thePEBBLE - 07/03/06 - Tips And Tidbits
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The Saga Of Pinehill, The Adventure
This is a page turner you don't want to put down.
Get your copy today! It will change your life. Go to
http://www.the-pebble.com OR order yours from
your favorite bookstore. ISBN # 1-4137-4723-X
Watch for the sequel
Money, Marriage And The Way, The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
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TODAY'S TRIVIA - - -
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Did the Hundred Years War really last a hundred years?
Is it true that babies are born nearsighted?
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ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA - - - -
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What was the Soccer War?
Believe it or not, the Soccer War was a four-day war fought
over the outcome of a soccer match. In 1969, when El
Salvador lost a World Cup playoff soccer game to Honduras,
fans from El Salvador began beating up fans from Honduras.
Soon, the fighting escalated into a full-scale war between
the two nations. Of course, the soccer game was only the
match that lit the cannon. Tensions between the two
countries had been high before the game due to a boundary
dispute and anger over the large numbers of El Salvadorans
who had migrated into Honduras. Before a cease fire was
declared, the Soccer War had claimed 3,000 lives, wounded
6,000 people, and caused more than $50 million in damage.
What was the War of the Roses?
The War of the Roses was a conflict waged between the Houses
of York and Lancaster over succession to the British throne.
The war came to be called the War of the Roses because red
and white roses were among the badges symbolizing each
family. However, the war really didn't get that name until
after Shakespeare immortalized it in his plays, representing
each side plucking roses from a garden symbolizing their
mutual animosity.
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thePEBBLE CONTENTS:
1. STRANGE BITS AND PIECES!
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2 Title Article . . .
Tips And Tidbits
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3. MEDICAL COLUMN by Karin Henderson
Detoxification
A Natural Body Function: Does It Really
Need To Be Helped Along?
PART 1 of 11
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4. PERCEPTIONS by Ken Darby
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5. WHY DO WE SAY IT?
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6. THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY!
7. HA! HA!HA!
8. CONTACT INFO
9. THE LAST LINE - - - - -
Get The Saga Of Pinehill, The Adventure
http://the-pebble.com/SAGA/sagamain.html
OR get it at your favorite bookstore. Ask for
ISBN# 1-4137-4723-X from Publish America
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STRANGE BITS AND PIECES!
In 1985, the largest ice cream sundae was made with 4,667
gallons of ice cream and 7000 pounds of toppings. This was
made in Anaheim, California and reached a height of twelve
feet.
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TITLE ARTICLE . . .
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Tips And Tidbits
The Oil Sands Of Alberta
Where Black Gold And Riches Can Be Found In The Sand
(CBS) This story originally aired on Jan. 22, 2006.
There’s an oil boom going on right now. Not in Saudi Arabia
or Kuwait or any of those places, but 600 miles north of
Montana.
In Alberta, Canada, in a town called Fort McMurray where, in
the dead of winter, the temperature sometimes zooms up to
zero.
The oilmen up there aren’t digging holes in the sand and
hoping for a spout. They’re digging up dirt — dirt that is
saturated with oil. They’re called oil sands, and if you’ve
never heard of them then you’re in for a big surprise
because the reserves are so vast in the province of Alberta
that they will help solve America’s energy needs for the
next century.
Within a few years, the oil sands are likely to become more
important to the United States than all the oil that comes
to us from Saudi Arabia.
Correspondent Bob Simon reports.
Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, vehicles that look
like prehistoric beasts move across an arctic wasteland,
extracting the oil sands. There is so much to scoop, so much
money to be made.
There are 175 billion barrels of proven oil reserves here.
That’s second to Saudi Arabia’s 260 billion but it’s only
what companies can get with today’s technology. The estimate
of how many more barrels of oil are buried deeper
underground is staggering.
"We know there’s much, much more there. The total estimates
could be two trillion or even higher," says Clive Mather,
Shell's Canada chief. "This is a very, very big resource."
Very big? That’s eight times the amount of reserves in Saudi
Arabia. The oil sands are buried under forests in Alberta
that are the size of Florida. The oil here doesn’t come
gushing out of the sand the way it does in the Middle East.
