Macondo & the Future

Normally I don't like to predict the future but this is the exception to the rule.

As 2010 comes to a close, the biggest reported story is the oil soaked beaches, up and down the East Coast of the United States and Florida, that didn’t happen. And it won’t as a result of the explosion in April. Yes, I called it an explosion, not a spill. It wasn’t a spill! It never was. 11 people lost their lives in an accident.

I have several thoughts:

1.) This will be one of the most sought after deposits but as the media will report it, they will not continue to repeat it. It will be misrepresented or ignored. Mark my word.

2.) This was not a lease that BP wanted. The oil companies want land leases. Why would they want to travel 50 miles and drop a pipe 1 mile into the water, BEFORE they even break ground? This was one of those leases issued in 2008. Why is that significant? Remember the pump prices in the summer of ’08? It was NOT the “speculators” that raised that price, it was members of Congress on the Democrat side, with help from some “Republican” members, to be sure. The demonization of Bush 43 continued relentless so that they could move a “D” into 1600 in November. The “speculators” were reacting to the attitudes of Congressional members and the clear disregard of the best interest of the constituents. They still are. Check the pump price of diesel. The economy runs on diesel. People run their cars on gasoline. Diesel is cheaper to refine than gasoline. It is running 20-30 cents higher to help keep gasoline from moving higher. The attitudes toward the oil companies has to change.

3.) When you and I were seeing the live shots of the oil gushing from the ground, BP let us see those shots as a PR move. Unfortunately, for them, it backfired with a media already frothing at the mouth with story after story about meow-meows being directly affected – and not directly affected - by the accident.

4.) We have a debt into the trillions of dollars. There is no way to pay that off with taxes. It will occur with inflation. Hang on, it will be a wild ride as the people decide they have had enough with participating in a recession and join me in being an observer.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

War and Freedom

People are undetached from the War on Terrorism.

I'm not suggesting rationing of gas or beef.

If gas goes up, it is not the disruptions in the pipeline in sensitive areas, it is the oil companies who get the blame, not those who are trying to disrupt the free market flow of oil.


The TSA is not asking for our help. They are treating us as the enemy.

What's even worse is that the government is treating those who would do us death better than we who are trying to do life.

To put it simply: The Government Security has a Public Relations problem.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Reality of Tropicana Field's "Ring A"

Now, For Reality: the Trop “A” ring did not lose the game for the Rays. No more than the Sun or the rain loses the game if it were played outdoors. The ring did not reach out and throw the ball back onto the field!

The Fact of the matter, lost on people who would rather make excuses, is that the Rays were scoreless through 7 innings of play. They were struck out 12 times during the game. Contrast that to the Twins who were struck out only 3 times.

Joe Madden can make any excuse he wants – he walks on water – ask any of the sports geeks. His team lost the game BEFORE the 9th inning catwalk incident. They were shutout during the first 7 innings!

Here’s a thought: Score runs during the 8 innings of a home game and hold downs the strikeouts!

That was one day game, in August, with over 29,000 of my closest friends who enjoyed the dome over the field in comfortable surroundings.

Get over it! There is a lot of baseball to go. It will be a dogfight with the Yankees into October!

Baseball: the greatest game to come out of Hoboken!

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Rays vs Yankees: A playoff feel in July?

As of this writing, the Tampa Bay Rays are one game out of first place in the Eastern Division of the American League.

The top spot is reserved for the Yankees, just ask anybody - except a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. It is no more a Yankee position than the Senator seat for Massachusetts in Washington D.C. was "Kennedy's" seat. It became a psychological position to expect it is off limits and against the Laws of Nature to oppose the status quo.

We see this in all walks of life. With charisma and a quick vocabulary, people in positions have been able to convince average Americans that what they think and do is wrong and offer convincing evidence to change their mindset.

Baseball, as with all sports, there is a sports geek population that has convinced people the basics of the game don't matter, or, rather that others matter more.

My favorite is the example in American football, "Defense Wins". No! Offense wins, Defense SAVES. You don't win by how many tackles. It helps to discourage offensive plays from the other team. The only time you win is when the ball travels over your goal line with more points than the other team after the time has expired. I never once saw a game won or lost by a score of 3 tackles to 2.

