Santa Monica - The Whole City - Is A Free Wifi Zone

We went to Wise and Healthy Aging, a Santa Monica non-profit that acts as a reference for older folks who want to stay in their own homes as independently as possible.  We wanted to see all the options available to my mom.  There are lots of options and we're still going through all the materials to see if we can make things work for her.

But afterward I asked if they had wi-fi - so we could see if there was a movie nearby we wanted to see - and she said, "Yes.  All of Santa Monica is free municipal wi-fi zone." 

I'd heard about that idea, but I've never experienced it before.  Anyone with a lap top or an i-pod touch or similar device that can connect to the internet with wifi is connected, without having to have a smart phone. 

As we walked over to the Santa Monica Promenade - 3rd Avenue is blocked off from cars for four or five blocks -  we passed this bike center which was part of a large parking garage.  They don't just have a few bike racks, they have a whole space for bikes.

The LA Times had a piece not too long ago about all that Santa Monica is doing to encourage people to get out of their cars and onto their bikes.  Given so much flat land and good weather, Santa Monica is a perfect place to bike.




We stopped in the REI and found these electric bikes.  (Is this the first step from car to bike?  Or is this to entice people with bikes to start moving toward a motor?)

The batteries are on the bike racks over the rear tires.  I'd like to think these are just batteries on the bikes that get charged by your biking and you can use for small appliances like your computer at home.  But I think that's probably just wishful thinking.

That morning I'd seen this guy who was using his bike as many Asians have in the past.  I remember people carrying everything - even beds - on their bikes in China.  

This is Venice, not as upscale as Santa Monica.  When I asked if I could take a picture he dug into the 'trunk' and got out his pet pigeon to be in the picture.  It's sitting on the red object.

Before we got to the movie, we passed the Apple store.  It used to be on the other side of the street.  Now it looks like an airplane hanger with dozens and dozens of small tables with iPads and iPad minis. 

I standing across the pedestrian only street so I could get the whole thing in the picture.  I like the idea of the street being car free, but on the downside, it's nothing more than an outdoor shopping mall.  Big name stores you could now find in any city around the world. 

We saw Zero Dark Thirty.  As a movie, it worked for me.  I know there's some controversy over the idea that it promotes the idea that torture gets people talking.  I know movies like this one can have a big impact on how people understand current events.  But I doubt this movie will change people's minds either way on this topic.  Even if one bought the premise that torture worked, it was clear that it is also inhumane.  It shows how it damages not only the person tortured but the person doing the torture.   I thought it was just a good movie. 

Old Harbor Native Corporation's Chief Executive Officer is Carl Marrs

I imagine that most people, when they heard there was a Native village called Old Harbor with a couple hundred people close to where the Kulluk grounded, didn't think much about it. Some sleepy little village where people fish. Not too sophisticated. A place Shell could easily take advantage of. Their website description begins with this paragraph:

Welcome To Old Harbor Old Harbor is an Alutiiq village on Kodiak Island, Alaska approximately 40 air miles from the City of Kodiak on the southeast side of the Island. Old Harbor is one of the Island’s six Alutiiq villages and is primarily inhabited by an Alutiiq population. Old Harbor residents enjoy sharing Kodiak Island's beautiful lands with visitors and their hospitality is legendary. Visitors find residents to be warm, generous, and sincere. Today, the community of Old Harbor has a modern airstrip, a harbor for its fishing fleet and the modern amenities of water, sewer, electricity, internet and satellite services.

But if you poke around on that website you get to their company page which begins:

"Old Harbor Native Corporation (OHNC) is one of 252 Native village corporations established by Congress in 1971 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). ANCSA, which was a purposeful alternative to the Lower 48 reservation system, was the first settlement of its kind between Native Americans and the federal government.  Alaska Natives were provided a corporate structure for holding land and capital, with the freedom to control their own economic and social future.
OHNC was incorporated in 1973 and originally enrolled 329 shareholders under the Act.  Today, there are approximately 335 shareholders residing primarily in Anchorage, Kodiak and Old Harbor, but some as far away as Iceland and Switzerland.
The Corporation’s Board of Directors is tasked with the dual responsibility to grow and manage the assets of the Corporation for the benefit of the shareholders, and preserve and protect the culture and traditions of the community.  A challenging task, indeed."

The Board/Staff page leads you to a link to Chief Executive Officer Carl Marrs:

Cal Marrs with fellow UA Regent Mary Hughes in Juneau

"Carl H. Marrs

Mr. Marrs joined Old Harbor Native Corporation as Chief Executive Officer August 2010.  Carl has been working with Old Harbor Native Corporation since 2005 as an advocate in Juneau and Washington DC on various projects.

Carl was born and raised in Seldovia, Alaska and is an Alutiiq from the South Central Region of Alaska.  He grew up as a commercial fisherman and attended school in Kodiak. He later spent two years in the Marine Corps before returning to commercial fishing. Carl had an extensive career at Cook Inlet Region Inc. (CIRI) working in various capacities from 1973 thru 2004.  In December 2004, Marrs stepped down as the company's president and CEO. He left behind an organization that in his tenure provided record dividend payouts to shareholders, and fulfilled its commitment to enhancing the social welfare of its people.  In addition, he previously worked successfully as owner and operator of Marrs & Company from 2005 thru 2010 which was an investment and consulting company.
Marrs was awarded an honorary degree of Public Service from Alaska Pacific University.  He volunteers his time to a number of community organizations, including Alaska Pacific University, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Boys and Girls Club. Marrs has also served on the boards of the Fiscal Policy Council of Alaska, the Alaska Railroad Corporation, Board of Directors for Key Bank of Alaska, President of the Association of ANCSA CEO’s, Board of Director of the Alaska State Council of Commerce as well as worked with the United Way of Anchorage, Alaska SeaLife Center and the Alaska Oil & Gas Association.  Marrs currently serves as a member on the Board of Regents for the University of Alaska and the Koahinic Broadcasting Corporation," 

Carl Marrs is a powerful figure in Alaskan political and business circles.  He rose through his Native Corporation ranks and has worked closely with all the most influential people in Alaska.

A 2003 Cook Inlet Region Inc. (CIRI) newsletter celebrating Marrs' 30 years service said,

Carl has a reputation as being tough, fair and direct. He has worked hard to earn this reputation, and he is recognized for his negotiating stands and his deal-making skills. A number of our business partners have said they would work with Carl again in a heartbeat because they appreciate his forthright attitude.

A major success for CIRI came from investment benefits Native Corporations  gained thanks to legislation supported by Marrs' friend Ted Stevens.

CIRI's president and chief executive Carl Marrs, who engineered an extraordinarily successful investment in wireless telecommunications, stands to reap $3.8 million, based on Friday's stock prices. Vice presidents Barbara Donatelli, Mark Kroloff, Kirk McGee and Craig Floerchinger will collect $3.3 million each.

