tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-208083242024-03-18T22:44:36.249-07:00EvolutionRightThe journey from Kennedy Democrat to Reagan Republican really wasn't that long of a trip.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-46935079728281182013-08-24T02:23:00.001-07:002013-08-24T02:23:12.137-07:00Don't ya hate being bored<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;">I'm bored!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;">And you know what? Going out and shooting a human being isn't even on my radar of how to offset this feeling.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;">I've got guns, but as much as they've called to me with their siren song, I don't hear them. Must be I can't hear it...all those years of rock and roll, although the tinnitus drives me insane.</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;"><br /><br />I was bored as a kid.<br /><br />Do you know what my friends and I did?<br /><br />We hiked up into the hills and dug caves/gold mines, we drug wagons up the fire roads to the top of the mountain and had races down.<br /><br />We hiked to the waterfall (about 12 ft tall with a trickle of moisture cascading over it) and spent the afternoons dreaming about what we could do.<br /><br />As we got older...<br /><br />Grass clod wars (you could take someone off their feet with a properly thrown fling)<br /><br />BB gun wars (stopped after a year, when in spite of heavy jackets, helmets and shop goggles, we came damn close to putting someones eye out...don't tell our parents!!!)<br /><br />We rode our bike to the little town near us and annoyed the shop owners by shopping/dreaming over their merchandise. (No thought of stealing as we had all at one time or another "taken" a pack of gum or something...got caught...and had to return it, apologise to the manager, then got out hide tanned.)<br /><br />Hiking to the waterfall and spending the afternoons dreaming about what we could do.<br /><br />As teenagers...<br /><br />Cruise Foothill Blvd.. Start in La Canada and see if you could make it to Tujunga without hitting stop light (about 7 miles)<br /><br />Do the stalker thing with whoever your friends next love will be. (OOO, her bedroom light is on at 9 PM, she isn't dating someone else, so maybe I should call her!!!!) (He won't)<br /><br />Drive like a complete idiot at too high a speed for your parents sedan. ( We did this over "The Crest", the Angeles Forest Highway, a good speed run from La Canada to Sunland was thrilling for the driver and the poor passengers. Nothing but twisty-turny road.)<br /><br />Hiking to the waterfall and spending the afternoons dreaming about what we could do.</span>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-80666694241056038622013-05-07T03:01:00.002-07:002013-05-07T03:01:56.146-07:00Damn...It's been a yearI was gone, but Facebook kind of took over the few time I wanted to post.<br /><br />I'm a little bit more comfortable posting in short bursts, but I would like to keep this avenue open.<br /><br />Haven't figured out how to work this out yet, but I think I'll try to use this is I ever want to do a major rant and link back to it.<br />
<br />SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-54782229225973752562012-03-23T22:52:00.000-07:002012-03-23T22:55:26.591-07:00Ready For The Car Buyer Lottery?The Supreme Court is going to hear arguments on the Constitutionality of ObamaCare and it's ability to force you to pay for whatever level of health insurance the government deems necessary and appropriate. It matters not if you are a 27 years old guy (under 27, don't worry, you're covered under your parents policy...still, ya slacker) and should be relatively healthy, you will be covered (paying for) your contraceptive pills, abortions and Hoveround.<br /><br />Once established that your action, or inaction, affects the economy, the government is free to establish any parameter of what you spend your money on. Thinking about buying a new car? Well GM hasn't sold a lot of their crap lately and Kia is selling lot, so to make sure that the wealth is spread evenly the government should set up a lottery on car sales. In order to make sure that GM gets it's “fair share” of sales, you will be assigned to which company you can buy your car from.<br /><br />If you really, really want that Kia over the “comparable” GM, then all you need to do is pay a fee/penalty of the difference of price to the company you were assigned to...unless you were assigned to buy from Kia and GM's price was higher, then all penalties are waived.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-75530919000975364172012-01-13T12:43:00.000-08:002012-01-13T13:09:56.234-08:00I've Seen This Before<span style="font-weight:bold;">Resistance is futile.