The oil is in the sand. It has to be dug up and processed.
Rick George, the Colorado-born CEO of Suncor Energy, took 60
Minutes into his strip mine for a tour. He says the mine
will be in operation for about 25 years.
The oil sands look like a very rich, pliable kind of
topsoil. Why doesn’t oil come out when squeezed?
"Well, because it’s not warm enough. If you add this to hot
water you’ll start the separation process and you’ll see the
oil come to the top of the water and you’ll see sand drop to
the bottom," George says.
It may look like topsoil but all it grows is money.
It didn’t always. The oil sands have been in the ground for
millions of years, but for decades, prospectors lost
millions of dollars trying to squeeze the oil out of the
sand. It simply cost too much.
T. Boone Pickens, a legendary Texas oil tycoon, was working
Alberta’s traditional oil rigs back in the '60s and
remembers how he and his colleagues thought mining for oil
sands was a joke.
"Here we are sitting there having a drink after work and
somebody said this isn’t going to, it isn’t possible. It’ll
all have to be subsidized to a level, said, before they’d
make money you’d have to have $5 oil," Pickens says
laughing. "We never thought it would happen."
But then $40 a barrel happened and the oil sands not only
made sense, they made billions for the people digging them.
But it wasn’t just the price of oil that changed the
landscape, it was the toys. That’s what they call the giant
trucks and shovels that roam the mines.
Everything about the oil industry has always been big. It’s
characterized by bigness, from the pumps to the
personalities. But up here in Alberta, it’s frankly
ridiculous. The mine operates the world's biggest truck.
It’s three stories high and costs $5 million. It carries a
load of 400 tons of oil sands, which means, at today’s oil
prices, each load is worth $10,000 dollars.
What it’s like to drive one of these monsters? At the foot
of a tire, we asked the driver, Jim Locke.
"You have 14 steps going up, and at my house you have 14
steps to the bedroom. So it’s like going upstairs in my
house, sitting on my bed and driving the house downtown,"
says Locke.
But getting downtown is just the beginning. The oil sands
then go into a plant. They’re heated in a cell, which
separates the oil from the sand. The result looks like
something out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. This oil
froth is then sent to an upgrader and eventually to a
refinery.
Asked if the processed oil is as good as that pumped in
Saudi Arabia, Mather says, "Absolutely as good as. In fact,
it even trades as a, at a premium because it’s high quality
crude oil."
The capital of the oil sands frenzy is a frontier town
called Fort McMurray, which isn’t in the middle of nowhere.
It’s north of nowhere and colder than the Klondike, but a
boomtown just the same. The local hockey team is called the
"Oil Barons." They’re on a winning streak.
Is this comparable to a gold rush?
"I think it’s bigger than a gold rush. We’re expecting $100
billion over the next 10 years to be invested in this area —
$100 billion in a population that, currently, is 70,000
people," says Brian Jean, who represents the region in
Canada’s parliament.
Pickens, who once scoffed at the oil sands, is one of those
investors. He runs a hedge fund in Dallas and is now a true
believer.
"We’re managing $5 billion here. And, about 10 percent of it
is in the oil sands. So, it’s the largest single investment
we have," Pickens says.
And if oil sands are the answer for investors, does Pickens
think the oil sands are the answer for the United States?
"Oh, I think so," he says.
Most of those lumbering trucks are on their way to the gas
tanks of America. A million barrels a day are now coming out
of the oil sands and oil production is expected to triple
within a decade. It won’t replace Middle Eastern oil but at
that point it will be the single largest source of foreign
oil for the United States, even bigger than Saudi Arabia,
which sends a million and a half barrels a day to America.
Greg Stringham, who works for the Canadian Association of
Petroleum Producers, says surprisingly, that Washington has
only been paying attention for the "last couple of years."
Stringham often lobbies for the oil sands in Washington. He
says that in Alberta you don’t have to look for the oil
sands — the earth moves.
