They are already writing off the $20 billion that doesn’t seem to be making it into anyone’s hands, and the research funds that aren’t funding any research, as I mentioned earlier, and now they are creating another write off according to the ABC: BP pledges $1 billion to restore oil-stained Gulf

BP has pledged $1 billion to jump-start projects aimed at restoring the US Gulf Coast after last year’s massive oil spill.

“The agreement in no way affects the ultimate liability of BP or any other entity for natural resource damages or other liabilities, but provides an opportunity to help restoration get started sooner,” the US Justice Department said in a statement on Thursday (local time).

It is touching that the Justice Department believes that, but wait until this gets to court and we’ll see if that has any truth to it.

Notice the wording – “pledged”, like this was a public broadcasting fund-raiser. BP may not get a tote bag, but it will damn sure use the money for a tax write-off.

As with every other fund that BP has created, the first step is the battle in Office Depot over the shape of the conference table, because there has to be a board to oversee the disbursement of this money. You are going to have the five Republican governors of the Gulf states trying to steal as much as they can to balance their budgets and the people along the coast can pound salt.

Checking the weather at 7PM CDT there is a cold front that runs along the path of I-44 [US Route 66] from Oklahoma City to St. Louis that is throwing off tornadoes. The Tornado Map on my sidebar under Tropical Weather shows the current tornado sightings and it is crowded.

Stay safe out there.

So Elayne put up this video that is associated with a movie that is coming out as a Silly Site. It’s cute and all, but if there wasn’t some coordination with Volkswagen, there may be a bit of a legal problem because of this Superbowl commercial.

I think that “fair use” doesn’t come close to covering it, and it is an ad for a commercial venture, so unless there was a some agreement I expect the Silly Site to evaporate quickly.

The gaming interests and good ol’ boys of the Nevada Republican party are trying to take all of the fun out of the resignation of John Ensign according to The Hill.

The Republican governor of Nevada could appoint Sue “Chicken Lady” Lowden, or Harry Reid’s opponent in the 2010 Senate race who makes Genghis Khan look like Chairman Mao, Sharron Angle, but he seems to be ready to appoint current Congresscritter, Dean Heller.

There will be a special election to replace Heller, but it would seem that the GOP establishment gets to appoint their candidate without a primary, so they can again avoid Sharron Angle, who is very much the leading Tea Party candidate in the state.

The word on Ensign’s resignation, based on rumor mostly, is that the funding for his reelection campaign just wasn’t there, and if he wanted a job after the Senate he had better play along and get out now to help the GOP retain the seat in 2012.

It is possible that the corporate interests have decided that the Tea Party is getting out of hand.

She’s the only planet we have, if we blow it, we can’t pack up and move.

Wikipedia as an Earth Day entry, with links to other sites.

Advantage: Cats

Try this with opposable thumbs.

[Editor: Ringo demonstrating an advantage of a cat’s “fluid spine” as she washes up for dinner.]

Friday Ark