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/epa-penalizes-refiners-for-failing-to-use-fuel-that-does-not-exist/">EPA Penalizes Refiners For Failing to Use Fuel That ‘Does Not Exist’</a><br /><br />{Bold: mine}<br /><br /><blockquote>Companies supplying motor fuel will have to pay approximately $6.8 million in fines to the Treasury because they failed to “mix a special type of biofuel into their gasoline and diesel,” writes Matthew L. Wald of the New York Times.<br /><br />However, the fine isn’t the worst part. The worst part is the fact that the refiners could have tried everything in their power to remain in compliance with standards set by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, and it might not have mattered.<br /><br />Why? Because there is not enough of this “special type of biofuel” to go around. <span style="font-weight:bold;">In fact, with the exception of some scattered workshops and laboratories, “the ingredient, cellulosic biofuel, does not exist,”</span> according to the Times report.</blockquote><br /><br />And the penalties go up next year. Remember that when you're paying over $4/gallon at the pump because the companies are going to have to come up with the cash for the penalties to pay those fines.<br /><br />I ran into this type of situation with the EPA about 20 years ago with my old oil company. We had a customer with an underground storage tank that was old and leaking. We worked out a deal with the owner for a long term no interest loan to replace the tank as she only owned one well that produced about 3 bbls. per day.<br /><br />It may be hard to remember, but the price of oil back then was around $8/bbl. and our crappy oil only got around $6/bbl.<br /><br />This is where the EPA stepped in. In order for up to get the permits to replace the tank, we had to install some monitoring technology they wanted...problem was the technology did not exist.<br /><br />So for another 15 years, when the company finally folded, the tank continued to weep.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-22611759577400011772012-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:002012-01-11T22:25:06.785-08:00New LookHadn't been by in quit a while and they gave me new toys to play with so I desided to play and see if I like this style better.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-63422317056208817532012-01-11T21:16:00.000-08:002012-01-11T21:30:00.980-08:00Too MuchOverwhelmed or just burned out. You pick. I just couldn't bring myself to post for the last few months. I think I'm over that now. The country, right this moment is in the middle of tearing itself apart over the next Republican nominee for president.<br /><br />I, being a Non-Romney have been racking my self senseless trying to figure out who to support over the last month. I have arrived at no conclusion after Iowa, and New Hampshire outside of not voting for Luap Nor (that's Ron Paul for those outside the Empire), but I'd vote for him over Obama.<br /><br />I'm coming back, so give me a day and I'll start posting again.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-75369142936647935992011-09-02T21:58:00.000-07:002011-09-02T23:02:32.578-07:00Dear Mr. PresidentYou are wasting my time.
<br />
<br />The economy is in the tank (0 jobs created...or saved this month)and I was looking forward to your speech on creating much needed jobs...as soon as you finished your vacation.
<br />
<br />Now that you have returned I am told that your speech will offer NO specifics, just an overview of what you think should be addressed to improve the job market.
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<br />We have heard this speech 5,632 times over the last three years and frankly it bores the hell out of me. Nothing but generalizations about "Green Jobs" ($535 million stimulus to Solyndra and still goes bankrupt), getting banks to loosen up credit to people that can't afford to repay the loan (my house lost another 1.5% in value this month due to foreclosures)and in typical Democratic logic, promising to reduce regulations that hinder companies from committing to new hires (enacting 5 job killing regs then delaying the implementation of 2 of them).
<br />
<br />First you request to address a joint session of congress on the day the GOP debate is scheduled that includes the newest candidate that is racing up the polls (I'm sure you weren't even aware he threw his hat in the ring being you were so focused on creating jobs)which was rightly turned down, but you will accept doing it one day later...and you'll start really early so as not to interfere with the start of the premier MNF game.
