Nuke the Bastards!

If the Demoncraps try to fillibuster Alito, NUKE EM!

A case of "legal" voter fraud.

As I've posted in the past, I am a precinct judge for my voting precinct. This is my first foray into organized politics. I was required to attend a class last weekend to train me on the care and feeding of the electronic voting machines that Harris County uses. Before the class started (I was very early) I spoke with a guy that said he was Precinct Judge for a precinct in the Montrose Area. When I mentioned to him that my Precinct was so republican that I have been unable to find a democrat to serve as an Assistant Judge, he commented that his Spanish speaking clerk actually lived up in my area, but maintained a mailing address in his precinct for the express purpose of being able to vote there. What galls me is that not only does he know about this and condones it enough to put her on his payroll in violation of his oath of office to preserve the sanctity of the voting process, but the way the law reads, she can get away with it by merely stating she INTENDS to live there at some future date. This is a clear loophole in election law tht allows people to basically pick and choose where they would like to vote in order to prevent thier vote from being overwhelmed in thier true home precinct. I've reported this to both the Republican Party and to Beverly Kaufman's office. Tom Moon, in Mrs. Kaufman's office explained that while he sympathized with me and agreed that it was far from ethical conduct, it was not specifically against the law. GRRRRR!!!!

Hot Damn!

I hope to hell I don't jinx it, but Redstate says the word on the street is that the next nominee for SCOTUS is going to be Sam "Scalito" Alito! If so, it is PARTY TIME!

Peace through Superior Firepower

While perusing the website linked by Clayton Cramer below, I ran across this article. I must admit, it is a compelling thesis.

Genetics and Gender identity, Evidence of a link discovered.

Man, I tell you, sometimes the coincidences that occur in this world are just staggering. This is not one of those times, but still....=D

On the heels of my mention in the Carnival of Vanities (see post below) this week, Clayton Cramer has run across an interesting (but preliminary and SMALL I must point out) study that would appear to give evidence that at least some cases of transexualism might have a genetic component. It would appear that it is statistically linked to varying length of genetic "stutters", patterns of DNA that repeat multiple times. This sort of stutter was previously found to be statistically linked to the lengths of a dogs muzzle. No, I know what you are thinking, just DON'T GO THERE!

"You're So Vain...."

You Probably thought this blog post was about you....=D

Ahem ACTUALLY this is to inform both of my noble readers that El Capitan of Baboon Pirates is hosting the one hundred and sixty second edition of the Carnival of the Vanities (Not to be mistaken for the "Bonfire of the Vanities" which this blogger thinks much less of...=D) Wander over and enjoy the Simian goodness. And remember, genetically they are closer to us than most in-laws.... So ladies, put on the thongs and loose the tops, it is CARNIVAL TIME!.... Oh, wait, thats something different isn't it. What the hell, it's all good...

Even MORE words you cannot spell without the UN

Unscrupulous, Unrepentant, Unbelivably STUPID....

Seems Kofi Annan doesn't know much about Microsoft Word, nor much about the concept of right and wrong either. Seems the original UN report on the death of Rafik Hariri, the Lebonese Prime Minister that was assassinated, named names. But somewhere between public release of the report and the review meeting between Detlev Mehlis, the German prosecutor in charge of the report, and Annan, those names were deleted and replaced with "Unnamed Lebonese and Syrian officials". Apparently Kofi didn't realize that Word keeps track of edits and the times and the document that was released has not been purged of those edits..... it can precisely be tracked to have happened during the meeting. Don't you know Kofi is kicking himself for skipping the Microsoft Word training right about now...... Idiot.....

The Cost of Doing Business...

Both of my loyal readers have probaby noticed a lull in the blogging around here. I've been a busy boy of late. One of our customers has a number of rigs that were destroyed during the storms and we've been looking at how to go about cleaning up the mess left behind using the vessels and equipment available. We are by no means the only ones in this boat, except that boats, barges, divers, ROV's, and workover equipment are all few and far between right now. Equipment is being brought in from all the corners of the globe, but there is significant demand for this equipment elsewhere too, which is complicating the logistics. Day rates are skyrocketing, demand is through the roof, and all the vendors are telling us to lock them in NOW, because tomorrow, someone else might and we'd be SOL for as long as two years. I know we aren't the only ones being told this. I can't say any of this is all that unexpected, given the number of rigs that were beat to hell and gone, the boom in salvage and workover jobs was inevitable. Divers in particular are rolling in it right now. These guys are a different breed, they have to be to be abe to deal with some of the stuff they have to do, and they are paid a kings ransom to do it, but DAMN they can be strange beasts! They tend to be nomads always looking for more money. Turnover among diving companies would scare the bejesus out of anyone in HR in a different industry. Diving contractors also can be a bit inhumane in the way they treat thier divers which is both a cause and a symptom of the turnover rate. It is a dysfuntional industry manned by dysfuntional people. Up until recently it was a dying industry, as the oil industry moved to deeper and deeper waters, there was less and less demand for divers, the waters were just too deep. Most of the divers found honest work in other industries. The storm driven workover work is going to really stimulate growth, at east temporarily, in that industry.

