Castuserraticus

I remember my Dad helping me across a river or two when I was young. He seemed so strong and solid. Now Dad is 84 and has become quite frail. In the cycle of life, I've been able to help my own kids in a few situations where I got to be the strong one. My amazing kids are about grown now and can stand on their own. Stories like this bring back fond memories of lifting small kids across streams, up steep trails, or, sleeping, into their rooms but I like that they are becoming my equal in strength. In the future, I'll get to hold my grandkids' hands.

Looks like a lucrative lawsuit by the thief to me. It appears he was not resisting arrest or displaying agression and got zapped anyway. 1 vote Cherry for defense minister - when you go to war inside another country you better be prepared to fight by their rules.

Noise from the props is one of the biggest problems to proliferation. A quiet prop is the holy grail of wind.

Did you know the original method of finding oil was natural surface seeps? This is true in the Gulf and all over the world.

Looks like the fish are plump and Brian, the starving student, isn't. I've often considered a road trip through that area. There's some fabulous fossil hunting in the SE corner.

I have shaw (home) and telus (office) internet access. It appears the linksys wireless router on shaw crapped out because it no longer shows as an available network on either computer that was on it. I picked up a d-link wireless router at Staples to replace it. I followed the instruction disk and it won't install. The laptop that was the main computer using the old router can not see the new router to configure it even when directly connected to it. So I try to connect to the office wireless internet (2wire). I can not find a WEP key that it will accept. I can log into the router and browse around. The key that is listed under the broadband link (20 characters) gives an error message when I try to enter it. A printout I made after the initial setup has a 26 character WEP - does not work. I have vague memories of some problems with the telus connection at one point and had to exchange the router. The password on the printout is not the one for this router. How do I find the WEP code for this router? I could log into the linsys router and see the WEP code in order to connect other computers. My brain hurts after trying to find answers on the web.

I sure would like to own the wells shown in Figure 1. I don't now of any conventional plays where we can expect a 24 year well life. Most unconventional plays were not on the radar in 2007. The graphs aren't as useful without scales or notes on the assumptions they come from. They seem to imply that payout is less than 1 year. That is a very rare project and certainly isn't the average of the different areas I've looked at.

AAAHHHH! My eyes are burning!!!!

Add me please

I never knocked teachers. My was one and my wife. I know the real hours that the good ones put in. I don't begrudge anyone's pay. The market for their services determines their value whether anyone else thinks it's fair or not. If you don't feel you're paid enough then get other training. You cannot really judge until you walk in that person's shoes. Except MP pensions. They are ridiculous - 6 years service (or just warming a chair - ie Rob Anders) and a lifetime free ride. I guess I should take up politics.

I agree with your observation on the employment rates. I graduated in 1984. Unemployment was chronically over 10% back then and the world continued to tick along. The only thing that allowed many of my classmates and I to get jobs was some new drilling incentives by the province. So you're not quite correct in that we didn't "give away the resources" in the past also. Royalty payments have been tinkered with for decades in order to direct the pace of develpment and will be tinkered with in the future. This resulted in a hodge podge of different rates for wells of different vintage. When Stelmach initially announced his review the industry liked the idea of one royalty structure for all wells. I'm not sure a single royalty policy will work. There exremely varied resources. The government's mandate is to responsibily develop the resource for the benefit of the people. If royaltyies are too high then resources do not get developed and the resulting economic benefits are never seen. With the high gas prices of the early 2000's resources were developed that many of us grey-haired professionals never dreamed would be economic earlier in our careers. Government statistics do not capture all the unemployed. Anyone, like myself, who is a small businessman who owns more than 10% (I think) of their business is not eligible for unemployment insurance. Even though I was not paid for 3/4 of 2009 and could not find any other work, I was not counted. The many farmers with water trucks and other field operations staff are in the same situation. When I get together with groups of friends it seems over half of us are unemployed or underemployed. From an economic theory standpoint, the road back to fuller employment involves wages dropping to a level consistent with the "new normal". Wages are the stickiest component of operating costs but I believe adjustment will occur. There are more job applicants now than there are jobs. I know I'm doing my part.

In Newfoundland hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on dryholes with a small number of discoveries being made. When the government takes an equity interest in the succesful projects there is no reimbursement for all the costs of the dryholes. Individual wells cost up to $60MM. Dryholes are a part of the business. Very rarely is a company successful in a frontier area with the first few wells. Successful projects have to be able to carry the burden of the dryholes. Once again the scale of production and reserves offshore Newfoundland is not comparable to Alberta. The "fair share" study did not consider land sales bonuses and rentals to be part of government take. In actuality it is a considerable expense to industry and cash cow for the government. The report writers thought very wrongly that companies could pay higher royalties and still pay large land bonuses. Every business and individual has a certain tax and operating cost load that they can bear. If your individual tax load were to increase you have to cut back on your living expenses (no more fishing?). The Stelmach plan doubled royalties on the small number of good wells in the province.