<br />
<br />If the conflict had arisen, I would have watched the debate, and if you haven't finished by kickoff, I'm switching to the game.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-34570381996471588822011-03-03T10:42:00.001-08:002011-03-03T10:59:32.246-08:00Decision Making<span style="font-weight:bold;">OMG!!!</span><br /><br />I'm listening to pResident Obambi do a presser with Mexico's pResident Calderon.<br /><br />I swear these guys would have invaded Europe on June 7th at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-41732905409350283392011-02-14T09:22:00.000-08:002011-02-14T09:52:39.111-08:00OMG! Reality Smacks MSNBC In The HeadI'm guessing someone didn't vet this guy before they let him on.<br /><br />Even though the LSM is celebrating the "grass root movement" (note: not anything like the racist angry populous movement in the U.S. called the "Tea Party") that has toppled Mubarak peacefully (so far) and left nothing but a military junta in it's place with no discernible goals, parties or what the hell they are going to do next.<br /><br />Watch the faces of the hosts while this guy lays out the reality of what is happening, the disjointed reaction of Obambi and his people and that most likely the whirling blades of the ventilation unit hasn't met with the waste product yet.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V9sMo-LTdSc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-33490967795388982882011-02-13T19:53:00.000-08:002011-02-13T20:05:34.085-08:00And All Logic Has Now Left The BuildingFrom our cousins across the pond:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/outdoors/8318985/Shed-owners-warned-wire-on-windows-could-hurt-burglars.html">Shed owners warned wire on windows could hurt burglars</a><br /></span><br /><br /><blockquote>A spate of thefts in several towns and villages in Kent and Surrey over the past few months led to many householders taking action to protect their property.<br /><br />Some have been warned by police that using wire mesh to reinforce shed windows was ''dangerous’’ and could lead to criminals claiming compensation if they ''hurt themselves’’. </blockquote><br /><br />Trespassing and burglary don't factor in. You are held accountable for some asshat cutting his hand trying to pry off the wire mesh from your shed so he can take your property.<br /><br />F.E.T.E.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-66378383992629082522011-02-05T19:53:00.000-08:002011-02-05T20:05:50.632-08:00Super Bowl Sunday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zcz5bG0mIji5qu0ZM5-68XvvwTFuX1a6SNqCSknkcFUN4bAayBpvFvRiBfXHzWTklgyzpl6y4pMWgUhpNDrFHyUokFo5ISqgP4zcx2iFFbe8FNAyvKKvExQGDNVBLLwJew29/s1600/HDTV+Football.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zcz5bG0mIji5qu0ZM5-68XvvwTFuX1a6SNqCSknkcFUN4bAayBpvFvRiBfXHzWTklgyzpl6y4pMWgUhpNDrFHyUokFo5ISqgP4zcx2iFFbe8FNAyvKKvExQGDNVBLLwJew29/s400/HDTV+Football.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570420131031421282" /></a><br /><br />At the end of December, I bought a new 47" HDTV and I was jazzed that I was going to be able to watch the Super Bowl with a huge screen and surround sound...Up until about 5 days ago when it dawned on me I'm working days that weekend.<br /><br />I get to sit in my crappy office with a 13" POS TV with lousy speakers having to scoot in and out to deal with the facility.<br /><br />Sometimes life just sucks.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-61429449607900936522011-02-03T21:50:00.001-08:002011-02-06T20:34:15.626-08:00A Dear Old Friend Retires (Updated)After 8 years of dedicated service and support, an old friend is finally being put out to pasture. He sheltered me from heat and inclement weather. Let me know when something was going to whack my head unexpectedly. He's been run over by vehicles and skittered across the ground in sudden gust of wind. He and I have taken a lot of verbal abuse over our dedication to each other. I will miss him.