Oilmen, Puzzles, Ike and "Dancin' In The Moonlight

Oil Money Never Sleeps

This from The Washington Post;

Investigators from the Interior Department's inspector general's office said more than a dozen employees, including the former director of the oil royalty program, accepted gifts including ski trips, sports tickets and golf outings.

The report contains fresh allegations about the culture and practices at the beleaguered royalty-in-kind program of Interior's Minerals Management Service, which last year collected more than $4 billion worth of oil and natural gas from companies given contracts to tap energy on federal and Indian lands and offshore. The revelations come as Congress is set to consider opening up federal lands in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge and offshore of Florida for drilling.

In the report released today, investigators said they "discovered a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity." Nineteen oil marketers and other employees in the office are accused of having personal, and sometimes sexual, relationships with representatives from a group of favorite oil and gas companies from 2002 through 2006. Many of those identified told investigators that they didn't think ethics rules applied to them because of their "unique" role in the agency and that they needed to socialize with industry representatives for "market intelligence." Those identified have been recommended for internal administrative action.

The energy company employees came from Shell, Chevron, Hess and Gary-Williams Energy Co.

In 1964-1966, I was often a guest at the Petroleum Club in Houston, Texas.

It was the rarefied atmosphere of big leather armchairs, expensive cigars, and old, gray haired, "negro", waiters who would say; "Will you be having your usual, master Philip?"

If you think that the members of this club of, "Good old boy", oil men give a crap about your pathetic, middle class, problems, you are sadly mistaken. They think they own the world, and some of them do. I never quite figured out why they invited me to the club. Maybe they really liked my singing, maybe it was because I was young and handsome. ( A lot of those oil rich guys were attracted to young men.) Or maybe, they enjoyed my intelligent insights on whatever subject they happened to be discussing. All I know is, that when I was with these emperors of the oil industry, I was given privilege's not available to the common American citizen. This is the world in which George Bush lives.

Those identified have been recommended for internal administrative action.
There are thousands of Americans spending years locked up in jail, for robbing convenience stores of a few dollars. These government entity crooks have been ripping off Americas taxpayers, Indian tribes, and federal lands management to the tune of billions, and their punishment is a recommendation for internal administrative action. I am not surprised.
Their punishment, if any, will be decided over expensive drinks at the petroleum club.

Click this to brighten your day...PUZZLE

Meanwhile in Space

Dying mega-star 7.5 billion light-years away.

This artist's illustration shows the "naked-eye" gamma ray burst GRB 080319B. The dying mega-star that created the blast was in another galaxy, a whopping 7.5 billion light-years away. Here on earth, it appeared as a flash of light near the handle of the Big Dipper.

The Ball On A String
My friends send me e-mail that is sometimes amusing, and clearly not what one would call, "work related", but without smiles and laughter, this would be a dreary existence. Sometime ago, Garie sent me a ball on a string. It was amusing. Today, Jo Anna sent me the ball on a string with a, "catch." "Click on the ball to make it change color." It sounds easy, but it's entertainingly tricky. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I finally succeeded in clicking on the ball and it changed color. Try it yourself. BALL ON STRING

This graphic of Ike automatically updates

Things aren't looking too good for Sue's beach house.

Forecasters think Ike will be as big, or bigger than Katrina.
Water vapor satellite image at 9:15 PDT...

Ike headed for Sue's beach house

Here in Redding, it's 80° with a light breeze. The night sky is clear, and the moon is growing into the Full Harvest moon it will become on the 15th.

Full Harvest Moon, "Wanna-be." 9/11/08

Today's relatively appropriate song;
Dancin' in the Moonlight-King Harvest
Great video of S.F. moon pics w/ song, HERE

Rejoice With Song and Dancing