The board of directors of the Anchorage-based Native corporation voted 14-1 in favor of the compensation plan at a November meeting, according to Marrs. The board met again Dec. 15 and approved a $314 million cash payout to shareholders based on CIRI's windfall investment in VoiceStream Wireless Corp. and its bullish growth as a company over the past decade. Most of CIRI's 7,000 shareholders received $50,000 checks last week.  (from the Peninsula Clarion)

But not everyone agreed with his approach.  The Peninsula Clarion wrote:

[Former CIRI Chief Exec] Huhndorf ran a highly public campaign in which he openly accused CIRI chief executive Carl Marrs of recklessness and lack of vision. Huhndorf promised to shine a spotlight on what he considers the Anchorage-based company's shaky financial outlook and extravagant spending by management.

The Alaska Supreme Court in a decision which found John Ellsworth guilty of fraud and wilful misconduct costing CIRI millions of dollars, wrote:

Evidence was introduced at trial to show that Carl Marrs was responsible for supervising Ellsworth's management of AIC, but the superior court determined, “Marrs never actively supervised or scrutinized ․ Ellsworth, but rather allowed him carte blanche to manage AIC.”

In any case, Carl Marrs is a man to be reckoned with and if the Kulluk is in Old Harbor territory, it's probably safe to assume that the Old Harbor Native Corporation's interests are being well looked after.  

Bron and Elliott Coming To Brewskies SLC

I met these two guys - Bron Theron and Elliott Peele - making a short promo vid at Venice Beach during my run yesterday.  We talked a bit.  They make movies.  Haven't seen the movies so I don't know how good they are.  But they have some shorts that will show at Brewski's in Salt Lake City January 21.  (Brewski's looks like a Bear Tooth sorta theater with pub and food.)



And here's the link to their movie Primalrap site. Why this post? I think film is the most powerful medium of communication we have so far. Sure, you could argue that the internet is more powerful, but without video content, it would be less powerful. And I'm interested in the people who make movies whether the films are seen by millions or by no one. And I really like the background in the video.

The Kulluk Salvage Is Apparently Over

The latest Kulluk Unified Command Update says that the 

"resources contracted specifically for the salvage operation are in the process of demobilizing."

I'm learning a lot about things I knew nothing about before Shell began drilling for oil in the Arctic.  Does this mean that the salvage stage is over?  The update (#36) says they are now doing assessment. I guess that must be different from salvage.  Time to look up salvage.  From Wikipedia:

Marine salvage is the process of recovering a ship, its cargo, or other property after a shipwreck. Salvage encompasses towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship. Today the protection of the environment from cargoes such as oil or other contaminants is often considered a high priority.
"Salvors" are seamen and engineers who carry out salvage to vessels that are not owned by themselves, and who are not members of the vessel's original crew. When salvaging large ships, they may use cranes, floating dry docks and divers to lift and repair ships for short journeys to safety towed by a tugboat. The aim of the salvage may be to repair the vessel at a harbour or dry dock, or to clear a channel for navigation. Another reason for salvage may be to prevent pollution or damage to the marine environment. Alternatively the vessel or valuable parts of the vessel or its cargo may be recovered for its resale value, or for scrap.

The International Salvage Union identifies different salvage situations from:

• Fire/Explosion
• Collision
• Grounding
• Breakdowns 

Grounding seems to be the kind of salvage operation the Kulluk had:

Grounding:   many salvage operations involve a response to vessel groundings. Some groundings occur in areas of great environmental sensitivity. The salvage team arriving at the scene must make a rapid assessment of the casualty’s condition and the potential for refloating without further hull damage and loss of cargo. In some instances, it is necessary to discharge part or all of the cargo, in order to free the ship. Much depends on the nature of the grounding site (sand, mud, rock, coral, etc), the extent to which the hull is aground, the degree of damage and a wide range of other operational factors, especially the weather. A forecast deterioration in the weather can have a major influence on the salvage strategy adopted.

Image from Unified Command Update #36

Now the Kulluk is 'safely' tucked away at Kiliuda Bay.  Blogger Phil Munger has been writing a lot about this at Progressive Alaska.  Phil knows a little more about these things than most bloggers because in a past life he's been the harbormaster at Cordova [Whittier.] Phil wondered why the Kulluk wasn't taken all the way to Kodiak.  Let me make some guesses.

• If there is a problem with leakage, they don't want to take it too far so they don't damage too  much area.  (The Update says, though, that there are no signs of leakage.)
• They can do what they are doing without being observed by very many people in Kiliuda Bay, while any reporter can fly easily to Kodiak.

That's the limit of my imagination on that question.  Here's the whole update:

DATE: January 8, 2013 1:45:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Unified Command
voice: (907) 433-3417

Update #36: Kulluk Remains Anchored, ROVs Arriving for Assessment

January 8, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Unified Command confirmed the following information today:

• The Kulluk remains safely anchored in Kiliuda Bay at its assessment position. There continues to be no sign of leakage in the vicinity.
• Support vessels will remain with the Kulluk during its assessment, while other resources contracted specifically for the salvage operation are in the process of demobilizing.
• Remote-Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are arriving at the Kulluk later today to begin assessing the hull. Divers will be deployed if necessary.
• Unified Command, along with local representation from Old Harbor Native Corporation, are surveying the area to obtain GPS coordinates that will enable the recovery of lifeboats and other debris from the Kulluk. Time and weather permitting, the team today will begin collecting debris from the shoreline.

Unified Command also released the map of the Kulluk’s final tow route (shown below), which shows the revised path avoiding the cod pots in the Gulf of Alaska.

Puffin Ice

When I got out of the Kulluk news briefing last Thursday, there was an ice carver working on two huge ice puffins.  I didn't take notes, but I think his name was Mike.

I think he said his name was Mike

Ice carving tools

Restorative Justice : "she described the experience as a 'complete relinquishment of anger, hatred and the desire for retribution and revenge.'”

I first heard the idea of restorative justice discussed in depth at a conference in India.   I wrote at the time:

Jirgas - The Pakistani equivalent of the Panchayat, though I think these are made up of village elders who may not be elected. While some cases have brought international condemnation of jirga decisions, conference attendees argued that millions of decisions are made regularly that generally satisfy both parties. Some conference presenters talked about restorative justice as an alternative to retributive justice. Instead of punishment being the object, making the victims whole is the object. However, when the discussion got to Jirgas, making the victims whole included things such as: A male member of the family has murdered someone. To make the victim's family whole, a sister of the murderer is given to the victim's family. One presenter, a very articulate Pakistani attorney, argued that this does not come from Islamic law, but from tribal law. Such verdicts have caused Jirgas to be outlawed, but they still exist and fill an important need.
But the idea of letting the victims and the perpetrators be part of resolving the crime seems to make sense. 

My daughter emailed me a NYTimes article on restorative justice. A long ten page article about a nineteen year old who killed his girlfriend after they had argued for 38 hours.  The girl's dying words to her father were to forgive her boyfriend.  Both families knew each other well.  The young man's father went to the hospital when he got the word, before he went to see his son.

The article describes the long process of finding a restorative justice expert who could help the Florida prosecutor set up a process that the State could accept.  It's a story we should all think about when we ponder all the people in prisons in the United States.  There are a lot of push-button emotional issues in this stories.  And the comments are also well worth reviewing.  

This is a unique case where all the right pieces were in place.

I think the key, counter-intuitive result of forgiveness in this case, is what it does to those who forgive, more than what it does to the person forgiven.