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUu9kxCG85YhO1kRcPIgeK7VYp45qg8sQNqpY969YNJ51-Qaicd1x-4AIJv9_rTrsMNrci4NcvUh2GAux3YB9gvdypg_CfgAZeYkq_Trbtz3_jzdLo3DAvyD9Q1184tsqlcz9/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUu9kxCG85YhO1kRcPIgeK7VYp45qg8sQNqpY969YNJ51-Qaicd1x-4AIJv9_rTrsMNrci4NcvUh2GAux3YB9gvdypg_CfgAZeYkq_Trbtz3_jzdLo3DAvyD9Q1184tsqlcz9/s400/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569708006330022210" /></a><br /><br />We stuck together longer than we should have, but it is hard to let go of a relationship that has, over the years made us just fit.<br /><br />Now I have the "new guy", he looks just like my old friend did all those years ago, but we don't have the familiar comfort that existed before. At least not yet. Perhaps in a year or so we will find that ease of fit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdICqFkHp9Jjj4ZVdG92FKbnu6Ty7OpGAfBgn7z5LRfKYdIhyphenhyphenDptzEUMMDPwLFKYe-O9AoDnD56qNsVo4qLx4E26CmZEyUdbTbV4t-fUGItQb35J0s0FeIy3vLLRiELSMP7_b/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdICqFkHp9Jjj4ZVdG92FKbnu6Ty7OpGAfBgn7z5LRfKYdIhyphenhyphenDptzEUMMDPwLFKYe-O9AoDnD56qNsVo4qLx4E26CmZEyUdbTbV4t-fUGItQb35J0s0FeIy3vLLRiELSMP7_b/s400/006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569708177365902370" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update:</span> Funny, but I was just on my Facebook page and realized my avatar is a picture from right after I first started working with my friend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WGRLV7DzjL0OBJcTRxxamB1yALe8qKDzc2ndyn-c4zGsLUa1SZY29u29FX7wbxYliPgtUCV6bOip2K6D4LsF3R-N-zIeY6JDKa6hjM9gJIv_JsNorX5qFyrW52qb5Xu6oPdb/s1600/Facebook+Avatar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WGRLV7DzjL0OBJcTRxxamB1yALe8qKDzc2ndyn-c4zGsLUa1SZY29u29FX7wbxYliPgtUCV6bOip2K6D4LsF3R-N-zIeY6JDKa6hjM9gJIv_JsNorX5qFyrW52qb5Xu6oPdb/s400/Facebook+Avatar.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570801072983552866" /></a>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-5472132787205741162011-01-27T08:03:00.000-08:002011-01-27T08:42:00.657-08:00This Is Depressing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLIyCXsREoD6gerEs99Pa0rvmdBrLkxq_GNxeVaPoQjz19Ybd8QAqTv8aGNz6vaNTf1drS58ZaqCAkXrJd2Q6y6DRMiNWlceOptCKVf1Okc48wOM6btmiLVBR8vMShGlfX5bX/s1600/sledding.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLIyCXsREoD6gerEs99Pa0rvmdBrLkxq_GNxeVaPoQjz19Ybd8QAqTv8aGNz6vaNTf1drS58ZaqCAkXrJd2Q6y6DRMiNWlceOptCKVf1Okc48wOM6btmiLVBR8vMShGlfX5bX/s320/sledding.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566906583773596322" /></a><br />Growing up in Los Angeles, trying to kill yourself sledding took a lot of forethought. You couldn't just grab your sled after school and wander to the closest slope. We had to load up our sled, toboggans and inner-tubes and drive up to the snow in Angeles National Forest(about a 30-40 minute drive from my home).<br /><br />Those rare occasions that we could convince a Dad to haul us up into the mountains were rare, but we couldn't wait to get up there and careen down hills and dodge trees. I remember crashing into trees and not being able to stop and falling into the stream at the bottom of the run. Bruises, limps and gashes were a badge of honor for the next school day when you could brag about hitting that bump in the run at 100 mph and flying at least 1/4 mile before getting the wind knocked out of you on landing...right before you hit the tree.<br /><br />Now it seems to be a thing of the past (via <a href="http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/sometimes-lawyers-just-really-suck/">Outside the Beltway</a>)<br /><br /><object id="flashObj" width="486" height="412" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=761827512001&playerID=651974715001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMIP6E~,BRrRHTAljlF40NofMDxsColEK-8KEsxy&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=761827512001&playerID=651974715001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMIP6E~,BRrRHTAljlF40NofMDxsColEK-8KEsxy&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br /><br />I understand why cities would ban this. Today people just can't recognize that when they do something that entails some risk, there is a chance of getting hurt. Well, maybe they do, but being they got hurt, someone should have stopped them from doing it, so they sue. Now, even if you are willing to take the risk, you can't.