Oil

JOHN RUSSEL is hopeless as a handyman. The first time he tried to use a table saw he inherited from his father, he cut off a finger. But John had a secret weapon: his brother. After moving to Los Angeles, John would have to cope with the problems every homeowner has to face. When a problem was defeating him, he called his brother back in Secane, Delaware County. His brother, Frank Ross "Beansie" Russel, was an amazing handyman. He could fix anything - and enjoy doing it. "I would call him up about something that was broken that was frustrating me," John said, "and he would say, 'John, calm down, we have the technology.' " Frank Russel died Monday of cancer.

WASHINGTON - Plans to burn hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil from BP's blown-out well are raising new questions about the health and safety of the thousands of workers on rigs and vessels near the spill site. BP and the federal government are in new territory once again in dealing with the nation's worst environmental disaster: There has never been such a huge flaring of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, or possibly anywhere. The incineration of such huge amounts of oil combined with the black clouds of smoke already wafting over the gulf waters from controlled burns of surface oil create pollution hazards for the estimated 2,000 people working in the area.

An 84-year-old woman died at a Burlington County hospital Monday night two days after drinking tiki torch lamp oil that she had mistaken for apple juice. Four other people across New Jersey have gotten sick since May from accidentally drinking the amber liquid, prompting state officials to issue a health alert yesterday about the hazards of ingesting it. Officials have urged people to keep tiki torch fluid far away from foods and common areas to avoid confusion. "Lamp oil bottles closely resemble juice containers and the colors of those fluids is indistinguishable from juice," said Bruce Ruck, spokesman for the state Poison Information and Education System.

GAS PRICES will never be what they used to be, we know that. Is it just coincidental that the fictional oil crunch just happens to coincide with the introduction of hybrid automobiles? If gas were so scarce, why hasn't SEPTA had a fare increase? Yet they were going to allow a strike over healthcare benefits, something they were already paying for. Darnell Perry Sr., Philadelphia

If you've been to a gas station lately, you have no doubt been shocked by the prices: $1.67, $1.78, even $1.92. And that's just for Hostess Twinkies. Gas prices are even worse. Americans are ticked off about this, and with good reason: Our rights are being violated! The First Amendment clearly states: "In addition to freedom of speech, Americans shall always have low gasoline prices, so they can drive around in 'sport utility' vehicles the size of minor planets. " And don't let any so-called "economists" try to tell you that foreigners pay more for gas than we do. Foreigners use metric gasoline, which is sold in foreign units called "kilometers," plus they are paying for it with foreign currencies such as the "franc," the "lira" and the "doubloon.

The drilling rig is coming to South Philadelphia. A contractor for the Sun Co. is expected to begin sinking test wells next week in the Passyunk Homes housing project to find out how far underground petroleum has spread from a nearby military supply base. The drilling will "bore far enough down to tell where the plume is likely to be," said Rob Goldberg, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection. The immediate concern is the extent of contamination from the Defense Personnel Support Center, near the Schuylkill Expressway, rather than Sun's own property, where the company is cleaning up other plumes of oil. The base, Sun and the DEP have agreed on a need to pinpoint contamination in the area.

Pour a few handfuls of chopped-up corn stalks or switchgrass into a hopper. Heat rapidly. Funnel the resulting mixture through an intricate network of metal pipes and canisters. Out the other end - drip, drip - comes a thick brown liquid that looks an awful lot like oil. Called bio oil, it is not quite the same as what comes out of a well. But it is close enough that government scientists think the process, called fast pyrolysis, is a promising way for farmers to enhance energy security.

It could be an oil-producing nation on the Persian Gulf: Oil taxes generate nearly 85 percent of government revenues. In the boom years, it launched scores of expensive projects - schools, roads, hospitals - all across what was once a wasteland. Now, the boom has fizzled. Per-capita income is down, and thousands of skilled workers from elsewhere are packing up to go home. Or, it could be an oil-dependent Latin American debtor nation: It owes nearly $1 billion, almost all of it due in 10 years or less.

To me, the Arctic refuge represents everything spectacular and everything endangered about America's natural heritage: a million years of ecological serenity . . . an irreplaceable sanctuary for polar bears, white wolves and 130,000 caribou.. . .For 20,000 years - literally hundreds of generations - the native Gwich'in people have inhabited this sacred place, following the caribou herd and leaving the awe-inspiring landscape just as they found it. . . . It is a sad day indeed when our President and congressional leaders would sacrifice America's largest wildlife refuge for the sake of a possible six-month supply of national energy.

