It’s encouraging that the Gulf Spill seems to have been stopped … and that there may be less environmental harm than earlier feared … but it’s sobering to remember the lives lost in the original explosion and the tremendous economic and psychological damage suffered in the region. I ache for the people, the families, the communities.

New Pig played a role in the cleanup as a supplier of absorbent booms, and in behind-the-scenes ways cooperating with other suppliers. It’s nice to have helped even in a small way, but it’s hard to process the enormity of the events.

Can there be a moment of silence in a blog post? I’m trying to create that with the white space below.

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I passed a truck full of bags this morning.

(Insert your punchline here.)

These were big, heavy, completely-loaded bags.

(Go on, get it out of your system.)

A flatbed with dozens of them.

And I thought: “Are those Transformer Bags?” Full proper name: PIG® Transformer Containment Bag—one of our newer products, made for safe handling and transport of electrical transformers.

Who knew those things are filled with mineral oil that acts as coolant? (also known as transformer oil, I’ve learned). Next time you see a transformer hanging on an electrical pole, you’re looking at something a lot like a drum of oil. When they need repairing or replacement, these bags of ours come in handy: to say they’re strong and have absorbent capacity is an understatement.

Anyway, on the door of this truck that I was passing was the name of a local landscaping supply company. So instead of transformers, these bags must have held mulch or gravel or something.

Oh, well. At least you got it out of your system.

A notable topic in many meetings around here lately is our friend aluminum. I’ll explain why another time.

For now, I just want to note that it wasn’t all that long ago that I found out that most of the world outside of the U.S. spells and says aluminium ( the extra letter “I” makes it al-yoo-MIN-ee-um). It never fails to amuse me.

“You’re saying it wrong!”

“No, YOU’RE saying it wrong!”

Terms matter when offering products to particular audiences. It was a pretty big deal around here years ago when we switched from saying “sheets” to “pads” when referring to pieces of Mat in stacks (ahem, bales) like you see below, because we learned that “pads” made more sense to more customers for these products.

For the same reason, there was a point when we switched from “wipes” to “wipers” when referring to these thingies:

But recently when I mentioned to a friend outside of work that we sell Wipers, he was momentarily confused because he thought I meant these.

Ah, fun with words …

As awful as the Gulf Spill is, I just read an article that’s a good reminder of everyday ways that oil and gas reach the oceans in even greater amounts than the current disaster involves. The figures are stunning:

• Estimates of the Gulf Spill: 83 - 156 million gallons
• Estimated annual amount spilled worldwide from routine causes: 400 million gallons
• Estimated annual amount entering the ocean from natural seepage: 180 million gallons

The article mentions that routine discharges behind these estimates include oil drips from vehicles, gasoline spills at gas stations, recreational boating, commercial ships and tankers, and oil production.

For decades, we at New Pig have been helping workplaces control oil and other liquids that leak, drip, spill or spray — not only to keep floors safer but to keep liquids from reaching drains that may eventually flow to the seas.

Catch those pump drips …

Capture that overspray …

Block that drain …

… and the oceans will be cleaner for it.

Here’s an entry off the beaten path …

This weekend, I happened upon a recording of Hal Holbrook’s famous portrayal of Mark Twain. It’s double comic genius.

Then I happened to wonder about any connections between pigs and Mark Twain. I asked my buddy Google about that and was pointed to this quotation: (It’s a good one, but I gather in various sites that it’s not necessarily from Mark Twain):

Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes time and annoys the pig.

Hey, we’ve all been there, right?

Anyway, I also read that Twain based the character of the noble Jim in “Huckleberry Finn” on a pig farmer—yes, a farmer of pigs— named John T. Lewis. Here, I found a picture of the two men (no pigs in sight, but a man does need to knock off work now and then):

Here’s a quote from Twain about Lewis: “I have not known an honester man nor a more respect-worthy one.”

I’m sure that Lewis treated his pigs well through to their appointed ends. Mortality in the hands of an immortal.

Hm, I could use the previous sentence as a segue to mention New Pig’s forever guarantee. But no, that would just be ham-handed.

One of the wacky gals here in the office (she won’t let me give her name) combined two ideas and came up with …

Form-A-Funnel® cake

That right there is hilarious.

If you don’t know what funnel cake is, you haven’t lived, and you need to click here. It looks like this:

Mmmm. You need some now.

It’s found at fairs, carnivals and street fairs in discerning parts of the country. It’s made like this: (see the funnel???)

Find it. Get on a plane if you have to. Summer’s almost over.

I’m not proposing that anyone drain batter through a PIG® Form-A-Funnel® Flexible Draining Tool into bubbling grease. I can see issues with that. Save it for oil changes and other work in the shop.

But someone with some flair and cooking skills has to do something to make that phrase—Form-A-Funnel® cake!—come to life. It’s just too funny not to.

Is it just me?

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Speaking of bubbling grease and fine dining reminds me to remind you that there are PIG® products that help make commercial kitchens safer and more productive. Fry ‘em—er, try ‘em, you’ll like ‘em.

Breaking news from the New Pig Absorbatory!

Look at (and listen to) what our intrepid product developers discovered while working on a new way to package PIG BLUE® Absorbent Mat!

This was by accident, not design. Yes, pure sow-rendipity!

That’s the Roll form. Will we coax a GRUNT from PIG BLUE® Absorbent Pads? Stay tuned!

I got a surge of pride today from an online product review. TimL left the following comment on the page for PIG® Oil-Only Absorbent Mat (bolding added). Thanks, Tim!

We have been useing Pig Mats for quite a few years now. They have always done a great job, when used for what they are designed for. We have had other companies attempt to sell to us, and give us samples. The sells pitch usualy starts out with “Our product is as good as New Pig.” Thier products are usualy smaller and/or lighter, they do not realy compare. I believe that if you want the best buy from the people that others try to compare themselves to.