The Grosmaires said they didn’t forgive Conor for his sake but for their own. “Everything I feel, I can feel because we forgave Conor,” Kate said. “Because we could forgive, people can say her name. People can think about my daughter, and they don’t have to think, Oh, the murdered girl. I think that when people can’t forgive, they’re stuck. All they can feel is the emotion surrounding that moment. I can be sad, but I don’t have to stay stuck in that moment where this awful thing happened. Because if I do, I may never come out of it. Forgiveness for me was self-preservation.”

The story ends with:

“Forgiving Conor doesn’t change the fact that Ann is not with us. My daughter was shot, and she died. I walk by her empty bedroom at least twice a day.” 

But then if Conor had been executed, her daughter would still have been dead and she would still walk by her empty bedroom each day.  

Oh, the quote in the title is about "Sujatha Baliga, a former public defender who is now the director of the restorative-justice project at the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in Oakland."  She, herself, was the victim of abuse from her father.  She talked to the Dalai Lama about her anger for an hour.

He gave her two pieces of advice. The first was to meditate. She said she could do that. The second, she says, was “to align myself with my enemy; to consider opening my heart to them. I laughed out loud. I’m like: ‘I’m going to law school to lock those guys up! I’m not aligning myself with anybody.’ He pats me on the knee and says, ‘O.K., just meditate.’ ” 

 But later, in a ten day meditation class.

On the final day, she had a spontaneous experience, not unlike Andy Grosmaire’s at his daughter’s deathbed, of total forgiveness of her father. Sitting cross-legged on an easy chair in her home in Berkeley, Calif., last winter, she described the experience as a “complete relinquishment of anger, hatred and the desire for retribution and revenge.” 

Restorative Justice is not a cure-all.  It may work in some circumstances and not others.  Most often probably, in combination with our current system.  And some people will game the system, because some people game whatever system they are in.  But would that be worse than what we have?  

The whole article, "Can Forgiveness Play a Role In Criminal Justice?" by Paul Tullis,  is here.

A Flurry of Kulluk Updates As It Moves To And Then Arrives At Kiliuda Bay

A series of communications from the Kulluk Unified Command tell us that at 10:10pm last night the Kulluk was refloated from its stranded position and then towed  about 12 hours,  45 nautical knots, to Kiliuda Bay.  They held a news briefing at 10am in Anchorage.

Here are the 9 email alerts (one, not numbered, was about the news briefing)  I got:

DATE: January 6, 2013 11:30:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Unified Command
voice: (907) 433-3417

Update #27: Kulluk Refloated: Assessment to Follow

January 6, 2013
ANCHORAGE, AK: At approximately 10:10 p.m., the Kulluk drilling vessel was refloated from its Sitkalidak Island position.
Currently, the Kulluk is attached to the Aiviq by tow line.  The Kulluk is currently floating offshore while personnel are assessing the condition of the vessel.  Three additional tugs are on standby along with the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and two oil spill response vessels.  
“Following this initial step forward, we will continue to remain cautious while we assess the Kulluk’s condition,” said Martin Padilla, Incident Commander.  “We will not move forward to the next phase until we are confident that we can safely transport the vessel.”
There are currently more than 730 people involved in the response and recovery operation including local residents and a local on-site coordinator.  Following this stage of the operation there continue to be no injuries to response personnel.
Further information will follow.

DATE: January 7, 2013 1:50:00 AM AKST

Update #28: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013, Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 1:45 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 4.2 knots (4.8 mph)
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 16 miles from land 

DATE: January 7, 2013 3:35:00 AM AKST

Update #29: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013,
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 3 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 4.8 knots (5.5 mph)
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 19 miles from land
• The Nanuq crew, utilizing infrared equipment on board, reports that there are no initial signs of a discharge of oil in the water as of 2:57 a.m. 

DATE: January 7, 2013 3:35:00 AM AKST [While this is the same time as the last one, the email itself says it arrived a 4:47am and the update is as of 4am]

Update #30: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013,
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 4 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 3.8 knots (4.3 mph) and is traveling in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 16 miles from land.
• Results of soundings of fuel tanks taken since the Kulluk refloated are consistent with earlier soundings taken by the recovery crew.

DATE: January 7, 2013 5:35:00 AM AKST

Update #31: Unified Command Update

January 7, 2013
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013

• As of 5:20 a.m. the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at 4.1 knots (4.7 mph) and is traveling in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately eight miles from land.
• A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled at first light, weather permitting.

DATE: January 7, 2013 8:00:00 AM AKST

Update #32: Unified Command Update

Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013:

• As of 7:30 a.m. Alaska Time, the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at approximately 3.5 knots (4 mph) in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 9.6 nautical miles away from the planned anchored location in Kiliuda Bay.
• The Nanuq crew continues to utilize infrared equipment on board and reports that there are still no signs of a discharge.
• A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled at first light to look for any signs of sheen, weather permitting.

The next one shows what happens when you don't check your email before you go for a run.  I totally missed the News Briefing.

DATE: January 7, 2013 8:43:28 AM AKST

Jan. 7 - Unified Command news briefing

What: A news briefing will be held at 10 – 10:30 a.m., Alaska Time, Monday, Jan. 7. Members of Unified Command will provide an update regarding the Kulluk Tow incident response.
Who:

• Coast Guard Capt. Paul Mehler III, Federal On-scene Coordinator
• Steven Russell, State On-scene Coordinator
• Sean Churchfield, Incident Commander and Operations Manager for Shell Alaska
• Duane Dvorak, Kodiak Island Borough, Local On-scene Coordinator
• Tommy Travis, Noble Drilling, Vice President of Operations U.S.

Where: The news briefing will be held at Dena’ina Center, Kahtnu Meeting Room 1, 600 W. Seventh Ave., Anchorage, Alaska 99501.
When: 10-10:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 7
Media representatives should meet at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Kahtnu Meeting Room 1 to be checked in with credentials before access is provided to the conference room. In addition, note that a mult box will be provided for broadcast media.

 I'm sure they were all pumped up because the Kulluk was on the move to safer water and there's been no sign of an oil leak.  

DATE: January 7, 2013 8:00:00 AM AKST

Update #33: Kulluk remains in tow

January 7, 2013, 9 a.m. Alaska Time
Anchorage, AK – Unified Command update for Monday, January 7, 2013:

• As of 9 a.m. Alaska Time, the Kulluk remains in tow by the Aiviq traveling at approximately 3.5 knots (4 mph) in a northerly direction.
• The location of the Kulluk is approximately 4 nautical miles away from the planned anchored location in Kiliuda Bay.
• The Nanuq crew continues to utilize infrared equipment on board and reports that there are still no signs of a discharge.
• A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled at first light to look for any signs of sheen, weather permitting.

