Will You Please Manipulate The Numbers

"It's my land and I should be able to do anything I want with it," was the response to an article that appeared in the Altoona Mirror. The article reports on the new regulation for the dissolving of solids called for by the state of Pennsylvania in the Marcellus Shale. Concerns were raised when a study of the Monongahela River yielded high concentrations of dissolved solids. "Dilution can no longer be considered an adequate treatment," DEP Secretary John Hanger wrote.

I continued to read the article and what it boils down to is this...money. According to the industry, it would cost them something like $49,000 per gallon per minute if they followed the new regulations. So, I wonder what it costs them now to just dump the waste into the water way? This article just leaves too many questions unanswered. The figure of $49,000 was provided by an industry environmental manager...can we say...an employee hired to say what we want them to say? It's like the commercials you see for cigarettes...

Humble Pie

A few days ago when my daughter asked me to grill hamburgers, I replied with, "Wait till Thursday." My innocent reply brought a stream of tears to my precious one's eyes, causing her to think we were poorer than dirt. I was admonished by some at my lack of handling my finances correctly, starving my poor child and pretty much just being an awful hack. So, to restore the good faith of all in my abilities to be a proper mother and provider of nutrition....voila...hamburgers, chips and bottled Dr. Pepper for Princess Annie.

TYC, Aruba Petroleum...Special Aren't They

Where do I start today? Oh, I guess from the beginning. I've been targeted once again at work. While I was at lunch, some TYC echelon searched my room. Seems they have a problem with the student journals and how they're decorated. I had magazines donated by various people. The magazines given to the school to use were Sports Illustrated, JC Penny Catalogue and Home & Garden. The boys removed pictures from the pages and then decorated their journals. The gestapo in charge wanted to know if I was aware of their policy that limited the boys' exposure to "skin"?

As I pondered this statement, it made me wonder how it is that if they found a few women in swimsuits on the students' journals unacceptable that they find it acceptable for the boys to be watching let's see...Rock of Love, Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew...and many other wonderful family programs brought to the boys in the TYC controlled dorm via cable.

Also, the teachers are under fire because the boys have recently amassed lots of new prison tattoos. Oh, it's our fault because apparently the boys are stealing the pens and staples from our classrooms. So, I asked, "How long does it take to give a standard prison tattoo?" The response, "At least 30 minutes to an hour, it's a tedious process." So, wouldn't the issue be...where is the STAFF that's supposed to be watching the boys during these 30 minutes to an hour? Hmmm....does make one wonder.

Well, I'm not surprised, it's the pass the buck mentality that most big wigs in Texas have. And not only that, but if they can point out your mistakes then you won't notice their mistakes all that much, right? Isn't that what Aruba has done to the Ruggieros?

Aruba lied to the Ruggieros. Aruba took up to 5 of their 10 acres. Aruba took their acreage without any notice. Aruba cut an enormous hole in their $15,000 pipe fence. Aruba threatened and intimidated the Ruggieros. Aruba spilled toxic waste on the Ruggiero property and then tried to hide it. But all this is forgiven because Aruba gave the Ruggieros $30,000. Oh, isn't that special.

Oil And Gas News Brought To You Via The Gathering Line

Gathering Line - a special pipeline that transports gas from the field to the main pipeline.

The Gathering Line is a round-up of oil & gas drilling news brought to you by National Alliance for Drilling Reform (NA4DR), a broad alliance of grassroots activists from states across the nation that are affected with drilling development.

TXsharon @ Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS helps you follow the money to see why Governor Perry and others want Texans to keep breathing toxic air.

Some think cold weather caused this pipeline to become weak and brittleTruth be known, it's just old as the dirt it's been buried in! Read it at Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths.

Flower Mound receives applications for 18 new gas wells and a compressor station in the last 30 days. These wells will be in the same 5 mile radius area where 5 children have been diagnosed with Leukemia in the past few years. Read about it at www.stopthedrilling.blogspot.com.