<br /><br />It's sad that kids growing up now will not get to enjoy that rush of joy from being on the edge of disaster and living through it.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-66388305698450399512011-01-20T20:10:00.000-08:002011-01-27T08:03:28.426-08:00The Bill Just Needs To Be TweakedObamacare is basically good for the people, it only needs a few corrections...they tell us.<br /><br />A 2,000 page bill that no one, including the idiot congresscritters, had a chance to read and is filled with directives like "the Secretary shall decided", which means we don't know what the hell was voted on. Now they tell us it needs a few corrections. We are going to end up with a 5,000 page bill filled with "replacing Article 5, paragraph 3" and "super-ceding Article 2, unless conforming to Article 5, paragraph 9, line 15".<br /><br />It's going to give the Tax Code a run for it's money before it's corrected... and it will never be completely corrected because the brilliant congresscritters know nothing about health care or insurance.<br /><br />This abomination just needs to be thrown away and rewritten from the beginning with clear rules and delineations of powers.<br /><br />We're in a hole with this, digging won't get us out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Repeal the bill!</span>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-87255558059908062532011-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:002011-01-12T10:02:46.057-08:00How To Run ThingsWhoa! A Governor that isn't there digging out cars and running around delivering diapers to snowbound people because the damn people who were hired to do the job aren’t doing it?<br /><br />The next Election is still a ways off (we just finished the last one), and I probably do not agree with Christie on some things, but this a politician who seems to know how to set up a system that works and that is a rare thing nowadays. No bs. No excuses. You want a reason for his decision, he tells you straight.<br /><br />I’m not impressed with most of the “front runners” so far, they all look like McCain Lite to me. If he decides to run, I’m willing to take a close look. If he doesn’t commit to run…maybe…maybe we can draft him.<br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/hJNRgpukNgI%2Em4v" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-12236383734579724632011-01-04T20:25:00.000-08:002011-01-04T21:24:50.450-08:00I Try To Help The Economy, And What Happens?I have been living the life of a monk for a number of months. I've (kinda) kept up with my bills...damn, when you get to my age, months roll by in what seems like days. I go to work and go home. Grocery shopping every couple of weeks. That's about it.<br /><br />Over the months, I was able to save up a pretty good chunk of cash sitting in my checking account...so I decided to splurge on myself.<br /><br />I bought a big screen TV (before Kalifornia could make them illegal), a blue ray player, plus some blue ray discs to play on them.<br /><br />I decided that I needed new clothes, so I bought 3 pairs of pants, 6 new shirts, lotsa socks and underwear, pajamas, a belt, and new hat.<br /><br />And a couple of other fun things.<br /><br />Tonight I stopped on the way home from work to put gas in my truck...no problem. Walked into the mart to get a carton of cigs, and my card was declined...BIG PROBLEM!!! Didn't have enough cash (remember cash?) to buy a carton, so I blew it off. Went across the street to my liquor store to pick up some beers, declined again. I did have enough cash for the beer, but now I was a bit miffed. I knew I had more than enough in the bank, so the paranoids start to set in...the IRS is after me for something...someone has gotten my card number and...wait a minute...I've gone from normal spending of about $1K per month (mortgage not included) to spending close to 2.5K in about a week and a half...wonder if that could be the problem.<br /><br />Went online when I got home, and confirmed that there was ample cash in my account, so I called the "Help line" and I have to admit, they were helpful! Inside of 10 minutes, my card was unblocked, so life can return to normal tomorrow...even though I'll have to get up 15 minutes earlier to buy cigs on the way into work in the morning.