Chesapeake denies that the force it took to hurl a full grown man 30 feet into the air was an explosion...I repeat, it was not an explosion. Sounds like a X-File case to me.
I got an email alert from a concerned friend advising me that in my rage against BIG OIL & GAS I made a few blogging errors. I'm hoping I repaired those errors enough so that the message intended got across.
I've been keeping up somewhat with the goings on over in DISH and Mayor Tillman, along with the attacks on the Ruggieros by Aruba Petroleum, and let's not forget the mafiaesque tactics used against Durango by corrupt bankrupt Express Energy, and finally the eminent domain abuses and intimidation against Steve Doeung by Chesapeake and generally keeping up with the Wink Sink, illegal dumping of tanker contents and flaring. So, you can well imagine it gets pretty busy around here. It's rather easy to read and sometimes make comments about issues that really rile us up. We become indignant and wish we could always do more. Haven't you ever just wanted to call up the offender and give them a piece of your mind? Tell them to back off, follow the rules, play a fair game, stop hiding behind big money? I know I have and guess what? I'll get to make two phone calls Thursday to do just that.
Remember the first person I mentioned? Mayor Tillman of DISH? He needs our help. We can sure appreciate a man, an elected official, that's truly looking out for and protecting the interests of the people in the town he's the mayor of. Believe me, not all towns are fortunate enough to have a decent hard working responsive mayor, just take Fort Worth's Mayor Moncrief for example...a really bad example.It seems that because Mayor Tillman is doing his job, he's being threatened by the oil and gas industry. Here's just a bit of that threat:
"I have become a lightening rod for personal attacks by our friends in the Natural Gas Industry...the latest...they are threatening to file suit..." Read the story of the town of DISH and Mayor Tillman.
Jesse, my work out buddy and best friend, is a true cancer warrior. Not only did Jesse beat a brain tumor, but he has been vigilant in aiding his sister, Ramona, battle Melanoma. They left for a new cancer study down in San Antonio this morning and they won't be back until Saturday of next week. Luckily for Jesse and Ramona, they have family that will board them for the duration.
I absolutely love Slumber Parties! They are so much fun, but with girls these kind of parties can sometimes end with lots of feelings hurt. To ensure that Annie's sleepover didn't turn into mayhem I scheduled lots of activities and fun things to do.
Second variation, has the girls taking turns like in the first variation. This time though, instead of naming a boy the girls are actually collecting kisses. You find the gaudiest ugliest lipstick you have, each of you coat your lips really good and then start playing. The girl with the most set of lip prints on her face, wins. You play for about 10 - 15 minutes.
When you give an inexperienced teenager a vehicle ten years or older, he'd better hope that he has mechanically inclined friends, or friends whose fathers fix vehicles for a living. When the ex hubby gave Justin, our sixteen year old son, old blue, the 1992 Nissan Frontier, with 250,000 miles plus...I just knew we were in for a world of needing helping hands.
My only knowledge when it comes to vehicular repairs are fixing flat tires, adding oil, maybe changing spark plugs, adding other needed fluids and possibly changing out windshield wipers, other than that, I've not a clue.
We did that little bit of fixing and lo and behold...no dice, the engine was still over heating and fluid was ejecting at an alarming rate! Those of you who understand engines probably already know what's wrong with old blue...yep, the water pump. So, one of Justin's friend's father, who just happens to repair vehicles for a living, picked up the pretty little part and is outside as I type right now, repairing old blue.
Which reminds me of another friend who needs some helping hands. Remember Steve Doeung? I'm sure if an attorney could come forward to lend a helping hand, that we'd be able to figure out an agreeable exchange. Free advertising? We got a network of people that with one word, your name could be everywhere in hours. How about it? Anyone out there willing to lend a helping hand?
Just two months ago I went on a private tour of the 2nd Wink Sink Hole. I received a call from my private tour guide informing me that some new developments have developed. If you remember correctly, we followed the fractures away from the sink which was about eight tenths of a mile. These were just buckles in the road at that time, but today these buckles have turned into cracks that continue to widen and spread.
These new cracks on County Road 201 has all of Austin in an uproar. Well, maybe not all of Austin, but a few concerned parties are wanting the city commissioner to make the call...to keep the road open or to close it.
I also mentioned a sub power station that had been relocated when the second Wink Sink appeared. There are TONS of fractures just behind the the sub station. Why don't we see any cracks within the fence? I did see fresh sand and gravel smoothed out, seems that Texas-New Mexico Power has just been filling in the cracks instead of seriously considering relocating again.
Look in the picture. See that HUGE fracture? That's 20 yards behind the power station, which means this is what's under the power station.
I grew up in Mississippi along the Gulf of Mexico, I'm a far way from home. I'm used to when crossing a bridge, that that bridge would convey you across some type of water, not dry land, which seems to be the case out here in West Texas. Why would it be that in West Texas, Wink specifically, there would be bridges conveying people across dry dusty desert land?
While I was taking some pictures, Cowboy Tim stopped by to ask what I was up to. I had never met Cowboy Tim before and for some reason he knew exactly what I did for a living. Yep, a teacher...I asked him how he knew of such a thing about somebody he'd never met before and he replied it was because I was nice and what else would a woman do out here in these parts? Isn't Cowboy Tim sweet?