Back to Baseball:
George Steinbrenner was probably the best owner a baseball team ever had. He bought the Yankees at a time when the former owner, CBS let the team, and the stadium, deteriorate. Why they even bought them, who knows? (Not one of Paley’s better moves, to be sure) George was outspoken but knew baseball needed a team to help generate more interest in the game. The Yankees, by virtue of being in New York, offered him a position from which he could most make that possible and a price that was discounted due to the poor conditions in which he found them. They are the team to beat. George made that happen.

Since it was announced in 1996 that Tampa Bay would have one of the final two MLB franchises, baseball on the West Coast of Florida has never been the same.
Most people were ecstatic of the prospect of finally seeing “meaningful” games every night within a stone’s throw of their home - until it was announced that they would be playing in the same division as the Yankees. Then the euphoria went away. “We’ll never win a World Series” was a typical sentiment among the sports geeks, most of who grew up to the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry.

Change is the only consistency in this life.

George and the Yankees made the game of baseball enjoyable as a spectator and as players because he gives the other teams a team as the “team to beat”.

It is human nature to root for the underdog and applaud the winner. Even the staunchest Red Sox fan, secretly and subconsciously like the Yankees because they make his beloved Bosox play harder, smarter, and better.

And the Rays, too.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

BP gas stations: Cash or Credit

I don't go to BP gas stations, not because of the Gulf incident, but because they charge a different price for cash or credit. My debit card is linked to my savings account, when I use the card, the bank rounds off the amount to the next higher dollar and puts the change in the savings account. I am penalized by those stations that charge a different price for "cash or credit".

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is doing this. But the reporting for BP has been so distorted, I'm also not surprised at the misinformation, the truth does not fit the "Villian-Victim" template set for the story.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

This is the direct quote:
"The offshore forecast was temporarily stopped on June 20, 2010 due to the small amount of oil offshore, the absence of recent observations confirming significant amounts of oil in offshore areas, and the large distance between the loop current complex and the Deepwater Horizon oil slick. Offshore forecasts will resume if the threat returns."
You can read it youreselves:
http://gomex.erma.noaa.gov/layerfiles/4050/metadata/OS_metadata.pdf

Here is the proof that this is being handled - by nature and by man.
Remember, as of this writing, It Is Still Gushing!

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Victims & Villians

Why BP? Because it is easy to show a victim (meow-meows) and a villian (BIG OIL). The pictures are great and convincing to the uninformed. I have no experience in the oil industry besides pumping gas in High School for Hess. My observations and reading tell me the politics is raking observers over the coals. Touch something oil had nothing to do with. You can't. Why critisize the people risking their lives to provide it to you? Because you like being one of the victims. Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Oil - the new evil?

How things have changed. Years ago an oil gusher like this was a GREAT find! Now it's a bad thing. I just don't get it. When did we stop liking it when finding natural resources? Touch one thing around you that oil didn't have anything to do with, I dare you. You can't! Embrace it. It has made your life much cleaner, safer, productive, and comfortable! Since when is life without its risks?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Rays in 1st place, 50+ days in a row?

This was the 2nd time in a month the Yankees were in 1st place. After Dallas Braden threw the perfect game against the Rays, there was a few hours when the Yanks had it then. It is too close for comfort. When you are dealing with a team as strong as the NYers, you need to stay on your game. This is the time of year when the playoff bound teams will try to position themselves for the All-Star break to lead them into the 2nd half of the season. Offense wins but how a team uses their pitchers is the key to being in that post season.
No excuses, Joe!

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Accidents are "War"?

How embarassing! Our esteamed leader called it a "war". Does he know something we don't. Haven't heard much about the conspiracy dealing with the oil explosion, lately. As far as we know it was an accident. A war is something done intentionally!
If an accident is a "war", then what do you can an intentional sinking of a "war"ship in Korea? How about Iran intentionally making of a nuclear bomb with the statement of calling for the destruction of Israel???
Get it right, Barry!

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

10 best things about Mondays

These are in no order of importance.
1.) It is one of the 10 best days of the week.
2.) It means the Tampa Bay sports teams will not lose.
3.) Monday is a renewed love of life.
4.) Monday is for lunatics. Moonday, get it?
5.) Monday is for quarterback wannabees, like me.
6.) Monday is to put into action all the good thought you had over the weekend.
7.) Monday is a great day for coffee!!!
8.) Proves Bob Geldoff was just a lazy liberal.
9.) Means the start of another great week of AM Tampa Bay on 970 WFLA.
10.) A great blog topic.

