Dear DE(E)Pers: I Feel Your Pain

First: I appreciate everyone’s concern. I’m fine. As a matter of fact, I’m better than fine. I’ve been to mystic faraway places at every level of my being, and my bucket list has grown wings.  

 

Second: I hear ya – Loud and Clear. I am as stunned and disgusted as you are at the recent appointment of a fracking criminal justice lawyer to occupy the top spot at the DE(E)P. As much as I loved Rachel Carson and everything she did, it pains me to no end to see a building named in her honor so dishonored by recent events. E. Christopher Abruzzo is not qualified to lead the DE(E)P, and everyone knows it, including him. 

And finally: It’s only going to get worse. Trust me on that one.

As far as suggestions? Start leaking anything that could damage the good name – no, I’ll stop there and start over. Start leaking anything and everything that would bring to the light of day what you say is going on there to the media. If you want my recommendation: I and some fellow Renegades trust Laura Legere. Forget DG - and that’s based upon personal experience. Laura will dig deeper than anyone out there. Plus, she's kinda cute.

To my former co-workers: The further I get away from my days at the RCB, the less I want to hear anything from anyone about the absolute sad state of affairs – business or personal – at 400 Market Street. I miss you all, and I still love you all like brothers and sisters, but I did my time and for as long as I have left, I’m grazing in greener pastures. That’s figuratively, of course.

My opinion?  Take them all down.

In closing for today: To those that have walked with me and know me well, you will soon see the absolute wisdom of decisions made long ago in the haze of bygone days. Imagine the possibility that I knew then what I know now. Think about it.   


PLW


Renegade 

SRBC to Meet in Binghamton: 19 September

The next quarterly meeting of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission will be held on September 19th in Binghamton, NY.

 

There is strength in numbers. There is strength in silence.

 

Hopefully, the twain shall meet in Binghamton on September 19th.

I shall arrive there.
  

Standing Tall: F/U TransCanada

I'm hoping a significant percentage of those who frequently stop by weren't too shocked by the recent revelations about the good old U.S. of A. spying on its own citizens.  No surprise here. None.

My hats off to Edward Snowden for having the brass to blow the whistle on Big Brother. As the mainstream media's feeding frenzy continues to expand, it should be very interesting to watch our backpedalling and bungling bureaucrats put their damage control machinery into high gear.

And, sadly, many will believe what these clowns have to say. Let me guess: "It's for your own protection" - more or less.

Moving forward, as times and things progress, or regress as it were, expect to read more blogs and stories like this one about a landowner's fight against BIG OIL.

As I stated in my previous post, many out there understand it's only a matter of time before someone hits the wrong button on the wrong person. And as BIG OIL continues to wiz all over hard working Americans while our leaders elected officials cowards do nothing but look the other way and claim their hands are tied, crossing that line is truly inevitable.

Truthfully - I will be even less shocked when that unfortunate eventuality hits the wires. Saddened? Yes. But surprised? Hell no. Eavesdropping on private citizens is one thing. Silencing them is a whole new ballgame. Can't happen in 21st century America? Wait.

Looking at the photo on the Stand Tall blog of the TransCanada worker behind the video camera, I was oddly reminded of this scene from Saving Private Ryan.




Stand Tall, Julia.


PLW


Renegade  

Prologue: The Impending ShaleStürm

 
To set the stage, spend a few minutes reading this article.

Then, if you will, imagine this chimerical screenplay.

- Act I -

Sometime down the road, a well-dressed young man knocks on a door somewhere in a still-rural suburb of a major American city underlain by a largely untapped gas-bearing shale formation. After satisfactorily identifying himself as a landman and employee of a major gas drilling company, the elderly homeowner allows him in, takes him to the kitchen table, and deftly directs him to a specific chair. The recently-widowered and heirless gentleman seats himself at the far end.  

After a few polite exchanges, the landman launches into a lengthy and drone-like sales pitch about all the natural gas beneath this region waiting to be tapped, and how all of this will be good for the nation's economy, environmentally safe, facilitate America's energy independence for decades to follow, and insure the financial future of the homeowner's family. The landman then states that all of the homeowner's neighbors have committed to signing leases and bluntly closes with, parroting a quote from the article linked above -

 "Drilling here is a done deal. You can’t do anything about it."

