BP keeps telling people how they are going to make things “right”, that they are going to spend whatever it takes to clean up the oil and to reimburse all “legitimate” claims.

They are so concerned that people know how concerned they are that they are spending millions to tell the public. Mother Jones noticed: BP’s Big Ad Buys: At least $5.6 Million

Greenpeace kept track of BP’s ads throughout June and came up with a rundown of how much they likely cost. The company ran 12 ads in the Times, 15 in the Washington Post, and 11 in USA Today.

They also ran full page ads in the local newspapers along the Gulf Coast, with the notable exception of the Pensacola Independent News, which refused the ads, believing that the money would be better spent cleaning up the oil.

It’s “spare no expense” when it comes to the media, but people who have been impacted are seeing something different.

The Local Puppy Trainer wrote about a local business owner: Shalimar Yacht Basin owner: ‘I’m dying’

In the 10 years Steve Peterson has owned the Shalimar Yacht Basin, his business has survived five hurricanes and even more tropical storms.

But none of that compares to the devastating financial impact the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is having on his business. Peterson has lost 38 percent of his income, and 117 of the boats once stored at his facility have been removed by their owners and taken to fresh water locations unthreatened by the oil.

So, Peterson sent in a claim to BP with records to show his loss of $88,000, and they sent him a check for $5,000. To relieve some of the pressure on his business, Peterson contacted the Small Business Administration about converting his existing SBA loan from 7% to a 4% disaster loan, after the President announced that SBA disaster loans were available. The SBA turned him down because there was no physical damage to his business. [I have no idea what the SBA would consider “physical damage” from an oil spill.]

Montargis – Gueugnon

Distance: 227.5 kilometers.

This is longest stage in the Tour, and Mark Cavendish’s second stage win in row, which has moved him up from 107^th to …. 107^th place. Last year Mark won six stages, more than anyone else, and ended in 131^st place. In contrast, Fabian Cancellara, won the 8.9 kilometer Prologue, and has finished in the top 10 only once since, but was only out of the yellow jersey for one stage.

1 Fabian Cancellara (Sui-SAX- 013 ) [Yellow]
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr-SKY-039) [White]
3 Cadel Evans (Aus-BMC-121)
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can-GRM-054)
5 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra-QST-131)
6 Andy Schleck (Lux-SAX- 011 )
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor-CTT-095) [Green -118 points]
8 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz-AST-009)
9 Alberto Contador (Esp-AST-001)
10 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel-SIL-101)
11 Nicolas Roche (Irl-ALM-081)
12 Johan Van Summeren (Bel-GRM-058)
13 Denis Menchov (Rus-RAB-191)
14 Bradley Wiggins (GBr-SKY-031)
15 David Millar (GBr-GRM-057)
16 Roman Kreuziger (Cze-LIQ-044)
17 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Esp-GCE-161)
18 Lance Armstrong (USA-RSH-021)
19 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Esp-GCE-169)
20 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe-SKY-037)

82 Jérôme Pineau (Fra-QST-135) [Polka Dot – 13 points]
107 Mark Cavendish (GBr-THR-111) – stage winner
145 Mathieu Perget (Fra-GCE- 167 ) [Red numbers]

Saxo Bank ( 011-019 ) [Yellow numbers]

They’ve gone 1,214.9 kilometers [754.9 miles] at an average speed of 42.4 kph [26.4 mph].

It’s the Jura foothills tomorrow, and the Alps after that, as the sprinters are replaced by the climbers.

Prelude to Attack

Yawn ——— Ready, Set…

[Editor: When I took the picture of Sleepy that I used two weeks ago, I missed Pita in the background. It’s hard to see at this resolution but Pita is staring intently (as in, intent to do bodily harm) and I have no doubt that as soon as I left there was an attack.]

Friday Ark