So just remember when you complain about the price of gasoline when you fil up the tank, There are real valid reasons for the price you pay at the pump.

Some words you cannot spell without the UN (Updated)

Unprincipled, Unethical, and most importantly UNAMERICAN!


(Hat tip Sacred Cow Burgers for the image)

Lou Minatti points out that the UN is conspiring with the EU to steal something that the US built, at no small expense and graciously ALLOWED the rest of the world to use for free. Yes I'm talking about the internet, or should I call it by it's true name, DARPAnet and MILnet, seeing as how that is who built it.

UPDATE:

This is just rich, NOW the EU wants to keep record of all of it's citizen's phone calls and e-mail traffic too. What do you want to bet they want to keep track of your surfing habits too? Obviously this is the REAL reason they want to run the internet.

A day of rememberance....

As Michelle Malkin posted on her blog, today is a day of rememberance. Five years ago today, a boat loaded with high explosives rammed the USS Cole, Killing 17 Crewmen. May the people responsible rot in hell for all eternity...

Scary thought for the Halloween season.....

I was listening to KTRH this morning and at first I thought I was hearing a Halloween story, but then I realized this might just happen. Mayor White has a huge campaign nestegg just sitting around gathering interest. Chris Bell is sitting around NOT gathering interest.... The Democrats are floating the idea of telling Bell to take a hike and running Chairman White in his place. With his admittedly pretty decent showing during Rita/Katrina overshadowing his far more numerous less than stellar ideas (retiming lights, $afeClear, Downtown Parking Authority, New Badges for Detectives, Ticket Quotas, screwing firefighters on thier contracts, failing to ramp up police recruiting in the midst of a massive retirement plague, Jaywalking Crackdowns, Buying $40k Prius cars that get 60 MPG instead of $13.5K Echoes that get 50MPG for city vehicles, red light cameras, and just about every other revenue stream that enters his pretty little vacuuous head.). He is making noises like this won't happen, but you KNOW it will. The party will demand it since they don't really have a candidate in the hunt. The Man-Date as Chris Elam likes to call him is turning into a one night stand.

Everybody get out your little red books, Chairman Mao is coming to a polling place near you.....

I know when I'm beat....

I really gotta hand it to Kathy Herrmann (AKA Roaring Tiger) over at Big Cat Chronicles. She has really gone the whole nine yards keeping up with Katrina and Rita energy industry news. She has really done a bang up job. If you want the skinny (and that is exactly what current production levels are!) on offshore production stats, she just can't be beat! My hat is off (except on Astros game day....).

FEMA suspends Phoenix search and rescue team over embedded armed security

Phoenix's Urban Search and Rescue team has been suspended from Katrina and Rita response work because Phoenix deploys four armed Phoenix Police Officers that have been deputized by the US Marshall's office for security. Phoenix is now threatening to pull out on ALL FEMA deployments unless the policy is changed. This only goes to prove, if you rely on the federal government for anything, you are friggin STUPID.

GOM offshore (Katrina) damage heavier than initially thought (update #5)

My information is sketchy at the moment, I do not have rig or field names or operators yet. When I have more I will update this thread. As of right now, I am hearing that 7 rigs are adrift but thier locations are known, 5 are missing, and 3 are listing with the possibility of sinking. (and of course there is the PEMEX rig that was in drydock in Mobile AL. that floated away but it really doesn't count. It was not online anyway, it was being refitted.)

UPDATE#1
Ok, here is the rundown I've managed to get information on so far:

Diamond Offshore's Ocean Warwick jack-up rig was initially reported as missing. It has been found damaged, washed up on Dauphin Island Alabama 66 miles off station. No one is aboard yet.