Good Bye Helen (the witch) Thomas

The witch of the White House Press Corps has retired. 10 years too late. Better late than never. The woman was 1000 years old, 89 in dog years, and hated George Bush. All the Lemmings respected her endurance and therefore listened and hung on to every word she would say and ran with it. She was the "kingpin" of the "Bush haters." Don't take my word for it, search it for yourself.

Obama = Carter Clone

The more this administration is around, the more the "Shades of Carter" show up. The 1980 election had Ted Kennedy throwing his hat in the ring. President Carter was asked about Kennedy running against him. Carter's response was, "I'll kick his ass." It was front page headlines in every newspaper the next day. The 2010 version of Jimmy Carter, in the form of Obamaman, used the same language. The Public's perception of both of these guys was formed by the Media's dislike of the previous Republican Presidents. Not surprising to me. I predicted the scenario we are experiencing now. The difference? This time, I'm documenting it.

baseball attendance

I think baseball has a bigger problem than a bad stadium in any given market. There were only 12k fans in the stands in Oakland on Sunday for the "Perfect Game". Here in the Tampa Bay area there is a push to replace the baseball stadium currently known as Tropicana Field. The "baseball" stadium was built approved by the City of St. Petersburg in 1986 as the Pinellas Sportsplex, broke ground over a toxic waste dump in 1987 (hence, the unoffficial name, "Toxidome"), finished it 1989, opened in 1990 as the St. Petersburg Suncoast Dome, was home to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 1992-1995 season as the Thumderdome, was host to the Basketball "Sweet 16", indoor fireworks displays, Concerts, Motivational Seminars with the likes of Rudy Guiliani, Bush 41, Barbara Bush, General Norman Schwartzkoff, etc., Home Shows, tractorpulls. Finally, after being used for 12 years by other teams, such as the Twins, White Sox, Mariners, and Giants, as a bargaining chip for new stadiums, there was a $30M face lift to the purpose for which it was originally built with the awarding of the "Devil Rays" franchise. I like the Trop. I like the catwalks interfering with the play. I saw that when they built it there would be an issue. To condemn the stadium because of that would be akin to replacing Fenway because the "Green Monster" is too high. It is always a guaranteed game, 72 degrees, low humidity, and no wind. Winning night home games have a lighted Orange Roof and can be seen for miles. It is sandwiched in between 3 Interstates. Only traffic is within about 3 block radius of the game.
Until attendance on TV and other ball parks increase, I can't see replacing this or any other park, the marketing of baseball is on the downside of the cycle at this point in time. The Rays are in too small of a market to make a difference and the Yankees are ho-hum when they win the World Series. We need more "sports geeks" positive to the game. Not more of them who can't figure out that there is fun playing and watching the game and critisizing every one of the players with unfounded accusations of hearsay, half-truths, and rumours. The Rays are not going anywhere soon - and they are fun to watch. Now, if they could only do something about making the field look better. Go Rays!!! Stay Rays!!!

Perfect Game

The Rays were just able to hold on to 1st place. They were the victims - again - to "The Perfect Game". 2nd time in a year and there have only been 19 all through over 110 years of Major League baseball 162 games a year per team. It was a thing of beauty, except, again, it was at the expense of the Rays. The Rays were out of first as a result of yesterday's game by way of percentages for several hours. They won one more and lost one more than the Yankees. Since the Yankees lost later on to the Botox, err, Bosox, they (The Yankees) fell back into 2nd place.
The Rays in 1st has been a nice ride, but there is still 130 games left to the season and the Rays and Yankees are the only ones with less than 10 losses.
Now they are starting to get into the meat of the teams to be reckoned with through the rest of the season. I think it will be a see-saw ride for Rays fans. Baseball at its BEST!

Oil Rig "Explosion"

The more I hear this story, and read the reporting, I can't help but think this Oil Rig is the Oil Industry's TMI. In 1979, Three Mile Island had a partial meltdown of the reactor and for the next 25, or so, years we heard nothing but badmouthing of Nuclear power plants. A couple of weeks ago, Obama agreed to open areas off the Western Florida coast to drilling and this happens. It is either an unfortunate coincidence or sabotage. I was looking forward to the rigs, cell phone coverage would be improved and our national security and energy needs would be filled. The oil that has been deposited in the Gulf will disapate by itself. The political ramifications will be much longer lasting. Until the environuts have to pay $5 per gallon again.