That's what I like," said Slats Grobnik, with a snort and a snicker. "I like a guy who doesn't make any snap decisions. " Who are you talking about? "Who else? Our new leader, the commander in chief, the great horseshoe player, President Bush. " What has brought on your sudden admiration? "Well, I just heard he said the big oil leak in Alaska is the oil company's fault, but he's going to send in troops to help clean it up anyway. " I think that is a decision we can all agree on. "Right, and what I like is he just didn't rush in there with any whatchacallits.

Life amid the Irish Troubles. On Movies, H2.

JOHN RUSSEL is hopeless as a handyman. The first time he tried to use a table saw he inherited from his father, he cut off a finger. But John had a secret weapon: his brother. After moving to Los Angeles, John would have to cope with the problems every homeowner has to face. When a problem was defeating him, he called his brother back in Secane, Delaware County. His brother, Frank Ross "Beansie" Russel, was an amazing handyman. He could fix anything - and enjoy doing it. "I would call him up about something that was broken that was frustrating me," John said, "and he would say, 'John, calm down, we have the technology.' " Frank Russel died Monday of cancer.

?? servings ?? 2 cups whole wheat    flour 11/2 cups buckwheat    flour 11/2 teaspoons baking    powder 1/2 teaspoon baking    soda 2 eggs 3 cups buttermilk Cooking oil or bacon    drippings 1. Sift together the whole wheat and buckwheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt three times in order to combine all ingredients evenly. Beat the eggs until lemon color, then beat in the buttermilk. Form a valley in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture.

Makes 2-4 servings 8 ounces fresh chèvre, room temperature 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon green peppercorns, milled or ground Fresh rosemary and thyme, to taste Sea salt (optional) Combine these ingredients to form a uniformly zesty dip, or simply drizzle the olive oil and herbs over a log of fresh goat cheese for a mezze-style appetizer. Set the goat cheese on a lipped plate and press down on it with the back of a spoon, creating a trough for your toppings.

Eating fish is good for your heart, but taking fish-oil capsules does not help people at high risk of heart problems who are already taking medicines to prevent them, a large study in Italy found. The work makes clearer who does and does not benefit from taking supplements of the good oils found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines. Previous studies have suggested that fish-oil capsules could lower heart risks in people with heart failure or who have already suffered a heart attack.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's northern Kurdish region is pressing the Obama administration to remain neutral in a dispute with the central government over whether it can export oil and gas without Baghdad's approval. The Kurdish Regional Government's energy minister, Ashti Hawrami, was meeting with administration officials Friday following recent talks with Turkey about completing pipelines, over Baghdad's objections, that could vastly expand the Kurds' ability to directly sell oil and gas. The U.S. opposition to the Kurds' energy deals has put it at odds with NATO ally Turkey amid concerns that the dispute over dividing Iraq's energy wealth could threaten that country's stability.

Penn Virginia Corp., which has a long history in the coal and gas business, is becoming more oily. The Radnor energy company announced that it was dramatically expanding its holdings in the oil-rich Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas with the acquisition of 19,000 acres of prospective and producing leases for $401 million. The company agreed to buy the leases from Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. The acreage contains estimated proved reserves of 12 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Satirist is out on bail in Egypt CAIRO - A popular TV satirist known as Egypt's Jon Stewart was released on bail Sunday after nearly five hours of interrogation over allegations that he broke the law by insulting Islam and the president. Bassem Youssef is the most prominent critic of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to be called in for questioning in recent weeks in what the opposition says is a campaign to intimidate critics amid wave after wave of political unrest in deeply polarized Egypt.

Two foreign shipping companies were fined $10.4 million in a federal criminal case after pleading guilty Thursday in Newark, N.J., to dumping oil illegally into the ocean and then doctoring records to cover it up. Of the $10.4 million, $2.6 million will be used to conserve, preserve, and restore coastal areas of New Jersey and Delaware affected by Hurricane Sandy. Because the ships had visited ports in Delaware and Carteret, N.J., the Coast Guard became involved. Paul Fishman, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, and Todd Wiemers, the Coast Guard deputy commander of the Delaware Bay sector, announced the penalties.