An "equity share" would mean the province would have to invest in the project. That's what equity is. The province has chosen a passive interest. The province pays administration to collect money without risking equity. The average well in Norway produces over 8000 Bbls/d and produces millions of barrels. The average well in Alberta starts at about 50 Bbls/d and produces 50,000 barrels. Apparently you like the Venezuela model. Invite companies in and then nationalize projects. When the projects begin to fail under government ownership repeat the cycle. Maybe the government should do that here with your house. There are lots of people on the street who would love to have it. Teh government could sell it back to you once it's trashed. Alberta does not compare to huge international and offshore projects. Alberta used to have a government owned company - AEC. It started with the exclusive rights to drill on the defense weapons ranges and it was successful. Anyone remember why the government sold it? I think because they believed they should not be in the business of competing with their own taxpayers.

So you don't think the people (shareholders) should have jobs? You think people should work for free? Do you lobby the government to raise your taxes or just those of everyone else? If the province wants to spend tax money drilling it's own wells then it should entitled to 100% of the benefits - and those benefits include drilling dryholes (at least $250,000 / well with 30% of wells today being dry) . The province chooses not to risk taxpayer money and so forfeits benefits. Surely all of you industry bashers can't be ignorant enough to think that companies will invest money without an expectation of profit. Do you choose jobs that pay you less than your living expense or do you have a profit motive also? If you think hard earned money should be given away I'll send you my address. Here's a little lesson free of charge on the economics of energy. In a 10 well program 3 will likely be dryholes, 2 will be very successful, and 5 will do OK. When you go to work each day, do you get paid that day or just whenever you get lucky? If you think it's so f%$#*@g easy to make money in the oil industry and it gets a free ride you should start your own company with your own money. The situation with the best balance leaves both sides wanting more. As the government found when they did the "Fair share" changes you can't tax activity that isn't there. So Don - What do you think the royalties should be? Maybe we should be like Norway where the average well produces 8000 Bbl/d and the government takes 80%. That would kill 100% of the industry. What is the unemployment level you want to see? Stelmach was an idiot for touching anything other than oilsands. There the change was justified because the situation around oilsands had changed so much. Now - release the hounds.

The last line does cause the stomach to turn as it touches on a real truth. The environmental groups can always find one or two dissatisfied people who can be used to appeal to emotions over science. Dont' let the facts stand in the way of a good cause.

Brad121's reply summarizes life nicely. Heimdallr too.

The parents are largely afraid to let the kids out of their sight. I grew up in the country and my wife grew up in the city. Her fears generally ruled over what I would have let them done. I was able to pass on fire and knife/axe skills to them when we were camping. One strange thing is that, when I was a kid, my parents would not allow me and my brother to stay inside if the outside weather was reasonable. Now my Dad spends 90% of his waking hours sitting and channel surfing. It seems the mindless TV sucks in more than just the younger generation.

When you finish your cop training will you charge every offence you see or will they be graded in severity? You are taking on a pretty similar role (and you'll be able to drive fast cars and shoot things).

Very well written - evokes images and emotions that many of us can relate to. Thank you for sharing.

Last night's game gave me the same sick feeling I had watching the Torino team. They seem to be trying to slow the game down - crawling out of our zone on the break out, turning back on the slightest forecheck pressure, slowing down at the Swiss blue line. The Swiss were a bouncing puck away from winning on Lemm's shot because they were always skating. They showed no fear of the Canadians. MOVE YOUR FEET, GET AFTER THE PUCK, PASS IT HARD Getzlaf was scary - trying to get too fancy, even on the shoot out. The Marleau line is the only one that really showed up and worked.

So while you're reading the display, does it warn you about upcoming obstacles by flashing the words "You're screwed"?

I remember a few fights when I was in high school (+30years ago). Guys went one-on-one. If your buddy got has ass kicked that was his issue. There was never any of the ground and pound or kicks to the head. The fights stopped when there was a winner. What's with this pervasive cowardly attitude that results in gang beating? Is it because this crap gets filmed and put on youtube? Even girls do it to each other these days and the video makes the evening news.

Either you have a doppleganger or I just saw you on the news. Random violence hits closer when you recognize the victim.

I didn't know we were almost twins. Hope you had a good day too. I would have forgotten my own if my wife hadn't reminded me in the morning.

Interesting and informative analysis.