DATE: January 7, 2013 11:02:00 AM AKST

Update #34: Kulluk arrives safely at Kiliuda Bay, will undergo assessment

Jan. 7, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Unified Command has confirmed that the Kulluk, towed by the anchor handling vessel Aiviq, approached its safe harbor location in Kiliuda Bay at approximately 10 a.m., Alaska Time. The final location for assessment within the Bay will be determined by environmental conditions, including weather.
The Kulluk traveled 45 nautical miles since the start of the tow, roughly 12 hours ago. Average speed has been 3.5 knots or 4 mph.
The Kulluk was refloated from its Ocean Bay position, off Sitkalidak Island, late Jan. 6. It will remain connected to its support vessels while it undergoes assessment in Kiliuda Bay, located about 30 miles north of Ocean Bay.
The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley escorted the tow to Kiliuda Bay along with two oil spill response vessels and other support vessels. A 500-yard radius safety zone around the Kulluk followed the escort and remains in place in Kiliuda Bay.
Monitoring by the oil spill response vessels escorting the tow confirmed that there were no signs of a discharge of oil during the transit.
The combined fleet has 15,000 feet of boom should it be needed. Additional boom has been staged in various locations.
The Kulluk has been grounded since Dec. 31, after it broke tow during severe weather conditions.
Unified Command continues to coordinate with the Old Harbor Native Corporation to assist with any necessary cleanup activities. Additional spill response land resources have been staged in Old Harbor.
Yesterday afternoon, salvage teams successfully attached the main tow line to the Kulluk drilling unit.
The Salvage Master had the discretion to initiate the tow should favorable conditions occur throughout the night. At approximately 10:10 p.m., Jan. 6 the Kulluk was refloated.

The ADN story which says it was updated an hour ago - which should then include what happened at the news briefing - doesn't add much.  But another story by Rich Mauer has some interesting thoughts from others in the business about how things look.  The title sums the article up:  Kulluk's Ability To Take A Beating Impresses Experts.

[UPDATE 4:22pm AKTime]  One more update came through:

DATE: January 7, 2013 3:25:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Update #35: Unified Command confirms Kulluk is safely anchored

January 7, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Unified Command confirmed that the Kulluk has arrived in its final safe harbor location in Kiliuda Bay where it will undergo assessment. At approximately 12:15 p.m. Alaska Time the Kulluk’s anchor was lowered to the bottom of the Bay.
Unified Command also confirmed:

• Support vessels Alert, Lauren Foss and Corbin Foss remain connected to the Kulluk.
• The Aiviq has disconnected from the Kulluk but is standing by.
• A Coast Guard overflight today did not observe any sheen in the vicinity.
• The Warrior, Ocean Wave, Perseverance, Nanuq and Alex Haley are standing by.

Final safe harbor?  It's still a long ways from Seattle.  If Dutch Harbor couldn't service the Kulluk, surely Kiliuda Bay can't. 

Aleutian Weather - Shell Should Have Known

With Shell's regular mention of the terrible weather when they talk about the Kulluk's problems, it seems appropriate to dip once more into Brian Garfield's Thousand Mile War where he discusses the weather conditions during WW II when the Japanese and Americans fought in the Aleutians. The Americans (and the Japanese) lost far more planes and pilots and ships to the weather and terrain than they lost to enemy fire.

"It was dreary but seldom calm, Corporal Dashiell Hammett wrote:  "There was a guage to measure the wind, but it only measured up to 110 miles and hour, and that was not always enough."

At Cold Bay, soldiers for the 260th Transportation Battalion built a hut for their day room (with 6X6 studs and joists stolen on a moonlight requisitioning sortie from Navy ships).  Wind rolled the building away.  The soldiers set it right-side-up and anchored it down with steel cables imbedded in concrete.  After that the hut stayed put, but it was the only permanent above-ground structure in the area.  Throughout the Aleutians in the next two years, the rule was dugout architecture. . .

The weather, "Made in Japan,"  lent truth to standard jokes:  "It's too thick to fly if you can't see your co-pilot."
"Stick your hand out.  If it touches a ship's mast, you're flying too low."
One pilot claimed he followed a duck because he knew it wouldn't fly into a cliff.  Unmak used "a 500 pound bomb for a windsock."  A PBY pilot claimed a seagull landed on his wing;  convinced that weather too thick for Hannibal the Hitch-Hiking Gull was too thick for a PBY, the pilot landed his seaplane on the water, and watched the gull jump off and go away - swimming.  (p. 125)

The stories were not always apocryphal.  It wasn't unusual for flights of B-17s to fly at 25-foot altitudes, so that pilots could follow the sea wake of the airblast from the leading plane's propellers.  On a socked in July day, three bombers landed at Cold Bay at six-minute intervals:  the first found the runway fogged in, the second found a clear 5000 foot ceiling and landed easily, and the third couldn't find the field in the fog.  "The weather," wrote Wheeler, "goes up and down like a whore's drawers."  (pp. 125-126)

Headwinds sometimes made it six hours to target and two hours back.  The noisy wind often blew west at one end of the runway and east at the other.  In a signle cloud front, a bomber could pick up a ton of ice.

At Umnak, PFC Edward O. Stephens invented a wind-driven washing machine.  Others boiled their laundry in discarded metal drums.  When they hung clothes out, they took three days or more to dry. . .

From Cold Bay and Umnak the air warriors saddled the weather and rode it out to Kiska and, usually, back home.  It was a hell unlike any other. Constant turbulence tossed airplanes like kites.  Ground crew mechanics learned to hate the unstable Aleutian air.  It twisted airframes, wrecked fuselages, stretched and loosened rivets, bent wings.  It shook up cockpit instruments and threw them out of whack.  It clogged carburetors.  It loosened window seals, rusted landing-gear oleos, ruined fuel lines, shook engine mounts loose, gummed guns, froze bomb-bay rack releases, and fouled hydraulic systems.  It killed.

The groundling grease monkeys seemed to keep the planes flying with nothing but skyhooks, rolling their own spare parts with hand-bellows forges and hammers, maintaining aircraft outdoors in williwawas with only flashlights  and truck headlamps for illumination.  The chief stockpile of repair parts was wrecked planes.  There were no inspectors, but the ground crews never failed to make a repairable plane airworthy within twenty-four hours.  It sometimes took four back-breaking hours in gale winds to refuel a B-17 by hand, pouring gas through a chamois filter.  Colonel Everett S. Davis wrote to Hap Arnold, "Don't figure on getting any serviceable planes back from us.  We have been hard on them." (p. 126)

The kind of weather the Kulluk encountered is nothing out of the ordinary.    It's nothing that Shell's contingency plans shouldn't have planned for.

And the book's description of the war is in sharp contrast to the heroic and nationalistic tone of this Academy Award winning 1943 documentary about the airbase in Adak that bombed the Japanese base in Kiska daily.  The end of the film shows an actual bombing raid from Adak to Kiska.




This original comes from the internet archives which has this description:

Director John Huston, while a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1943, creates an Academy Award winning documentary, which he narrates with assistance from his actor father Walter, treating of the Armed Forces' successful effort to prevent the fall of the Aleutian Islands to advancing Japanese troops who had captured several islets. Although no claim can be reasonably made that this location was of major strategic importance during the War, it presented enormous tactical and logistic difficulty for those assigned there, and Huston's color film demonstrates the determined ensemble work upon the outpost of Adak by a wide range of military specialists who combat loneliness and boredom along with notably severe weather conditions. The work was made over a six month period, and is climaxed by the preparations for, followed by an actual filming of, a bombing run over Japanese-occupied Kiska, wherein Huston nearly lost his life, and which is significant for its combat footage and for the atmosphere of suspense present in the viewer who wonders if all will return safely.

