Yet another investigation has pointed the finger directly at the decisions of BP to ignore warnings and use methods that were only designed to save BP time and money:

WASHINGTON — BP knew its Macondo well was troublesome in the days leading up to a fatal April 20 blowout, congressional investigators found, but the company “appears to have made multiple decisions for economic reasons that increased the danger of a catastrophic well failure.”

From the company’s uncommon well design to its fatal decision not to circulate drilling mud, which could have cleared out pockets of gas, and the lack of critical testing, which could have pinpointed problems with its cementing, the company had many points at which it could have prevented an explosion, investigators with the House Energy and Commerce Committee have found.

One of those decisions concerned the type of cement Halliburton used. It was frothy, and was designed to reduce the heat of the curing process. It is used when a stratum of of gas hydrates is encountered to seal it off and keep that gas out of the well. It isn’t as strong as the normal type of cement used to seal a well.

Since it is probable that the cement failed, that layer is open. These layers are normally discovered by the drilling mud draining into them. The existence of the stratum makes sealing the well more difficult. The relief well might be able to plug the bottom, but gas from the open stratum may continue to boil out.

The bottom of the Gulf is layered with sedimentary rock, sand, hydrates. This is why it is difficult to drill. The people who have advocated using explosives to seal the well don’t understand that the rock involved is more apt to splinter that crumble, and if it shatters, there is no way of stopping the flow.

In Group E:

Netherlands 2-0 Denmark
Japan 1-0 Cameroon

In Group F:

Italy 1-1 Paraguay

Italy had to come from behind to take a draw which is not what you expect from the defending champion. The South American teams all come ready to play, so it’s hard to believe that Italy wasn’t prepared.

Adopted as the flag of the United States of America by the Flag Resolution of 1777 enacted on 14 June, 1777.

The flag was first flown from Fort Stanwix, on the site of the present city of Rome, New York, on August 3, 1777. It was first under fire three days later in the Battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1777.

An official flag has a rise to run ratio of 1 to 1.9 [the flag should be 1.9 times as long as it is high] with the canton [the dark blue part] that rises over the top seven stripes with a run of 40% of the flag’s run.

The only time you will see a “correct” US Flag is if you see the official colors of a military unit. Most flags are 3’X5′ or 4’X6′ instead of 3’X5.7′ or 4’X7.6′.

Frances Bellamy, the Baptist minister and socialist who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance was from Rome, New York.