"Ballet at Sea" - a BP report from the Gulf

[chri'stina 190]

From: http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033611&contentId=7062628

Ballet at Sea

Paula Kolmar - 28 May 2010

Triangles, circles, v-angles: precision shapes at sea executed by shrimping vessels and choreographed by skimming perfectionists to stop any oil from potentially getting close to Alabama's coast.

Though there isn't oil close to shore, practices and rehearsals occur almost daily in preparation.

I was on a jack-up boat observing the practice operations several miles out of Bayou La Batre on a day when the ocean was calm, except for the groups of dolphins swimming around us. Even a shark came along to watch the show. Hot, humid conditions intensified by bright sunlight in a cloudless sky were actually made pleasant by the salty sea breezes topped off with lots of sunscreen and bottles of water.

Over about four hours we, all guests of Gulf Coast native Captain Wade and his local crew, enjoyed the spectacular ballet at sea. Mind you, these drills are executed by local shrimping captains on shrimping boats who know these waters and how to catch shrimp! Until a few weeks ago, they didn't work in tandem, making shapes with Navy-grade boom attached to skimming boats and equipment designed to capture oil.

Watching the captains weave the long black boom as seamlessly as a professional ballet troupe performs an intricate dance, I found it difficult to believe that the rehearsals only started some weeks ago.

From the relative comfort of a large square deck with a cold bottle of water always in hand, and an air-conditioned TV room with comfy sofas a level below, I witnessed beauty preparing to face the beast. Miss Jasmine, the most experienced local shrimping vessel, beautifully painted with a colourful dragon streaming along her sides, pulled the folded boom in place. Then gently pulling along her side, another vessel took on a rope from Miss Jasmine. With barely a pause, the two boats moved apart at the same speed, spreading the boom into a v-shape just like birds form in the sky.

As this unfolded, a Navy skimmer craft attached itself to the point. Gently caressing the sea surface, the three vessels circled and swirled, guiding the boom without changing the design.

A ballet at sea as mesmerising as any performance in a concert hall, and worthy of an audience in its own right.

(end of piece)

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So much to say, so little time. I never knew cleaning up destructive oil could be so...beautiful. (sarcasm alert)

[chri'stina 190]

[ValerieA 350]

Too bad Nina isn't a ballerina anymore, she would enjoy this!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

[chri'stina 190]

Sad pelican picture.

I am sure the person who wrote the report would say the pelican was just doing a relevé.

I find this line strange in the report as well:

"From the relative comfort of a large square deck with a cold bottle of water always in hand, and an air-conditioned TV room with comfy sofas a level below, I witnessed beauty preparing to face the beast."

Why is she sharing the comforts she has while watching this "rehearsal"? I think she got high on fumes.

[IndigoSkies 168]

Sad pelican picture.

I am sure the person who wrote the report would say the pelican was just doing a relevé.

I find this line strange in the report as well:

"From the relative comfort of a large square deck with a cold bottle of water always in hand, and an air-conditioned TV room with comfy sofas a level below, I witnessed beauty preparing to face the beast."

Why is she sharing the comforts she has while watching this "rehearsal"? I think she got high on fumes.

Because she's trying to show the severity of the situation, you. Sarcasm can be a great tool to convey your message if used carefully and sparingly. She's trying to make you, who undoubtably is siting in a air-conditioned room with a large bowl of Tostitios and extra cheesy goodness, see the discomfort and the sadness this oil spill is creating.

[chri'stina 190]

Because she's trying to show the severity of the situation, you. Sarcasm can be a great tool to convey your message if used carefully and sparingly. She's trying to make you, who undoubtably is siting in a air-conditioned room with a large bowl of Tostitios and extra cheesy goodness, see the discomfort and the sadness this oil spill is creating.

Hmm, but she is writing for BP, it's from their website. Trying to make it sound all pretty and positive. She isn't reporting for outside news or etc. I don't sense sarcasm in the piece.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hmm, but she is writing for BP, it's from their website. Trying to make it sound all pretty and positive. She isn't reporting for outside news or etc. I don't sense sarcasm in the piece.

[IndigoSkies 168]

She maybe writing for the BP site. But her voice sounds as though she's free to say what she wants. Reading her pieces, I am made to hate BP more than I did. Not like BP. Her trying to put a positive spin so blantantly does exactly what she wants, makes us hate BP.

[Kazura 0]

people talk about the possibility of a coming huge earthquake, tsunami, global warming, asteroid or anything else that could destroy the earth when in fact, humans themselves cause the earth's demise

[IndigoSkies 168]

The world will be fine for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, I don't care. I'll be dead.