<br /><br />I tried to help pull us out of this Depression, well, no good deed goes unpunished.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-88093680986717467592010-12-10T09:15:00.000-08:002010-12-10T09:53:30.501-08:00Biog News I Should PostMy son, Chris, got hitched yesterday!!!<br /><br />I only heard that he was engaged about a month ago. He meet a girl in his Company, fell in love and they were trying to figure out their next post so they could be together. They couldn't wait and got married.<br /><br />I've now got the daughter my wife and I never had, and without having to go through the teenage years and worrying about them boys that are always hanging around.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3swERnZvDOQARhLXEYrfbc7XUz46F2DXOGtnHiYi5k11cNTtHYL7iDTREoLBSs5RVoWk8wr5Tz7Pvh9EtmnFYytIgq16bbLsy0AZLMKC6Ce4dgUQDxPVMqIvcJ6QwjyuvFmF/s1600/Kristen.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3swERnZvDOQARhLXEYrfbc7XUz46F2DXOGtnHiYi5k11cNTtHYL7iDTREoLBSs5RVoWk8wr5Tz7Pvh9EtmnFYytIgq16bbLsy0AZLMKC6Ce4dgUQDxPVMqIvcJ6QwjyuvFmF/s320/Kristen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549107367865417794" /></a><br /><br />Ain't she cute?SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-82545258256908247052010-11-23T10:20:00.000-08:002010-11-23T10:37:39.795-08:00"Only Look LIke Terrorists"Once again the left proves that they only think about one's race making them the racists again.<br /><br />From a Washington Post article by Eugene Robinson:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112204387.html">TSA outcry is really a call for profiling</a><br /><br />He goes through all the explanations of why we should give up our rights and just submit to a total invasion of privacy and then at the end...the bombshell.<br /><br /><blockquote>If we only search people who "look like terrorists," al-Qaeda will send people who don't fit the profile. It's no accident that most of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were from Saudi Arabia; at the time, it was easier for Saudi nationals to get U.S. visas than it was for citizens of other Arab countries. If terrorists are clever enough to hide powerful explosives in ink cartridges, then eventually they'll find a suicide bomber who looks just like you, me or Granny. </blockquote><br /><br />I hate to break it to him, but there are a hell of a lot more to profiling a person than just there race.<br /><br />Did they buy their ticket with cash? Are they acting odd? There are numerous indicators that someone should receive extra scrutiny outside of just "looking like a terrorist".<br /><br />Unless we get pass this idea that ONLY Arab looking guys are going to be pulled aside, we will just continue to have to endure the sideshow that screening is today.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-27685044191173909442010-11-15T15:51:00.000-08:002010-11-15T16:02:10.962-08:00A Follow Up To My Last PostI spent the time since my last post thinking about how to just piss off the TSA, and I figured that getting in line and striping down to my boxers and putting my clothes into the baskets going through the x-ray machine might embarrass them enough. (I'm in my mid 50's and I could care less what other people think of my skinny, but not bad physique)<br /><br />Turns out the German's beat me to it.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0jrgUhOrHFU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0jrgUhOrHFU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />My next airline travel date is in February and if this prblem isn't worked out by then, drop by Burbank airport and watch the show.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-44478187106428806352010-11-13T15:01:00.000-08:002010-11-13T15:40:13.149-08:00I'm A Dirty Old Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsLGOCVdka3dbfXZdrs-bOSJotURE42ELrbLrqwnDWmE_b2MIEOC2Pt8wSLVoY5jSP6dU1dN_8I9I83BHmes1sRSpyztWDoS5OpYk8SDXQh3v2LyrAVgi-GrSxehUpb37lYbF/s1600/jerrri+ryan.