"When it comes to exploration in the oil sands, you can’t
drill a dry hole. It’s there," he says. "We know where it
is. They’ve outlined it. You don’t have any risk. But other
conventional sectors around the world, there’s a huge
exploration risk."
The exploration risks are the least of it. Much of the
world’s crude is in the Middle East where the instability is
deeper than the oil. When Alberta’s blue-eyed sheiks took to
Wall Street last summer in their Stetsons to drum up support
for the oil sands, their message seemed to be, "If you can’t
trust Alberta, who can you trust?"
"Alberta is a very good place to do business. It’s a very
stable environment," says Mather.
The bonus for Canadians, aside from the treasure, is the
notion that Americans might have to start treating them with
a little less condescension.
"With their oil, I think we’re going to need them a lot more
than they need us," says Pickens.
"We may appear in Canada to be a mouse compared to the
elephant down south in terms of diplomacy or politics. But
in terms of resources, we are mighty equals," says Mather.
There have been grumblings out of Ottawa that Canada should
consider using the oil sands as leverage in its serious
trade disputes with the United States.
Does Brian Jean think America is taking Canada for granted
on the oil sands?
"Absolutely. And I think most people, most Canadians believe
that," he says.
And the Canadians have alternatives. The Chinese, for
example, are just dying to get a piece of the sandbox.
"I’ve been contacted personally by Chinese delegates that
want to get into the plant sites here and want to see and
want to invest," says Jean.
Asked what he thinks about the Chinese interest in the oil
sands up in Alberta, Pickens says, "At first I thought they
were tire kickers. But I think they’re serious buyers."
And the millions of Chinese who have moved from their
bicycles to traffic jams are driving up the demand for oil.
It’s virtually insatiable and the Canadians want to step up
production quickly. What’s holding them back is labor — the
shortage of it.
Brian Jean says another 100,000 people are needed in Fort
McMurray.
That’s why one oil company has built a runway to fly workers
daily from civilization to Fort McMurray. But why would
anyone want to come work in a place where temperatures
plummet to 40 below and the sun sets shortly after it rises
in the long winter? Well, perhaps because the oil companies
pay some of the highest salaries in North America.
Take Josh Lichti, who says he could be making $120,000 by
the time he is 22.
"It’s amazing," he says.
But even if workers come flocking, the oil companies still
have other problems. Creating energy from oil sands requires
so much energy that the oil companies wind up spiking
greenhouse gas emissions.
"And they do it in volumes that exceed any other production
of oil crude anywhere on the planet," says Elizabeth May,
the director of the Sierra Club of Canada.
She takes issue not only with what the oil sands are doing
to the atmosphere, but to the land. The oil companies,
environmentalists say, are digging up an entire province.
Take a helicopter ride over the mines and you’ll think
you’re flying over the moon after a moonquake.
"One of the reasons they can be mined the way they’ve been
mined is the out of sight, out of mind aspect of it. And
your film crew is one of the few that’s gone in there to
look at how devastating this is," May says.
Even money men, like Pickens, have noticed. "Can’t argue
with it. I mean, there’s no question that, that they’ve got
a mess up there. But I do think they’ll take care of it over
time," he says.
The oil companies say they will reduce greenhouse gasses and
they point out they are required by Canadian law to refill
old mines and plant new trees, and that is happening —
slowly. One company, Syncrude, has even introduced bison to
land that once was a barren pit.
Rick George of Suncor Energy insists in the future people
won’t recognize the mines. "So what you see today is a mine.
What you’ll see 10 years from now is a replanted forest," he
says.
"You’re telling me that if I come here, it’s gonna be
pretty?" Simon asks.
"Absolutely," George says. "These sites will all be going
back. Now we’ll be minin’ at a different location at that
point.
"This will look forested when we get done with it in 20
years time."
But there is a larger question that not only
environmentalists are asking: will the availability of an
enormous supply of secure oil right next door mean America
will have little incentive to reduce its dependence on oil?
"What Canada’s doing," says May, "is continuing to feed the
U.S. addiction to fossil fuels, instead of being the kinda
friend who says, 'Let’s make a helpful intervention here.'