Goldman-Sacks

It is my thought that When Jon Corzine lost the NJ Governer's race last November, he no longer had the ability to shield G-S from the investigations which are now occuring.
What I don't know is that he was doing it purposfully or whomever has brought it up now, felt that there would be implications as long as Corzine was governor.

Ed Smith Stadium attendance

The Cincinatti Reds spent 14 years in Sa-ra-so-ta! for Spring Training. They enjoyed it until they decided to ask for a new stadium. The voters in Sa-ra-so-ta! decided ED Smith was in need of repair but not replacing for 15 games in the month of March. They threatened to leave for Arizona. It was echoes of the White Sox, which is why we had Ed Smith statium in the first place. It was built and the Sox left anyway. The first year of the Orioles as the only tennants calling it home broke attendance records - over 100,000 in attendance. The O's announcers were using words such as "beautiful" and "great". As opposed to the Reds announcers using "tired, old, Ed Smith". I was happy to hand them a copy of the home game and hold the screen door as they left. There is a lot of history between Cincy and Sa-ra-so-ta!, but now is time to start a new tradition such as the one that exists in Bradenton with the Pirates.

David Price Future HOF Pitcher

When I was at the 6th game of the 2008 ALCS, I caught a batting practice ball at the 'Trop. David Price came over and signed the ball for me. That was the first time I saw him. I felt as though I was in the presence of somebody who was going places.
The next night, he was on the mound for the final pitch that sent the Rays into the World Series. The Rays lost in 5 games to the Phillies.
Last year, Price was sent to Durham instead of coming "up" for the start of the season. This year, he has been pitching with a maturity that is going to go a long way for his career. I know he is on tract for the Hall of Fame. Today, he pitched his first 4-hit, complete game, shutout. At 24, a lot can happen, but he has a disposition and character that are two qualities that are needed and necessary. Watch this kid. Mark my word, I'll remind you, in case you forget.

Pax 1, TSA 0

Rays TV broadcaster and former manager, catcher, etc., was part of an 8 man subdue of a passenger on a "red-eye" flight from L.A. to Tampa earlier in the week. I have said for years, and I am constantly being criticized by others for my "truths". Passengers on that plane, or any other for that matter, want to go from point A to point B with no incidents. The passengers are going to always be your last, best, security - and the only one that works! The strength is in numbers. There are more on board wanting an uneventful trip than are on board to cause trouble. It is the same thing anywhere you go - even at home!
Get rid of TSA.!

WQYK & WRBQ

What a difference a transmitter move makes.

CBS/Infinity/whatever else they want to call that company... It's about time.

Ever since they built the taller Bank of America building just south of Tower Plaza, the reception from 104.7 and 99.5 has been terrible. I guess when you have 2 of the top 5 stations eminating from the same location nobody wants to spend the money since there would be no immediate return on investment.

It took a little persuasion from the FCC in the way of fines for them to finally do what should have been done 20 years ago.

I remember the FCC sending a warning letter around 1993 to either upgrade their facilities or be downgraded. Even though the move finally took place (thanks, Ralphie boy) they were at least able to keep the 100kw.

They have turned off their HD's but are still running RDS.

I can pick both of them up with a Radio Shack portable. Neither station would come in before with the same radio. Riverview stations have never been a problem.

'10 TB Rays

Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays are on a good roll in spite of manager Joe Madden’s arguably flawed pitching decisions. But they better win these games now, if he burns them out the way he did last September, we will be watching the playoffs with out of town clubs.

The "Boat Show"

The annual boat show on the "Google Island" formally known as "City Island" was cancelled. MarineMax decided to hold their own. The ultimate in watching a man walking around in a euphoric daze... I plead guilty.

The Big Water Lie

Born and raised up North, water came from the reservoirs in the mountains and down to our faucets. Here, we lose more water to evaporation than to any other reason. There is no water shortage, never was. If you live on the desert, don't complain there is not enough water - it is a desert! We have a "snow shortage" in Florida. There is no more water now than there was 50k years ago! Do the research for yourself.

Oprah's "reasons"

Supposedly, Oprah's real father has asked her to admit he is her father and submit to a paternity test. She keeps ignoring him. Why shouldn't she, it would be "inconvenient" for a Liberal/Democrat to admit to something uncomfortable. Just as it is for Obama to admit to his Kenya resident brother George.