Ensco 7500 deep water semi-submersible was listing by 4 degrees when reboarded, but power has been restored and the rig is now trim and being inspected.

Ensco 29 platform rig sustained significant damage, but has not been reboarded yet.

TransOcean's Deepwater Nautilus working under contract to Shell is adrift but being tracked by locating beacon.

Another rig under contract to Shell, Sedco 445 is also reportedly adrift.

As I learn more, I'll update accordingly.

UPDATE #2
More info trickling in:

Newfield Exploration's Main Pass 138 production platform appears to have sank.

Rowan's New Orleans is missing and presumed sunk. That would make TWO New Orleans that are underwater... Sorry, couldn't help myself...

And the Ensco 7500 was adrift BEFORE the hurricane struck it, apparently a towline broke and they were unable to reconnect before having to evacuate ahead of the storm.

Finally Shell Mars TLP took a whoopin'. the topside is in pretty bad shape....

photo courtesy of rigzone.com

Update #3 (9/1/05 10:23 CDT)

The Coast Guard is saying a total of at least 20 rigs are either adrift, damaged, or sunk. The only one mentiioned by name that I haven't already mentioned was the Noble Drilling's Semi Submersible under contract to Shell, Noble Jim Thompson that was drifing 17 miles from it's station. At least one offshore gas pipeline has ruptured and is burning where a rig used to be. Most of the refineries that were shut in on the gulf coast survived with minimal damage but are still shut in due to lack of electricity. The 3/4 of a billion barrels of oil that the president released from the SPR might not make a whole lot of difference, if you can't refine it, having crude is not all that helpful.

Update #4 (9/2/05 12:22 CDT)

Here are more casualty reports:

Noble drilling's 306D Platform was lost. It was producing 410 Barrels a day of oil equivalent before shut-in.
Noble's 3 south pass platforms had damage ranging from minor to severe. Thier Ewing Bank platform had minor damage.

Shell's West Delta 143 platform was damaged and equipment fabrication to repair it is underway.
Cognac was also damaged to an unknown extent, and Ursa is being inspected now.

Apache really took a beating. They lost 8 production platforms: Main Pass 312-JA, South Timbalier 161-A, South Pass 62-A and B, West Delta 103-A, B, 104-C, and 133-B. For a total loss of 7158 Barrels of oil and 12.1 MCF of gas a day. That's gonna leave a mark....

W&T Offshore had significant damage to processing facilities on thier South Timbalier 229 production platform.

Pride International #210 in WD-73 had a damaged Mast and related equipment. They are trying to decide whether to repair it, or to replace the platform with an idled one.

Nabor's Supersundowner XII rig was lost when the platform it was working off of was lost. I have no information as to which platform that was.

Helmerich & Payne rig #210 was the one that was working off the Shell Mars TLP noted as being damaged before. It is the mast you see in the picture above.

And an update on the Transocean Deepwater Nautilus, it's mooring system is damaged, 3200Ft of riser was lost, as well as part of the subsea well control system that was hanging off the riser.

Finally, Diamond Offshore has another Jack-up that has drifted ashore, The Ocean Voyager was nine miles off station and aground when located.

Update #5 3:43 PM CDT Oct. 4 2005

here are a couple links to more data and analysis:
Global Insight link #1

Global Insight link #2

Dhimmitude must DIE! FREE THE PIG!

I bow down for no man. If pork offends thee, BITE ME!

(forgot the Hat Tip!)

Red vs. Blue, How did we end up with this mess?

I am a child of the Cold War. I learned the duck and cover in first grade. The Soviet Union didn't fall until after I graduated college. All my life I learned to associate Red with Communism. Growing up in a Demoncrap household, the association of blue with demoncraps seemed natural until I grew up and realized what a political wasteland The Dems lived in. Now that I have grown up politically, I question how in hell Republicans managed to allow themselves to be associated with the color of Communism? If you were to plot political theory on a number line with Extreme Libertarianism/Anarchy on the extreme right, Totalitarianism/Communism on the extreme left, you'd find that Democrats are much closer to the left hand side than Republicans. Now if you made that number line a "rainbow" between scarlet on the left and indigo on the right, you'd find that democrats are in the range of blood red to fuchia and republicans between maroon and navy blue. So why are Dems identified as Blue and Republicans Red? Is this yet another subtle propaganda tool of the media to undermine Conservatives?