It's very much a war propaganda movie making this sound much better than they were, as this comment reflects:

Reviewer: jimelena - 3.00 out of 5 stars - December 2, 2005 Subject: Progadanda. My dad was in the Aleutians during WWII so I watched this. This is a propaganda film. It does not begin to relate the huge mistakes made, the tragedy upon tragedy, or the reasons why it is known as "the forgotton war". Maybe someday the truth will come out but even 60 years after it is still too sad, too horrible, to be remembered for what it was.

  The Shell announcements about the Kulluk have the same flavor as the movie. They acknowledge problems (the movie even showed a burial of a pilot) but everyone is a hero, cooperating 100%, to achieve the goal. The book tells a very different story. 

Shell Has a Plan, But It's Not Available

At Saturday afternoon’s news briefing, Richard Mauer of the Anchorage Daily News asked Shell’s Alaska Operations Manager whether a copy of the Shell’s plan for the recovery of the Kulluk was available.  Sean Churchfield has been using phrases like "the plans are dynamic" and “subject to operational constraints” to explain why a plan wouldn’t be made available. 

I suspect others are thinking what I was thinking:  Do they really have a plan?  Then I remembered that somewhere on my computer I had a copy of their Ice Management Plan.  So I pulled it up.

Shell’s definition of a plan is probably a lot different from the everyday notion of a plan.  Most of us think of a plan as a series of steps that need to be taken to achieve a goal.

But, if the Ice Management Plan (IMP) is what Shell means by a plan, then their concept is not quite what most of us think of as a plan.  Here's one of the more concrete parts of that plan:


Shell Ice Management Plan Roles and Responsibilities Charts

This is only part of the IMP, but it was the part that actually said something somewhat concrete.  A lot of it is just description of their vessels and their 'philosophy' and such things that use up space but don't really give you anything you can get hold of or could hold them to. And there's also the COCP - (Critical Operations and Curtailment Plan).  I did a couple of posts on these plans last September.  So if you want to know what Shell means by a plan here are two posts that go into some detail about them:

As Shell Is About to Drill, What Do We Know About Arctic Sea Ice? 

Started with some UAF videos on Sea Ice Research that took me to Shell's Plans and went into some detail on the COCP and the IMP.

Become An Arctic Oil Expert in Just Ten Minutes a Day

More in depth on the IMP.  




What are some of the reasons they wouldn’t want to show their plan?

There isn’t anything written down that most people would recognize as a plan.
There is a plan but it’s pretty sketchy.
They don’t want to show anything that might expose them to any legal liability.

Any of those and all of those are good possibilities.  I’m guessing the last one plays a significant role in their decision not to share their plans.  Overall, the three news briefings I’ve heard (one on tape, one in person, and one by phone)  might be better described as damage control public relations.  Go out there and deal with the media, because you have to, but say as little as you can get away with.  And what you say should focus on how well the recovery is going.

All this leads me to start pondering what actually does the public need to know?  Let me think about that for a while and get back to you.


This is a crazy new world.  We landed in Seattle.  We ate some lunch and then I reluctantly plugged in the computer and checked the email only to find out there was a Kulluk news conference going on that very minute and I could call in.

So there at the airport I listened in.  Having been in the room Thursday made it a little easier to figure out who was talking. 

We're in LA now visiting my mom. 

Kulluk Unified Command PIO Explains How Stakeholders Can Connect

At Thursday's news briefing, there was discussion about wanting to be sure all stakeholders had access to the Unified Command structure working to safely recover the Kulluk from where it is grounded off Kodiak Island.

So afterward I asked Public Information Officer Amy Midgett how one would do this.  Below is the video in which she answers this.  She also clarified that although people from different agencies may use their agency title - such as PIO - she is THE PIO for the Unified Command. 
Sorry about the camera angle, I was holding it toward Amy, but not looking at the screen as we chatted. That's the State On-Scene Coordinator Steven Russell from the Department of Environmental Conservation to the right at the beginning.



If you are a stakeholder - someone who has an interested in this area - I'd encourage you to try to use their process to connect.  Amy sounds sincere enough in the video.  And if you can't connect, let me know.  But fisherfolk, people working on environmental issues in the area, birders, boaters, anyone with a stake in the area, should at least try their system.

That said, it doesn't look easy.  Despite what Amy said on the video, I can't find any telephone numbers on the website itself.  There was a list of tweets and in one of the tweets, I found this:

• Toll-free community number is 1-866-771-7910

Ask for a liaison and see if it works.

On the "Questions or Comments" page, there is a way to make contact, but you have to give them your first and last name, your email address, and perhaps other information.  (When I signed up for email alerts the other day, 'affiliation' didn't have an asterisk indicating it was required, but when I submitted it, it spit it back because I hadn't filled out affiliation.)

This is a very limited sharing of information to the public.  The public has to give up more information if they want to ask a question.  In comparison, the Alaska Redistricting Website was much more accessible. 

They tell us there are over 500 people working on this operation.  That's a lot more than the Redistricting Board had.  If they wanted better communication, or if they thought it was important, they could have it. 

Almost 65,000 Alaskans Have Already Applied For Their Permanent Fund Dividend Checks

It's only January 4, 2012.  The fourth day that Alaskans can apply for their 2012 Permanent Fund Checks. 

That's a little less than 10% of Alaska's residents signed up in less than four days.  Part of the population doesn't procrastinate when it comes to free money from the state.  I wonder who many will sign up during the last four days? 

The oil money that keeps Alaska thriving is one of the reasons that most people - not immediately affected - are relatively complacent about the Kulluk resting in the surf off Kodiak.  Personally (through the PFD and those working for oil related businesses or state jobs funded by oil revenues) and collectively (through oil revenues paying covering most of our state revenues) all Alaskans have a financial stake in those oil dollars.   

Some older posts on different aspects of the Alaska Permanent Fund are here.

Kulluk News Briefing 2: Video of the Q&A

This is the second part of the briefing - about 20 minutes of questions from the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch, AP, New York Times, Fisherman's News, local Fox TV, Kodiak Daily Mirror, some I didn't quite catch, and even GQ.  The video of the first part - the presentations - is here.





Hearing people's names wasn't always easy, especially when it was from the phone connections.  This is a brief overview of the questions and responses.  Numbers are approximate times on the video.

0:15 Daniel Joel, AP:  What's your greatest concern?

Mehler:  Safety.  No mention whether there were concerns about oil leaking, or the rig breaking up, or if the rig will be ok for next summer.  Just worried about the safety of the workers.   Churchfield agreed.

1:06 Alan Bailey (Petroleum News?),   What work is involved, timeline, until you have a decision on how to salvage this vessel?
Churchfield:  Currently in the assessment stage.  Don't want to speculate on what they'll find.  We have no timeline.

2:00 Susanna Caldwell (I think) of the Alaska Dispatch asked about the sucking noise that was reported in the hull yesterday, but Sean Churchfield insisted it was a breathing noise, that he didn't want to go into any detail, but they were trying to determine if it was a breach or just natural venting of the tank.

2:40  Mark ??? on the phone:  Hard to hear over the phone.  Any time line about when it might be towed from the shoreline.
Churchfield summarized findings from yesterday.  Some wave damage.  Some hatches breached.  Generators damaged.  Salvage team on board assessing.  No timeline yet.

