I just now worked up the nerve to call my friend in Pensacola, and he reports they have been spared the heavy spills reported in the Louisiana area, although there are spot reports of oil coming ashore here and there, he has seen patches of it in the bay himself, and there is still quite a bit threatening just offshore.
He expects there will be oil on the Gulf beaches before it's all over, but with luck the estuary and bay will remain fairly clean.

His own furniture restoration business had suffered while his furniture repair businesses boomed as people anticipated economic distress, although as soon as the media reported the well plug, the situation reversed as people suddenly convinced themselves the threat was over. He has considered making a claim to BP for losses on his rental property due to cancellations, but he fears he will have to compete with the fraudulent claims that are sprouting all over, as can be expected. In general, he knows it is not over yet, but he thinks the worst is over now and he is cautiously optimistic about the future.

This is pretty much the impression I got from the media as well, at least AFTER the news of the successful plug was released. But I suspect you won't take my word for that. You world view demands that there be a media conspiracy, (over and above the traditional sensationalism of the press) and that anyone who challenges you has been taken in by it.

I was tempted to tell my friend that if all the oil spilled in the Gulf by BP were uniformly distributed throughout its entire volume the concentration would be so low he wouldn't even be able to smell it if he went swimming. But doubted it would make him feel any better and I thought it best to restrain myself.

As for my obtuseness, you are way too eager to make your point, even when no one is actively disputing it, for us to take you very seriously. You have demonstrated you have a dog in this fight, TB, which means we just don't trust you any more.