MarkDobie.com:

Good news regarding oil?

2 interesting stories regarding oil today:

In the next 30 days the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) will release a new report giving an accurate resource assessment of the Bakken Oil Formation that covers North Dakota and portions of South Dakota and Montana. With new horizontal drilling technology it is believed that from 175 to 500 billion barrels of recoverable oil are held in this 200,000 square mile reserve that was initially discovered in 1951. The USGS did an initial study back in 1999 that estimated 400 billion recoverable barrels were present but with prices bottoming out at $10 a barrel back then the report was dismissed because of the higher cost of horizontal drilling techniques that would be needed, estimated at $20-$40 a barrel. It was not until 2007, when EOG Resources of Texas started a frenzy when they drilled a single well in Parshal N.D. that is expected to yield 700,000 barrels of oil that real excitement and money started to flow in North Dakota. Marathon Oil is investing $1.5 billion and drilling 300 new wells in what is expected to be one of the greatest booms in Oil discovery since Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938.

Can't Say 'No' To Canada's Tar Sands Oil

The tar sands hold an estimated 174 billion barrels of crude oil, making Canada's oil-sands deposits second only to Saudi Arabia in global reserves. The U.S. currently obtains 1 million barrels a day from Canada's tar sands, but with planned investments the daily supply could exceed 3 million barrels by 2015.

Permalink

Demon Seed

In May 2002, in the midst of a severe food shortage in sub-Saharan Africa, the government of Zimbabwe turned away 10,000 tons of corn from the World Food Program (WFP). The WFP then diverted the food to other countries, including Zambia, where 2.5 million people were in need. The Zambian government locked away the corn, banned its distribution, and stopped another shipment on its way to the country. “Simply because my people are hungry,” President Levy Mwanawasa later said, “is no justification to give them poison.”

If African dictators want people to die because of political correctness, we should turn all of that corn into ethanol for ourselves.

Permalink

I just might get Social Security!

Look and feel 15 years younger! "Moral: Social Security’s financial problem is relatively minor. It doesn’t deserve the emphasis it receives from most pundits. "

Permalink

Iowa leads the nation in Corporate Tax Rates

Tax Foundation: U.S. States Lead the World in High Corporate Taxes

I can't remember how many articles I've read about the "brain-drain" in Iowa. We keep losing college graduates to other states because they can find better jobs elsewhere. I wonder why businesses do not locate in Iowa? Could it be because we have the highest tax rate for corporations of any state in the Union?

Permalink

Air Force behind Coal-To-Fuel Plans

Coal-To-Fuel

Great idea, I hope they can move forward with it. This line bothers me though: "They'd like to have (coal-to-liquids) because of security concerns - a reliable source of power. They're not thinking beyond that one issue," Waxman said. "(Climate change) is also a national security concern."

Umm...huh? How is climate change a national security concern? I'm sure China is thinking the same thing Rep. Waxman. Heaven forbid we pollute to become independent of foreign oil. Even though research is already showing higher carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is having no effect on Global Warming, since temps. in the ocean have stayed the same, even though MORE carbon dioxide is released every year. Never mind, the data telling us that the sun is going into a cooler cycle which will mean colder temps. for the entire earth. This is yet another example of how messed up our Government's priorities are.

Permalink

Did you crossover to vote in a primary?

If you did, you might go to jail.

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections begins investigation of primary crossover voters

What a joke, how in the world is this "voter fraud"? Is this a scare tactic to keep people away from primaries or the general election?

Permalink

Victim Shot While on Phone with 911 Emergency Services

Victim Shot While Calling 911

Citizens need to protect themselves. There is no reason this should happen to anyone.

Permalink

U.S. Army Isn't Broken

U.S. Army Isn't Broken After All, Military Experts Say I usually take anything an "expert" has to say with a grain of salt anyway. I'm glad they were proven wrong in this case. While we can disagree on the *if* this war should have been started, I certainly change my mind about it daily, I don't think anyone can disagree that we need to see this through. There might be a difference on the *how* but we do need to see this through. Keeping experienced troops in an all volunteer Army is very important, I'm glad the Army is doing that.

Permalink