We're acting as the supplier of a drug fix to the U.S.,
while all the time saying, 'Just say no.' But we keep
selling it."
But unless the Chinese go back to bicycles and Americans
trash their SUVs, there will be buyers — for oil anywhere,
no matter how it’s found or mined. Right now, Canada has
become the land of opportunity for oilmen. They will tell
you there is little else on the horizon.
"Bob, if you take a tablet and put on it where is supply
gonna come from that we don’t know about today. And you put
down all the optimistic points, that tablet will basically
be blank," says Pickens.
As blank as the landscape around Fort McMurray, where the
world of oil exploration ends.
Does Pickens think the days of cheap oil are gone?
"They’re gone," he says. "From what we knew as cheap oil,
when I pumped gasoline in Ray Smith’s Sinclair station on
Hinkley Street in Holdenvale, Oklahoma, 11 cents a gallon,
that’s gone."
Will we ever again see $1.50 a gallon? "We won’t ever see
$1.50 a gallon. No, that’s gone," says Pickens.
Right around the corner from Fort McMurray you can still see
oil being produced the traditional way. It’s picturesque
now. The wells are still pumping but they belong to the
past, like the iron horse that once rode across these
prairies.
The future? Up here in Alberta they’re convinced it’s in the
dirt.
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Prosperity is a gift. Do not succumb to it for it will take your life.
To be detached is to have prosperity and life.
---- Ken Darby
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MEDICAL COLUMN - - - -
by Karin Henderson
Detoxification
A Natural Body Function: Does It Really
Need To Be Helped Along?
PART 1 of 11
Frequently I am asked about detoxification, but it will not
be phrased that way. Many people don’t have much, if any,
knowledge of this bodily function. A few people have their
own understanding and often just want to challenge my ideas,
which is fine. I am always amazed at those who have such
definite opinions without really understanding the function
of their incredible body! So I want to explain what happens
naturally in your body. I will share two doctors’
description of what symptoms they find in their patients to
show this could be happening. I will also give a few
comments on additional detoxification procedures. Later in
this article, I also I thought I would tell you what I do
when a new person gets on the supplements I often speak
about.
So let’s work through some medical terminology first. I’ll
use definitions from Mosby’s and Medline as they are
acceptable to the medical community and always easy for
everyone to understand. I do not want to get into things
like alcohol or drug detoxification. I will stick to
everyday things we can do or need to understand. When I
researched this topic, I ended up in many very detailed and
involved resource sites. So there is a lot of information
available. If you are interested, then please explore this
more fully. It’s a very urgent and important subject
nowadays. I see a world out of control with people trying to
find relief and happiness in chemicals. The entire point of
them taking any such chemicals is to change their present
life experience. I have compassion for the dilemma in which
they find themselves now with their addictions, but that is
not what I want us to learn about right now.
-------------------------------------------
Karin Henderson is a registered nurse and is thePEBBLE's
columnist for our MEDICAL COLUMN.
We appreciate her input very much. Thanks Karin.
You can send Karin questions at
mailto:kflh@shaw.ca
Health Information Newsletter.
http://www.prescotts-inc.com
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PERCEPTIONS . . . by Ken Darby
-----------------------DISCLAIMER
Some around me think I am an opinionated old goat.
Whether that be true or not I will sometimes, in this column,
talk about things people don't like to talk about - or don't want
out in the open. Take it all with a grain of salt.
Do your own thinking, and don't accept the things I say as
gospel. They are only mental meanderings from a simple soul.
-----------------------END DISCLAIMER
Today's article is about the oil sands in the province of
Alberta, Canada. It is a huge resource, so huge it boggles
the imagination. And it is amusing to Canadians that the
Americans aren't more interested in it as a supply of oil,
rather than relying on the unstable middle east for oil.
On the other hand one does not want to get into any poor
agreement with the Americans for they have shown the
Canadians they have a tendency to walk on people when things
don't go their way. That, at least is the perception
Canadians have, whether it be right or wrong that is the
basic feeling in the minds of Canadians.