Continuing on my journey to work, I've been coming across some pretty interesting sights, maybe not as Orwellian as Durango's but none the less noteworthy. The only reason I was remotely interested in this new pipeline was because of a road sign that stated pipeline crossing.
What exactly is a pipeline crossing? And if the pipeline is crossing the road, how do I cross the pipeline? Surely, they can't run the pipeline up above the road they'd have to run it under the road.
That's when my ignorance took over. I was thinking they would have to close my road to work so that they could dig up the road and put this pipeline in. I was all a fretting that possibility, because a detour to work would add something like 27 miles, one way!
Not wanting my curiosity to get the better of me I stopped one day to ask questions and to take some pictures. I was told that no, they wouldn't have to close the road to lay the pipe, that they have a special boring tool that will create a tunnel under the road for the pipe.
Then I started thinking about those residents on Carter Ave. If you look at my pictures what do you not see? Yep, no houses, no people, no trees...then that got me to pondering how this pipeline that crosses my way to work doesn't interfere with anybody or anything. Now that's a pipeline I can be happy with! 
Like I've said before, my drive to work is normally uneventful. I can usually identify what it is that I see, like cows, coyotes and trucks. Recently though, a couple of mystery pits have popped up and I have no idea what they are for.
A blogger friend of mine told me that in his area they truck in a lot of sand for drilling purposes. Then I was thinking, that maybe that could be it, we dug up sand out here and trucked it there, except that the sand piles are still standing out here after months of being dug up.
Another blogger friend of mine told me that the pits could be where somebody is going to bury something, maybe like toxic waste. I've been keeping my eye out for that and so far, the pit remains unfilled.
Then I was thinking that maybe they are big caliche pits. We do have an enormous amount of caliche in this area, and that could be a possibility that someone is mining caliche.
It seems that Browning owns these pits or the land that these pits sit on or the mineral rights under the land that these pits reside on. Could someone tell me what these pits are for, please?
Reminds me of an old Roger Miller song, "You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd." Miller suggests some pretty crazy things that you just can't do. Like you can't put a water waste injection well next to a pristine clean reservoir!
I was driving along as usual except I was going a bit slower due to the ice and snow on the road and I suppose that's how I come to notice the guard rail. Usually a guard rail protects you from going into the water or to keep you from going off a high embankment. If you knew my area of West Texas you'd laugh a bit at the thought of both suggestions!
Not to let my curiosity get the better of me I pulled over to see exactly what is was that this particular guard rail was protecting. It was a big hole! Now, you can't immediately assume that it's another sink hole and I'll tell you why. A while back I posted about running the dogs at the caliche pit out by the airport. It's a possibility that this hole is an old caliche pit, but it seems way wrong for someone to purposely put it this close to the highway. Also, back in the good old days before tanks, the oil industry stored oil in earth tanks and also transported oil in canals and not pipe.
Could it be that Express Energy is no stranger to a courtroom? Could it also be true that Express Energy is not only appearing in court for bankruptcy proceedings, but also for MULTIPLE violations of employment discrimination, personal injury negligence, breach of contract and well...you name it, they've done it! (look on page 253)
Northern New Mexico Conservation Project: Nothing Sacred
Conscientious Objector, Marc Hall, finished his tour of duty in Iraq and expected to be honorably discharged from the military. Then can you blame him when he gets a tad bit upset with the information, that "No, Marc...you're not getting out like you're supposed to...you have to go BACK TO IRAQ!" To let off a bit of steam, Marc Hall wrote a little ditty about his objections and feelings of having to have his time extended beyond the normal date, by something that's been referred to as the Stop Loss Policy. Here's Marc's Song posted at Courage to Resist Website. You take a listen and see if it warrants him being arrested and jailed. 
I'd not given much thought to who or what Express Energy is, but in the light of it's recent mafia like characteristics I decided to do a bit of research. Oh, so you think I'm being a bit harsh, well before you judge me follow the link and observe the treatment of my friend Durango.
Organized crime activities negatively impact a community or region. Wouldn't you say that the damage being done to the levees of the Trinity River fall into that category? And the damage being done to the ecosystem of the area fall into that negative impact zone as well?
I've had a busy driving day. First I drove to work over in Pyote, twenty three miles. Before leaving the house though, I dressed in lots of layers. First an under shirt, a sweater shirt and finally an over shirt. I wore tights covered by a pair of slacks. I then had gloves, a scarf and a wool coat. I dressed warmly for the occasion of below freezing weather made to feel even more below freezing due to the wind that kept whipping through the West Texas landscape.
The comish told me at the gym tonight that County Road 201, the one leading to the predicted third sink hole has developed a few more fractures. He's picking me up tomorrow at 4:30PM and taking me out to get some pictures of the ever spreading problem.
"I never mentioned right or wrong. It's none of my or anyone else's business how others conduct their lives. Life, Liberty and the Persuit of Happiness, as I recall. Who gave the Christian church ownership of the institution of marriage? They don't own it and shouldn't be able to control it either. Separation of Church and State."
Well, I'm truly shocked. I was completely ignored. I mean it was my wall after all...and the comments continued on and on and on...