Jumping the gun anyway . . .

Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap

(Image from news.gather.com)

News from cyber-buddy Malcolm Pollack over at Waka Waka Waka, who has just received an important email bulletin from the Washington Post:

News Alert: Gulf Coast oil cap in place over blown-out well
09:55 PM EDT Thursday, June 3, 2010

A cap is in place over the Gulf of Mexico gusher, live video footage provided by the company showed Thursday night, but the spewing oil made it very difficult to tell if the cap was fitting well.

As Malcolm helpfully noted, this is like saying . . . oh, any number of things:

Fire-retardant chemicals have been applied to the conflagration, but the towering wall of flames made it difficult to tell if the blaze had been extinguished.

The defenders had recently fortified the citadel with a moat, hornworks, and bastions, but the hordes swarming over the walls made it impossible to judge their effectiveness.

It was simply too dark to see if the lights were on.

But as Malcolm later admitted:

Update, 6/4: this morning I learnt that oil was expected to flow through the cap after it was installed. Apparently there are relief valves that will be closed once suction pipes are attached. My jeering and japery may, it seems, have been premature.

Premature? Perhaps, but they were fun to read. Here's an apt headline:

Admission of Premature Remarks Admits of Remarkable Maturity

All in good fun, Malcolm -- relief valves included . . .