For those of you who don't know, I live in this province
where all the oil sands are. We border on a province to our
east, Saskatchewan, which is also part owner of the oil
sands and just now beginning to exploit the fields.
The supply of oil available from the oils sands is
staggering, almost unbelievable, and it is close to the U.S.
That means pipelines can carry supply south from Canada,
many already existing. In the long run it offers the U.S. a
good supply of oil from a friendly, politically stable
country that has a history of democracy, free enterprise and
good relationships with the U.S.
So, some of us are wondering why they U.S. is not more
interested in this project. Well, I guess that is changing.
Scuttlebutt has it that Vice President Dick Cheney has
recently made an unannounced flight into Fort McMurray to
have a look at the oil sands, then flew back as quietly as
he came. So it appears things are going on behind closed
doors. Let us hope those doing the work have sense enough to
enter into agreements that clearly recognize Canada owns the
resource and will supply at a price. Further, Canada
controls the resource. Any agreement not permitting that
condition would be fatal to Canada.
Living in this province is nothing short of a unique
experience. The province is rich. It is the only debt free
political unit in North America. It is attracting laborers
into the area in untold numbers and still we are short of
workers. These new people coming in are creating horrendous
pressures on the housing industry and house prices are
skyrocketing. When you go to build a house one has a hard
time finding builders who don't have a two or three year
lead time needed.
The people of the area love the condition, of course. They
live in prosperity. Yet too many, especially the young, feel
it will go on forever. This province has lived through
untold number of oil booms and busts, but this one is
different. The politicians of this province have regulated
as best they can, the investment into the oil sands in such
a way that it is spread out over a long period rather than
as short as five years. That is giving a much more stable
growth pattern to what is happening throughout the province,
much of which is spin off from the oil sands.
Still, all good things must come to an end and it would be
wise for the province to stimulate research into alternative
energy supplies. That should be done because it is a good
idea, not out of fear. Man should expand his universe to
take the spiritual forces into account, not just the
material forces. I notice that men like Nikolai Tesla are
now being recognized for they genius ideas that were thought
to be crackpot at his time. The truth is that Tesla had
ideas, which, if worked on at the time and appraise
properly, would have advanced our world much faster. It is
time now for research into the spiritual world and community
so man can begin to enjoy the things his Maker originally
designed for him. Fighting each other is not the way of our
Maker. Being preoccupied with money is not the way of our
Maker. These things man has yet to learn. Let's hope he sees
that and uses the oil sands as a springboard into that
future.
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WHY DO WE SAY IT?
Narrow Back: How did a dandy come to be called a "narrow
back"?
The Irishmen wo came to this country all wore the rough cut,
homespun clothes of their homeland but their sons adopted
the practice of wearing tailor made clothes that were cut to
fit. The coats, therefore, were cut in at the waist and gave
the men a "narrow back" appearance.
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THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY!
"To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the
beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want
to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust
yourself, to test you limits, that is the courage to
succeed." -- Bernard Edmonds
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HA! HA! HA!
Two Dogs, Please
Two Scottish nuns had just arrived to the US by boat when
one said to the other, "I heard that the occupants of this
country actually eat dogs."
"Odd," her companion replied, "but if we shall live in
America, we might as well do as the Americans do."
Nodding emphatically, the mother superior pointed to a hot
dog vendor and they both walked towards it.
"Two dogs, please," said one.
The vendor was only too pleased to oblige and he wrapped
both hot dogs in foil. Excited, the nuns hurried over to a
bench and began to unwrap their 'dogs.'
The mother superior was first to open hers, then, stared at
it for a moment, leaned over to the other nun and whispered
cautiously, "What part did you get?
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
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THE LAST LINE - - - - -
"Courage is fear that has said its prayers." -- Dorothy
Bernard
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REMEMBER! - IF YOU SEE IT IN thePEBBLE - IT IS SO!
Fear shall keep you from life, unless you use fear only to
keep you aware of your present environment.
---- Ken Darby
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