How can towns protect their roads and bridges once gas drilling begins?
Given the thousands of truck trips expected to develop one well site, upstate NY highway supervisors are struggling to protect taxpayer investment in infrastructure. Read about it at Marcellus Effect

Hydraulic Fracturing contaminates groundwater. Environmentalist say government slow to monitor and not looking hard enough for contamination. Citizens for Environmental Clean-Up

Finding Out That I'm On The Naughty List

I have just a few minutes before I head to the gym for a workout. I've come to enjoy the two hour time in the gym, others prefer a less structured environment some variety to what they see or observe. I previously blogged about getting an invitation to do some dancing. I also mentioned that I was sure the dancing would involve some two stepping, which I also made mention that I don't do. I made this assumption based on some details my friend gave me. First, wear your boots. It's a common fact that two stepping cowboys and cowgirls wear boots for dancing. Secondly, he said he had something for my head. It's also another common fact that cowboys and cowgirls wear cowboy hats when they go two stepping. I think it enhances the two stepping movements.

My friend arrived around 9PM to gather me and take us to our destination. This friend also told me he had a shirt for me to wear. I tell ya, I was extremely curious to see this shirt. In his truck, he turned on the dome light and handed me a blue tee shirt with hot pink glitter writing on it. Not very cowgirlish I thought. The writing on the shirt said this: "I'm on the naughty list". The tee shirt had a matching hot pink head band with this on it: "X Rated".

I don't recall having been put on the Naughty List and I certainly don't recall being X rated, well, maybe once or twice while in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, but surely not since living in West Texas. So, what does a girl do? Does she become what this gentleman apparently thinks of her for some odd reason? I went ahead and went on the date, but Sunday...I didn't answer my phone, check my cell phone or return emails.

Today at lunch, my friend Lynn and I were discussing bizarre bad dates. The two of us laughed and reminisced over some of the worst dates we ever had. She decided that we should write a book detailing every tragic moment. I think we should.

This Sorta Thing Occasionally Happens

Me and my big mouth. Okay, I took the kids on a mini family vacation, birthday getaway back in October. APPARENTLY, I've mismanaged my account and am still trying to recover from the blunders I've made. How does this relate into me and my big mouth? Well, it's common knowledge that I live from pay check to pay check...most of us do. I've been playing catch up since the first of November and I think with the next employer installment into my checking account, I should have things back to normal.

Today, my darling Annie asked that I grill her some burgers since the weather was so nice. I responded, "You're going to have to wait until Thursday when I get paid. I grilled chicken yesterday and that's what we're going to have today." A little later, I noticed she was rather quiet and when I looked at her face, she had streams of tears silently cascading down her pink cheeks.

"What's wrong?" She blurted, "We're poor! We don't even have enough money to buy stuff from the grocery store to make hamburgers!" Oh my...sometimes, I guess I'm too forthcoming with my children and I don't shield them enough from the "real" world. I explained that we were far from being poor. I mean really, how many poor people have three televisions, two XBOX 360s, a portable gaming system, a rather fantavulous tree house, and not to mention took TWO vacations in one year?

The problem seemed more to do with instant gratification. These days we're not willing to delay gratification, prolong the experience, but we want everything NOW! Kinda like the oil and gas industry...cutting corners, poorly training, disregarding safety regulations just to get a job done.

I've got some friends that live in Commerce City, CO. Commerce City isn't the prettiest place in Colorado, it's the industrial hub of the North Denver area. My friends that live there were upset about a natural gas pipeline accident; just between you and me...Commerce City already smells terrible. The accident was frightening, but I suppose what caused them alarm was the nonchalant attitude of the company spokesman.

"The company says the men were doing what they were supposed to be doing and this sort of thing occasionally happens."

This sorta thing occasionally happens when safety regulations aren't followed, when training is poor, when companies aren't responsible, when people are reckless...what do you think would have been the response if the pipeline had been ignited by their carelessness and people died? Would it go something like this:

This sorta thing occasionally happens, gas lines rupture, gas lines explode and people die.

Brittle Pipeline Syndrome

Seems that a once healthy, viable, well cared for pipeline has tragically developed none other than...dum, dum, dum...BRITTLE PIPELINE SYNDROME!

Taylor ISD bus crew saw some bubbling brew and contacted the Taylor fire department. They said, "HEY! Don't move a muscle, don't even hustle...that there's a gas leak!" Atmos gas provider was called to the scene, started digging and digging until it was discovered that that old gas line was older than dirt, all brittle you see, and had to be replaced. Do you think this syndrome could spread?