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsLGOCVdka3dbfXZdrs-bOSJotURE42ELrbLrqwnDWmE_b2MIEOC2Pt8wSLVoY5jSP6dU1dN_8I9I83BHmes1sRSpyztWDoS5OpYk8SDXQh3v2LyrAVgi-GrSxehUpb37lYbF/s200/jerrri+ryan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539181205146724642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZtiCwdTYPVJbOzJhnsxWCLApSEUNSjD-_LatcsuqJrTpElgnv2pPq3DNeKErVf3JIUQ8NfJjWcCKrMY4_bQS2LJ-XcK4O7wEOX5EnKRlI2QgKLaiojNU_alwHcx2R-gFXKbR/s1600/T%2527pol.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZtiCwdTYPVJbOzJhnsxWCLApSEUNSjD-_LatcsuqJrTpElgnv2pPq3DNeKErVf3JIUQ8NfJjWcCKrMY4_bQS2LJ-XcK4O7wEOX5EnKRlI2QgKLaiojNU_alwHcx2R-gFXKbR/s200/T%2527pol.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539179735433014306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VWu4eKeNM3e_BZfyj44YYZQYtVX5M9N2LDPus9OYbBsAElJ8RFvsQQVemRdBD5IMpRFwQ-PNiN3-UQRJBE_HngA_01-3gSUAJRqYdFDtoGHwrtSB8WFqbLD4B3MqN3DYaG44/s1600/megyn-kelly317.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VWu4eKeNM3e_BZfyj44YYZQYtVX5M9N2LDPus9OYbBsAElJ8RFvsQQVemRdBD5IMpRFwQ-PNiN3-UQRJBE_HngA_01-3gSUAJRqYdFDtoGHwrtSB8WFqbLD4B3MqN3DYaG44/s200/megyn-kelly317.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539175999881884530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIcNODjyrdkYDEawtRLx7CE5OX6IyXC9mTovoJrCk_k42XJ7CBWmk4Q-qTE554m4wZvQx8RI45bLP-Rq8Z1b_7FImSwe4HPy62Zk6TmStO_1_d96xyFZuY096gYsAyflIiAUw/s1600/jolie.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIcNODjyrdkYDEawtRLx7CE5OX6IyXC9mTovoJrCk_k42XJ7CBWmk4Q-qTE554m4wZvQx8RI45bLP-Rq8Z1b_7FImSwe4HPy62Zk6TmStO_1_d96xyFZuY096gYsAyflIiAUw/s200/jolie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539175368152948194" /></a><br />Re: this <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/12/travel.screening/index.html?eref=edition">Growing backlash against TSA body scanners, pat-downs</a><br /><br />I am sick of these half-assed steps to getting to where they are going in order to travel by airplane!!! They insist that by going through these machines that no pictures are going to show up on the internet with enahnced pictures of the likes of Angelina Jolie, Megan Kelly, Jolene Blalock or Jeri Ryan.<br /><br />I swear, if they would just quit the beating aroung the bush crap and go to the straight strip naked to get through security and board a plane it would accomplish two things.<br /><br />1) no bombs or weapons on planes<br /><br />2) the airline industry would be financially secure forever.<br /><br />I know that a major portion of my income would be used to fly to and from places just so I could see naked women. (That's how guys think....surprise!)SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-23386654247016493762010-11-10T08:11:00.000-08:002010-11-10T08:32:13.358-08:00WH rewrote Gulf spill report to support moratoriumBastards!!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12,000</span> people lost their jobs because of some "creative" editing of the report on the Gulf spill, but hey, that's no big thing over protecting the environment.<br /><br /><blockquote> The White House rewrote crucial sections of an Interior Department report to suggest an independent group of scientists and engineers supported a six-month ban on offshore oil drilling, the Interior inspector general says in a new report.<br /><br /> In the wee hours of the morning of May 27, a staff member to White House energy adviser Carol Browner sent two edited versions of the department report’s executive summary back to Interior. The language had been changed to insinuate the seven-member panel of outside experts – who reviewed a draft of various safety recommendations – endorsed the moratorium, according to the IG report obtained by POLITICO.<br /><br /> “The White House edit of the original DOI draft executive summary led to the implication that the moratorium recommendation had been peer-reviewed by the experts,” the IG report states, without judgment on whether the change was an intentional attempt to mislead the public.</blockquote><br /><br />And let's not forget the <span style="font-weight:bold;">1.8 Billion dollars</span> lost to the economy. The drilling rigs that went away rather than sit idle during the moratorium that ain't coming back...particularly any that went to Brazil, paid for with US taxpayer money to do <span style="font-weight:bold;">DEEP WATER DRILLING</span>!