4:08 Margie Bauman, Fisherman's News:  First she asked if Churchfield and Mehler's remarks could be posted because they were so hard to hear.  Why won't Shell's investigation be made public?
Churchfield said they would collaborate completely with the Coast Guard.  Mehler said there's would of course be public.  Their statements will be put on line.

5:30 Channel 2:  When does the rig have to be out of there so it won't impact the 2013 drilling season?
Churchfield:  I'll defer that, my focus is on the response.  Call Shell's public affairs office.

6:10 Natalie Travis, KTVA Fox:  What were the main concerns of the local Communities?
Duane Dvorak:  Work for Kodiak Island Borough, connecting the Unified Command to the community and bringing their concerns back.  Local knowledge is our biggest contribtution.
Travis:  Has there been one piece of local knowledge that really helped?
Dvorak:  Direct contact with communities.  Native organizations.  Culturally significant geographical places that the responders need to be sensitive to.  How this could disrupt subsistence life style.

8:40 Steve Heimel, KSKA:  What about Refuge Rock?
Dvorak:  Discussed massacre of Old Harbor Natives when Russian colonization occurred.

9:59  Rich Mauer, Anchorage Daily News:  How far is the ship from Refuge Rock and could the fuel if it leaked reach the rock?
Steven Russell:  It's a ways off and should be protected.  The locations aren't too public.
[Later Ty, also from DEC, clarified to me that the location of sacred Native sites were kept from the public.  This was not related to the spill.]

10:40 Tim Bradner, Alaska Journal of Commerce - What is the hold thickness? I heard about 3 inches?
Travis:  Have to get to the naval architect to respond.  It is a well designed ship.

11:40 James Brooks Kodiak Daily Mirror?:How is this going to affect the CG resources that normally work with the fishing fleet?
Mehler:  Commitment and obligation to Alaskans.  We have other air assets, Shell has been chartering various air assets.  We have to maintain search and rescue resources.  Heavy lift, but not beyond what we can do.

13:00 ? McKenzie, GQ:  How many are preexisting Shell resources and how many are new and how many total?
Churchfield:  We had oil spill response assets in Seward, contracted other sources, we are providing what we had and contracting.

14:50 Henry Fountain, NY Times:  Could you clarify, did you have salvage teams both yesterday AND today?  And how does damaged electrical affect salvaging?
Churchfield:  Five salvors on board yesterday.  Six today, and bringing another six.  Damage to the electrical systems means the salvage teams have to find another way or bring in generators.   

15:35 Rich Mauer, ADN:  Related to that.  Does that mean pumps on board Kulluk now can't be used?  How do the hatches become unsealed?  Didn't the crew seal the hatches before they left?
Tommy Travis:  Issue about electrical, that's a salvage issue, talk to them.  I haven't interviewed the crew yet so I can't say.

16:59  I even asked a question.  You can tell I'm the closest to my mic.  Since they were being very circumspect about what they said, I was wondering how they decide what to say.  I thought that Duane Dvorak, the Kodiak Island Borough official who's just joined the Unified Command, had said something about deciding what to make public.  Actually, when I saw the video, it turned out to be the guy from DEC, Steven Russell.  The answer from Captain Mehler was they don't tell us stuff they can't validate.  No standard operating procedures that this will be released and this won't I assure you.  Is this accurate?  Is this the correct information?   I should have followed up about whether attorneys play any role in what they say.  Are there considerations about future lawsuits?

19:17 ? Argus Media:   Can you tell us the extent of the damage?  I can't tell if the vessel is seaworthy or not.
Churchfield:  Second day with salvage team. Still gathering data.  I do not have a completed assessment to pass back to you.

Video of Presentations At Kulluk News Briefing Today In Anchorage

Here's the video of today's news briefing in Anchorage. I have previous post with photos.

The presenters are:

Sean Churchfield, Shell Alaska Operations Manager  and Incident Commander
Coast Guard Captain Paul Mehler, Federal On-Scene Coordinator
Steve Russel*, State On-Scene Coordinator (Dept. of Environmental Conservation)
Duane Dvorak, Liaison Consult, Kodiak Island Borough
Tommy Travis, Noble Drilling




 I'll put up the Q&A portion of the briefing as soon as I have it ready later tonight.  

[UPDATE:  Here's the Q&A video.]

Kulluk News Briefing - Anchorage January 3, 2013 - Video Soon

[UPDATE 8:05 - The first video is up here.][And the Q&A Video is here]

 I went to the Kulluk News briefing this afternoon at the Denaina Center in Anchorage.   Here's the announcement from my computer screen:
 








Here are the media gathered before it started in the Kahtnu meeting room.

There were also people listening via phone.  That was problematic because the mic was short and some of the speakers were tall.  They had to repeat two of the presentations because the people listening in couldn't hear.

This diagram of the Kulluk was up on an easel, but it was never used. 

This is Shell's Alaska Operations Manager Sean Churchfield.  He thanked the team and praised the work they are doing. 

Since I videoed the meeting, I didn't take notes and right now the video of the presentation is uploading so I can't listen to it.

I'll post it soon.  I didn't catch anything significant.

• More salvers [salvors] went on board today.  
• No one speculated on what could happen.  
• The rig is still upright and no sheen was spotted.  
• The electricity is out on the rig. 

A representative of Kodiak Island Borough, Duane Dvorak, is now on the Unified Command Team and spoke about the involvement of the people of Old Harbor Village.  They've agreed to operations to remove the rig.  There is also concern about sacred sites, including  Refuge Rock where many of their ancestors were slaughtered by Russians.

SITKALIDAK ISLAND, Alaska — In 208 years, a lot of history can be forgotten--the Russian cannon fire, the cries of women and children hurling themselves 100 feet into the sea, the defeat of a proud people.
All of these things happened at a small, raised buttress known as Refuge Rock near the village of Old Harbor. A Russian force, led by fur traders, conquered the Alutiiq of Kodiak Island, leaving hundreds dead.

If you look at the map closely, you'll see the Kulluk is off that same island - Sitkalidak Island.

The pin marks the spot of the Kulluk now. (Actually, no one said that.  I'm just guessing that's why it is there on the map.)

 Here's that same map, not quite as close showing the location of the Kulluk in relation to the City of Kodiak. 


The first video is still uploading.  I should get it up between 7pm and 8pm tonight.  Then I'll get the Q&A session done in a separate video. 

Airport Parking Attitude Surprise

 This is a slightly edited version of an email I sent to the Anchorage Airport Manager a couple of weeks ago after I got charged $15 for losing my parking ticket.  (People in Chicago might think that is cheap, but the issue wasn't the money.  It was the attitude.)


Dear Airport Manager:

Yesterday I picked my wife up at the airport. I got my parking ticket at about 8:20 pm.  On the way out, when I got to the parking payment kiosk, I couldn't find my ticket. I went back to where I had waited and looked to see if I could find it.  Maybe it had fallen out when  I'd pulled some notes out of my shirt pocket that had the ticket.