Rise Above The Little Things

Saturday, did I tell you what I had planned for Saturday? Well, nothing and I like it that way. I stayed up really late watching a movie Friday night, that I've been wanting to see, Julie & Julia, two true stories rolled into one big movie. I found the movie rather long, but enjoyable, especially if you're a big fan of Julia Child, like I am. I've never been able to cook all that well, I suppose if I put my mind to it, then I could, but I haven't had the notion of putting my mind to it. I'm a more of the gardening type, you know, growing the herbs you might put into a great dish, I'll let somebody else do the cooking.

I rolled out of bed rather late, around 8AM and then lounged around until 9:30AM drinking coffee and reading. Annie and I went out in the back yard and did some raking and scooping. It was a most gorgeous day, about 73 degrees, sun shining, just a beautiful Spring like day. It felt like Spring in several ways...the Augustine grass is still green, a woodpecker was pecking pecans way up in the top of the pecan tree, and it felt good to be outside in a sleeveless shirt.

Finishing up in the yard allowed me the opportunity to do a workout at the gym today. Two hours of almost all inner and outer thigh work...I'm determined to wear a swimsuit this coming swim wear season. I've added five new exercises that's sure to tone and tighten up those thigh bulges...yuck...did I just mention bulges?

I think I probably need to do a bit more tonight to work the thighs. Last weekend I went dancing at a Quinceanera. Well, one of my friends thought I had so much fun dancing that he's insisted on taking me dancing tonight. I have a funny suspicion that it involves the two step. How do I know? He said to wear my boots, jeans and that he has something for my head...hmff. I can two step, it's just that I choose not to.

My attitude is just like the attitude in an article I read earlier today about a Geothermal Project over in California. AltaRock decided that it could continue to drill if it wanted to, but chose not to, because of damaging earthquakes. But as I continued to read, it seems that AltaRock was doing the drilling with federal money, and that AltaRock had not been "forthcoming" about earthquakes from another geothermal project.


This type of work requires fracturing the bedrock...what? Have you heard that word before? After fracturing, then water is circulated through the crack to create steam. The article further states, "By its nature, fracturing creates earthquakes, though most of them are small." Many geothermal drilling procedures don't require the deep drilling and fracturing of the bedrock, so the feds believe that geothermal energy is still viable.

Hmmm...seems that when the federal government is involved there are tighter regulations, more inquiry, accountability, personal responsibility, safety reviews...so, it doesn't surprise me when I read that AltaRock may restart the project with private money instead.

Grendel And A Most Relaxing Weekend Planned

The boys and I finished reading Beowulf today. It was a most excellent afternoon. I love to finish the reading with an additional reading of a chapter from Gardner's poem, Grendel. It's the epic of Beowulf, but told from Grendel's perspective.

The chapter I selected starts from the night that Grendel attacks Herot Hall and finds Beowulf and a most miserable end. I get all crazy and insane, changing my voice to imitate that of the "my precious" ghoul from The Hobbit. I enthrall the boys with my rendition.

During one of the morning classes, a boy fell asleep towards the end of the reading of Beowulf. I began my reading of Grendel. When I approached the part of the story that has Grendel getting his arm ripped off and howling, "MAMA!" I howl it as well. Well, my howling woke sleeping charming up, he being dazed and confused ran from the room! I had scared him senseless! He didn't know what to think. We all got a good laugh out of that one.

The weekend promises a relaxing time which I'll use gladly to relax, think and ponder my plans for Christmas. Selecting the baked goods, presents for the kiddos and getting my cards and annual letters mailed off seems a most enjoyable way to begin the holiday season.

I would love to be attending this little get together tonight! I hope those of you in the area will! Like Mr. Young said, "We Won! Now Celebrate!"

Join us
in a grassroots celebration of
Dr. Al Armendariz' appointment
to EPA Regional Administrator
after only his 2nd week
on the job

Thursday, December 10th
7:30 pm to 9 pm

Remarks by Dr. Armendariz at 8:15 pm
(Arriving back in DFW directly from his first meeting
with the Commissioners and the Executive Director of the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in Austin.
So you know he'll need our support)

The Private Room at
J. Gilligan's Bar and Grill
400 E. Abram
Arlington
817-274-8561

Cash bar and Snacks