<br /><br />The WH is claiming it was a misunderstanding...there was nothing to misunderstand! The Eco-Nazis in this administration rewrote the report so it would be interpreted to back up their desire to stop oil exploration on our coasts.<br /><br />Jobs lost, houses foreclosed on all over not letting a crisis go to waste. Effing socialists.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-72875732787938500072010-10-24T19:23:00.000-07:002010-10-24T19:39:59.715-07:00She Worked So Hard<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16072732" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16072732">Call Me Senator</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3849600">RightChange</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-58284609165294381952010-10-24T08:25:00.000-07:002010-10-24T08:31:08.702-07:00The ReawakeningA sign that the people of this country are reawakening and once again standing up and proclaiming their pride in this country.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-M61pDT05A8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-M61pDT05A8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Hooah!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixX6wK7k_YlayStXxDrRKeA1u2McrWem9DYfluw1kPkjFLCK9KpLP6J6GsY2H5rQbPI0gadmgMma6iSu_5L8hoYl_nphce2sl3dbZd2wkAgygkUl90f_JmCauJAO5bEq2WN-xd/s1600/FireworksEagle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixX6wK7k_YlayStXxDrRKeA1u2McrWem9DYfluw1kPkjFLCK9KpLP6J6GsY2H5rQbPI0gadmgMma6iSu_5L8hoYl_nphce2sl3dbZd2wkAgygkUl90f_JmCauJAO5bEq2WN-xd/s320/FireworksEagle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531635466686773874" /></a>SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-86997472459909245562010-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:002010-10-21T20:23:55.833-07:00Despare And HopeI caught this video on the tube this afternoon and it sent a shiver down my spine.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XBueaxy0_ho?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XBueaxy0_ho?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />While cruising by the Rott this evening, I caught this and I got some stiffness back.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tLlF5YMf7Yc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tLlF5YMf7Yc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Vote! They haven't destroyed us yet.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20808324.post-46226665047768207252010-10-21T14:20:00.000-07:002010-10-21T14:51:33.260-07:00I Want My Job To Go UnionSo I don't have to care about it anymore.<br /><br />The other day I worked my normal 12 hour shift, got off, went home feed the dogs and, being it had been a busy day, went to bed early. An hour and a half later, my phone was going off. The power had gone off at work for about five seconds and when it came back on, the surge from one of our pumps blew a hold in a 8 inch pipe. A pipe that the site cannot run without.<br /><br />So, it was back to work I go on a wet drizzly night.<br /><br />My company lacks basic tools and supplies. In order to prop up the pipe that needed fixing, I had to pull the jack from my truck out to hold it in place and get to where the work needed to be done.<br /><br />It took 7 hours to get the site back up to speed then I was able to go home, feed the dogs and get about 3 1/2 hours sleep so I could go back for an 8 hour shift. I even juggled the hours on my time sheet so that the company wouldn't get nailed for my working 20 hours in a day.<br /><br />I really don't want my company to go Union, but after a day like that it would have been nice to just say "I can't help, the rules won't let me. Take it up with the Shop Steward". My co-worker and I were quit proud of getting everything running again and knowing that the company didn't lose too much production, as we were able to keep half the site running during the disaster.SoCalOilManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06668072324497694450noreply@blogger.com0