earlier this week and obtained by McClatchy , reveals the Obama administration's growing concerns about potential health and safety problems posed by the oil spill and its inability to force BP to respond to them.

BP said it's deployed 22,000 workers to combat the spill, which experts now estimate has spewed 37 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico . At this point, much of the oil remains offshore.

David Michaels , the assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health who wrote the memo, raised the concerns on Tuesday, the day before seven oil spill workers on boats off the coast of Louisiana were hospitalized after they experienced nausea, dizziness and headaches.

Late Friday, the disaster response team sent four more workers to the hospital by helicopter, including two with chest pains.

In his memo to Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen , Michaels said his agency has witnessed numerous problems at several work sites and staging areas through the Gulf Coast region.

"The organizational systems that BP currently has in place, particularly those related to worker safety and health training, protective equipment, and site monitoring, are not adequate for the current situation or the projected increase in clean-up operations," Michaels said in the memo.

"I want to stress that these are not isolated problems," he continued. "They appear to be indicative of a general systemic failure on BP's part, to ensure the safety and health of those responding to this disaster."

Political Stupidity

Please consider BP bused in 100s of temp workers for Obama visit, state official says

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts, whose district encompasses Grand Isle, told Yahoo! News that BP bused in "hundreds" of temporary workers to clean up local beaches. And as soon as the president was en route back to Washington, the workers were clearing out of Grand Isle too, Roberts said.

"The level of cleanup and cooperation we've gotten from BP in the past is in no way consistent to the effort shown on the island today," Roberts said by telephone. "As soon as the president left, they were immediately put back on the buses and sent home."

Of all the dumb stunts by BP, that has to be among the stupidest. How could anyone at BP think this stunt would not be immediately caught and blasted? It is one mistake after another after another for BP.

We still do not know exactly how much oil is leaking. What we do know is BP has lied every step of the way about every facet of this disaster while underestimating the damage and overestimating when the problem would be fixed.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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Giveaway weekend!

I am SO excited about this weekend�s giveaway! If you�ve read this blog for a while, you know how much I love vinyl wall art -- I think it�s a fun, easy, inexpensive way to add a unique look and a touch of whimsy to a room.
Well, my advertiser Single Stone Studios has some fantastic vinyl art you�ll be drooling over! Yippee!
I showed you how I used vinyl from Single Stone Studios in the Bub�s room:

Billy at Single Stone sent me the airplanes, in the specific sizes and colors I asked for AND they when I told them I wanted little �puffs� of smoke, they knew exactly what was in my head! They custom made the puffs that come out from behind the plane.  Adorable, eh?
I felt like the sign still needed a little somethin� more�so I got one more little plane in yellow to tie in all of the colors in the room. Just to show you how easy it is to use this stuff, I took some pics of the �installation� process.
First of all, no matter what the size of the vinyl (but especially if it�s large!) � I cut out the design so it�s easier to work with:

I use a pan scraper to rub the vinyl, but you can use anything with a hard edge � credit card, whatever:
You want to rub the vinyl to ensure it adheres to the sticky paper. When you pull the papers apart, you�ll be left with the vinyl exposed:

If the vinyl doesn�t come off on the sticky paper on it�s own, you can help it along with your fingernail. :)
Then place it where you want it (I use a level on the wall for larger items) and rub it again with the scraper to make sure it sticks to the surface:

Peel away the paper, and yer done!:

TOO cute!! (Notice the creative cropping so you don�t see the pile of toys on the floor?)  :)
I�m not just saying this peeps � Single Stone Studios has some of the most innovative, unique, adorable vinyl art I�ve seen! Just wait!
This is just stunning. STUNNING:

You know that wall space above your sofa? The huge space you never know what to do with? THIS is what you can do with it. This works. :)
Can�t have a real chandy in a room? How about one on the wall?

I love that gray tone. Swoon!
How about adding some architecture where there is none?

Without the $1000 fee from a contractor.  ;)
How totally fun is this for a media room or a basement?:

HOW COOL! Or how cute would one of these be next to a little kid�s stage in a play area, using their first name? I wish they had this stuff when I was a kid!
What I love about vinyl is you can paint mdf, wood, whatever, install it on there, maybe frame it out and then it truly becomes art you can take with you anywhere. And that makes it a great option for renters!
I LOVE their selection of monograms, especially this one!:

Gorgeous!
You bird lovahs out there will have a conniption when you see some of these:


Gah, I�m becoming such a sucker for owls! Adorable!
Of course the selection for kid�s rooms is amazing:


And you can always purchase phrases as well! I love this one for a kid�s space:
How perfectly perfect for a teen�s room too. :) I�m determined to find a spot for that one!
And don�t yell at me -- I know it�s not even June! I KNOW. But seriously, I gasped when I saw this one:

Can you blame me? Sigh.
Single Stone Studios offers 40 different colors to pick from for your vinyl, in matte or gloss finish (love that!) and they even offer the etched glass vinyl! Awesome!
The folks at Single Stone are graciously giving one of YOU a $50 gift card to use as you wish at their shop!
You know the drill! For your first entry, leave a comment here. For a second chance to win, visit the Single Stone Studios site, pick out a favorite item, then come back here and leave a comment telling us what it is.
This giveaway will run through noon (Eastern time) on Tuesday the 1st.
Have FUN and I hope you have a lovely, warm and SAFE Memorial Day weekend!

**I want to say a special thanks to the men and women who are serving, have served, or are about to serve (we know a recent high school grad who is one of them!) our country. AND a big thank you to the families who support them.

I cannot thank you enough for the sacrifices you all make to protect this great nation.

God bless you!

Upcoming Panasonic Lumix FX75 Digital Camera

Upcoming Panasonic Lumix FX75 Digital Camera

Word has it that the Panasonic Lumix FX75 compact digital camera will be launched very soon. The camera has a 14-megapixel sensor, a Leica 24mm ultra-wide-angle Summicron f/2.2 lens and a 5x optical zoom. The Panasonic Lumix FX75 also supports HD video in AVCHD Lite format. Stay tuned for more updates. [Ubergizmo]

Upcoming Panasonic Lumix FX75 Digital Camera

Upcoming Panasonic Lumix FX75 Digital Camera

Word has it that the Panasonic Lumix FX75 compact digital camera will be launched very soon. The camera has a 14-megapixel sensor, a Leica 24mm ultra-wide-angle Summicron f/2.2 lens and a 5x optical zoom. The Panasonic Lumix FX75 also supports HD video in AVCHD Lite format. Stay tuned for more updates. [Ubergizmo]

Canon IXUS 300 HS Review

Canon IXUS 300 HS Review

Still remember the Canon IXUS 300 HS, which is also known as the SD4000 IS Digital ELPH? PhotographyBLOG has a comprehensive review of this compact digital camera. As a reminder, the Canon IXUS 300 HS features a back-illuminated 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3 inch LCD screen, a 3.8x (28-106mm lens) with a fastest aperture of f/2.0 and optical image stabilizer, a 3.7 frames per second burst mode at full resolution, a 720p HD movie recording with stereo sound and an HDMI port. Here is the verdict:

With a 10 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and fast f/2.0 lens, the IXUS 300 HS was always going to deliver the goods in terms of image quality. Noise doesn�t rear its ugly head until ISO 800, with even the fastest 3200 setting proving usable, something that you can�t say about too many compact cameras, and chromatic aberrations are also well controlled. Only a slight softness in the corners and some barrel distortion at the 28mm wide-angle setting detract from an otherwise stellar performance.

Available in blasted steel silver, matt black, glossy white and high gloss red, the Canon IXUS 300 HS retails for $350 each.