But it was not to be found. I understand the policy that says $15 - the max for 24 hours - for a lost ticket. Everyone who loses a ticket would claim they were there for just a short time. But in my case, I had been to Costco before picking up my wife. (I'd gone home and dropped things off and waited at home because the plane was delayed.) I had the receipt in my pocket.  I'd used my credit card, so it had my identity on it and the check out  time: 7:05pm. This clearly showed that I couldn't have been at the airport for more than two hours. (It took at least 15 minutes to go through the transaction at the airport exit and it was 9pm when someone finally came and opened the arm.)

 I understood that the woman in the ticket booth didn't have the authority to waive any part of the fee. But she kindly gave me a receipt after I requested one and she signed  my Costco receipt to show that she had seen it at that time. The next morning I called the Anchorage Airport Parking. I understand that verifying things like this is difficult and may lead to endless requests. But I also know that any organization can make exceptions to their rules.

The woman I first talked to said it couldn't be changed, there could be no refund without a ticket.  I understood she didn't have discretion to change it either. But her supervisor, who I talked to next, repeated this in a condescending way. "It's your responsibility to keep possession of your card," in a tone of voice you use with a naughty child who has repeatedly done something wrong. I can afford the $9 difference between the two hours I would have been charged if the two hours had been accepted as the most I could have been there. My real complaint was the attitude that I got. "We charge $15 if you lose your ticket and if you are irresponsible enough to lose your ticket, that's tough. Even if you can prove you couldn't have been there more than two hours, we don't care. Cause that's our rule and we don't have to be nice to you."

I assumed this was a company with a private contract with the Airport. This is a business that I would not return to if it didn't have a monopoly on a public service I have to use because I live in Anchorage. But I don't have any choice. Any good business that wants to keep customers, treats them with respect and doesn't ignore their polite and reasonable requests. At the very least he could have asked me to send in all the evidence I had. A responsible business with customers that have a choice on where to do business would do that or they would lose their customers.

 The issue here is not the money - I probably would have gotten free parking if I had had my ticket at the kiosk.  The issue is the attitude I got from the supervisor on the phone. All companies can waive the rules if they wish. It would be interesting to know how many lost card payments the airport parking gets in a day and if the company keeps all the revenue from them or shares it with the Airport.

I'd hope that you talk to them about customer service and about reasonable requests for waivers of the policy if someone has readily available evidence of the maximum time they could have been parked. The point of the policy is that anyone can say they were only there a short time. I accept that. And if I didn't happen to have that receipt, I wouldn't be writing this email. I just think this was unreasonable and their response was inappropriate for a company that has a monopoly on a public service.  I know you have much more serious issues to deal with, but I wanted you to know what's going on.

Sincerely,

 SA



OK, I got it out of my system. 

But today I got a call from Republic Parking saying that had $15 for me.  I'd forgotten about it and I almost hung up on them.   And then I remembered.  Whoa!  Are you kidding me? 

Since I'd paid cash - that was the night my credit card was canceled because they didn't have my wife's social security number (that's another story) and the first time it was rejected was at the ticket booth - they were refunding the money in cash which I had to pick up.  My wife was out running errands and called.  I told her about the $15 and she went to pick it up.  When she got home, she said they were incredibly polite. 

My thanks to the Airport Manager for following up on this. 

I do still wonder who gets the penalty money and if that encourages them to be so hard-nosed about lost tickets.  But it's better to keep your ticket safe.  I look at this as totally found money that is waiting to passed on to someone who needs it more than I. 

Shell's Kulluk Response: Look How Great We Are!

Shell has a huge oil rig adrift near Kodiak Island, Alaska being battered by high winds and waves. (NOTE - this is not unusual weather for Alaska in the winter.)  But Shell's response is like being at the funeral and talking only about how nice the flowers look.

Here's a press release from Shell yesterday (Jan. 1, 2013)

1.  "We deeply appreciate the professional and effective response of the responders from the U.S. Coast Guard, Shell, Noble, Edison Chouest and many other organizations who worked together seamlessly at sea and under extreme weather conditions to control the vessel, rescue the crew on board, and prevent injury and environmental impact.

The gist of paragraph 1: We were successful!

• "professional and effective response"
• "worked together seamlessly"
• "to control the vessel, rescue the crew on board, and prevent injury and environmental impact"

2.  "In the circumstances we faced over the last 4 days, we cannot underscore enough how significant it is to have weathered fierce winds and high seas with no more than two first aid cases."

The gist of paragraph 2:  We did great under terrible conditions

• In terrible conditions we only had two "first aid cases"

Note:  in the press conferece they said there were three people injured.  Also note that the weather in winter in Alaskan waters is more likely to be terrible than not.  This is NOT unusual weather.  Author Brian Garfield, writing in 1969 about World War II in the Aleutians:

"The conditions were war conditions - war with the enemy, war with the perpetual enemies of weather, water, and terrain." [Thousand Mile War p. 106]

Back to the press release:

3.  "The Kulluk successfully completed its role in supporting our 2012 Alaska exploration program several weeks ago and was en route to winter harbor, through waters off the southern coast of Alaska, when this incident occurred.   We have already begun a review - working with our marine experts, partners and suppliers – of how this sequence of events, including the failure of multiple engines on the MV Aiviq (towing vessel) led to this incident.  We intend to use lessons from that review to strengthen our maritime fleet operations, globally.    

The gist of paragraph 3:  Kulluk was a success and this is merely a learning experience so we can be more successful. 

• successfully completed its role
• headed to winter harbor
• incident occurred
• Review has begun
• with experts, partners, and suppliers
• sequence of events -including multiple engine failures on towing vessel - led to this incident
• Will use lessons from review to make our fleet stronger
•  

4.  "The incident did not involve our drilling operations, nor does it involve any possibility of crude oil release.  Through our role in the Unified Incident Command, we quickly mobilized experts to respond to this situation.  And, we can confidently say that the Shell emergency response assets and contingences that were deployed over the last four days represent the best available in the world."

The gist of paragraph 4:  This wasn't about drilling and we've got the world's best working on this.  We're confident!

• It wasn't our drilling operations
• No chance of crude oil release
• We quickly got the world's best experts

Could you tell from this that:

• Their drilling rig Kulluk broke loose from its towing vessels and had run aground on rocks south of Kodiak Island?
• That this was one more mishap in a series starting last year that delayed drilling for Shell?
• That there's  roughly 143,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of "other petroleum products on this now crewless oil rig being battered by winds and waves?
• 
  

Here's the Anchorage Daily News description.

Keeping Track of the Kulluk - SEACOR Owns The Communications System

From what I can gather online - there is basically one place to keep track of what is happening with the Kulluk: 

Kullukresponse.com  takes you to:  https://www.piersystem.com/go/site/5507* 

This is the site for the "united command" working on the rescuing the rig.  The four entities listed are:  

• Shell
• US Coast Guard
• Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and 
• Noble Drilling. 

They also seem to have a collective Twitter account:  https://twitter.com/kullukresponse

I mentioned that Kullukresponse.com takes you to a url from piersystems. 

Who is Pier? 

The PIER System is an all-in-one, secured web-based solution for crisis preparedness, communications management, public and media relations, employee communications, business continuity and more.
PIER provides flexible solutions for handling internal and external communications, making it easier to deliver messages, streamline processes, automate tedious tasks and prevent inaccuracy during routine events, minor incidents and major catastrophes.

One Solution for All Your Needs

Unlike other products which offer only individual capabilities, PIER has it all—in one fully integrated system. Every feature of PIER works as a stand-alone or partnered with other functions. This efficiency saves you time, money and resources while making management simple and easy.

Two-Way Communication

PIER enables two-way conversations with stakeholders, helping you to determine trending topics, mitigate rumors and strategically assess the best way forward. By listening to your stakeholders, you can get the right information to the right people when it matters most.

Improve the Way You Deliver Information

Expand the possibilities for improved communication management. Automatic updates keep people informed, allowing communicators to strategically and effectively target their audiences and stakeholders to receive and respond to critical messages quickly and efficiently.

Mobile and Remotely Available

PIER is easily accessible from Internet-enabled computers and mobile devices, allowing businesses and organizations to provide information with minimal interruption in the event of disaster or disruption.

It also mentions that Pier was acquired by O'Brien's Response Management.

And O'Brien's is owned by SEACOR:

SEACOR Holdings Inc. (SEACOR) is a diversified, multinational company that owns and operates marine and aviation assets primarily servicing the oil and gas, industrial aviation, and marine transportation industries. SEACOR also owns and operates bulk commodity barges along the U.S. Inland River Waterways; specializes in the purchase, storage, transportation, and sale of agricultural and energy commodities; and provides emergency preparedness and crisis services to governments and industry.

SEACOR is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol CKH.

The New York Times notes in its page on SEACOR Holdings that:

On March 19, 2012, J.F. Lehman & Company acquired National Response Corporation and its affiliated businesses NRC Environmental Services, SEACOR Response, and SEACOR Environmental Products (collectively NRC) from the Company.

I can't tell for sure if this acquisition included the unit that has O'Brien's, but I'm guessing, since O'Brien's still shows up on SEACOR's website, that it doesn't.  


I think it is good that the private companies and the government agencies can work cooperatively in this rescue.  But such cooperation also raises issues of cooptation of the government agencies.  Here are some questions I'd raise:

• If they work closely and cooperatively, what happens to the agencies' responsibilities to monitor the companies and keep them accountable?  
• How will working closely with the people from the companies as a team affect their impartiality and judgment when assessing responsibility and corrective measures?
• What happens when all the information is posted on a site owned by a company that is in the oil support industry and is active in marine drilling and safety?  

At first glance we can appreciate that they are specialized in emergency communication systems - including this website design.

• But what control does the government have of this website?  
• What if the governmental agencies have disputes with Shell and Noble about what should go up?
• Or worse, what if they have no disputes at all?
• What obligations are there for this website to stay operational after the event? 
• Why do media, government, and the public have to fill in information boxes before they can ask questions, but there are no names of people to contact on the website?

This feels a bit like Diebold running the voting machines. 

I don't think the industry that has caused the problem should be the one running the information system the public and the media have to use to get information about what's going on. 

I understand that government salary levels don't allow them to compete with the private sector for the best and brightest computer folks.  But when they contract out for private companies to run the website for something like this, they should get a company that has no interest in the content of the website.  I suspect though that Shell and Noble suggested, and maybe are even paying for, the website.  But there's no such thing as a free website. 

Famous People Born 1913 Part II: 2 Still Alive And The List

These posts looking back back to see who was born 100 years ago (1908  1909  1910  1911 skipped 1912)  have been fun to do, though they take a lot of time (that's why 1912 never got finished.)  This time I'm doing it in several parts, since each will offer lots to read.  Three things I've found particularly interesting:

1. Seeing the people, born the same year,  in the same cohort, who would have been in the same class at school if they'd lived in the same place, and had the same world events shape their lives.  Yet they have different talents and different interests and they become known for different things.
2. Contemplating mortality.  I order their bios in order of death.  Even though they were all born they same year, they lived from 46 years to, well, two are still alive.  The life lottery beguiles me.  Why do some people only get a short time on earth and others longer? (And, of course, a human lifetime is is just a moment in the history of the world.)
3. Looking into their backgrounds, their family lives, their failures and triumphs.  It raises questions for me about what we think of as important and unimportant in the greater scheme of things.  Unfortunately, this year, it has been hard to find details of early upbringing and personal lives of many of the subjects. 

So, the first post gave a background on the year 1913, including a link to an interesting video with a panel talking about the cultural situation of 1913.  It was very much a time of change.  

This post has video of the two that appear to still be alive, both opera singers, Risë Stevens and Licia Albanese.   You can listen to them as you go through the table with the list in birth order.  When you think about it, as kids, six months age difference means a lot, so for the first 20 years or so, the age difference among them might have been significant. And then, it means nothing.  Especially as those who were older die and their age freezes in time and the younger ones go on living and getting older. 

Finally, I'll have two or three more posts with more information about each person. Looking at their lives, trying to find commonalities and seeing the differences, hopefully finding some insights.  As always, these lists tend to be heavy with white, Western, males, reflecting who has had power and fame - certainly during the lifetime of these folks - in the west. 

This list seems to have more unsavory characters than past lists. 


Two people on the list appear to still be alive:

Risë Stevens



And Licia Albanese






The Chart

People Born 1913 From Oldest to Youngest
Jan-June			June-December
Jan 4	Rosa Parks	Civil Rights	June 14	Gerald Ford	US President
Jan 6	Loretta Young	Actor	June 18	Sammy Cahn	Songwriter
Jan 6	Mary Leaky	Anthropologist	June 18	Red Skelton	Comic
Jan 9	Richard Nixon	US President	July 22	Licia Albanese*	Soprano
Jan 13	Mel Allen	Sportscaster	Aug 16	Menachem Begin	Israeli PM
Jan 14	Woody Hayes	Football Coach	Aug 25	Walt Kelly	Cartoonist
Jan 14	Jimmy Hoffa	Teamsters Boss	Sep 3	Alan Ladd	Actor
Jan 18	Danny Kaye	Actor	Sep 9	Bear Bryant	Football Coach
Feb 25	Jim Backus	Mr. Magoo	Sep 12	Jesse Owens	Track Star
Mar 13	William Casey	CIA Head	Sep 27	Albert Ellis	Psychologist
Mar 22	Lew Wasserman	Film Exec	Sep 29	Stanley Kramer	Film Director
Mar 26	Paul Erdos	Nobel Prize Math	Oct 10	Klaus Barbie	Nazi War Criminal
Mar 30	Richard Helms	CIA Head	Nov 2	Burt Lancaster	Actor
Apr 11	Oleg Cassini	Fashion Designer	Nov 5	Vivien Leigh	Actor
May3	William Inge	Playwright	Nov 7	Albert Camus	Novelist
May 16	Woody Herman	Jazz Clarinet	Nov 9	Hedy Lamarr	Actor
May 20	William Hewlett	Tech Exec	Nov 22	Benjamin Britten	Composer
June 11	Vince Lombardi	Football Coach	Dec 1	Mary Martin	Actor
June 11	Risë Stevens	Mezzo-Soprano	Dec 12	Delmore Schwartz	Poet
June 12	Willis Lamb	Physicist	Dec 18	Willy Brandt	German PM
June 13	Maersk McKinny Møller	Shipping Exec

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Part 3:  The list, with bios and pics, starting with the youngest one to die - Albert Camus.