 

For more than a few seconds, the homeowner stares dispassionately at the young man's face while slowly placing his hands out of view below the table. Then, as if he's rehearsed the words a thousand times, he slowly and deliberately says - "Son, you say I can't do anything about this. That I am not in a position to decide what happens to this property;  property that my family has owned and treasured and passed down through many generations. I disagree. Do you have your boss's phone number or your next of kin's phone number programmed into your cell phone?"

 

After a few uncomfortable seconds pass, the landman responds - "Yes. Why?"

 

"Because although I'd hoped today would never come, I've been preparing for this moment for years. I know you're just doing your job, but I think it's only fair that I allow you one phone call.  Someone needs to know that you've decided to stay with me for awhile. You and your industry need to better understand what this land means to people like me, and what we'll do to protect it." 

"Please give me your phone."

 

  - Intermission -

 

I'm sure you recall Kari Matsko's closing words in the article referenced at the launch of this little and fictional vignette, but on the outside chance you don't - 

 

“All it’s going to take is for the energy companies to pick on the wrong person.”

 

Her words, not mine.  Far-fetched, you say? 

 

Sometime, somewhere, someone. Everything meticulously orchestrated well in advance. In fact -  years.

 

 

 “Will you step into my parlor?” said the spider to the fly;"

 

PLW

 

 

Renegade 

 

UNBLANKING REAL

Another day, another spill.

I'm sure our illustrious DEP has everything under control.

And zero comments from the populous.

Where have all the Renegades gone?



PLIW


Renegade

Dear Red Deer

We may eventually meet some day, but until then, I'm sending you a long-distance hug.

 

Stay strong.

 

Trust me, I am much better looking in person, and I think our dogs would get along just fine. 

 

 

PLI

 

 

Renegade

Allan's DCNR: Sowing the Seeds of Insurrection

If you haven't had your morning coffee yet, partake of this gem to get your day started:

DCNR: Behind Closed Doors

 

One of my favorite quotes from the article:

 

“We are trying to control the size of the group so that we can have a conversation,” says DCNR spokeswoman Christina Novak.

 

Really? You meant to say 'control the agenda and outcome', didn't you?

 

For those not familiar with DCNR Secretary Richard J. Allan, or how he deals with people who question or criticize the DCNR ( hint: he has them fired ), check this out.

 

From the latter article, another quote worth rehashing:

 

"The closest anyone came, he said, was when Adam Gingrich, an executive assistant to DCNR Secretary Richard J. Allan, said the "administration has decided to go in a different direction."

Different direction indeed.

It seems just about everyone who works for Tom Corbett's administration has learned and perfected the fine art of bending over, keeping a smile on their face, and flipping the bird to the citizens of Pennsylvania as they allow the gas industry pigs to rape our environment and contaminate it for countless generations to follow while laughing all the way to the bank. 

 

On April 4th, the DCNR is holding a closed door meeting to discuss the fate of natural resources held in trust for the citizens of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

How does that sit with you, fellow Fracksylvanians? 

 

As a reminder:

 

 

 PLR  PLI

 

  

Renegade

Bucket List: Machu Picchu

I am discovering almost daily that being retired with no clock to watch is both a blessing and a curse. Without a set daily schedule and a taskmaster to crack the whip, time can slip by without accomplishing anything worthwhile and, before you know it, weeks can stretch into months and more with nothing to show for it.

After looking back at several fairly unproductive months, one of my new year's resolutions was to create a bucket list of things I wanted to do in 2013.

Top of the list: Machu Picchu, and in less than 48 hours after deciding upon my top 10 things to do, my tickets were purchased and my itinerary was booked.

Why Machu Picchu? Like Stonehenge, and the Pyramids at Giza, and the great Wall of China, an incredible deal of time and energy went into its creation, and for those who understand; I seek to capture and, if possible, connect to any residual piece of that energy which remains. For some reason, those sites were built at those locations, and millions of souls have passed through over the centuries.

In my case, I believe some part of all that energy still remains.

For those that stop by, you know I'm not into long and wandering posts. Here are a few photos from my trip, and I'll finish with some closing thoughts at the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

The experiences of this trip will remain with me forever. But, as I reflect upon my time there, I discovered two things:

 

1. I did not need to travel thousands of miles to connect to the energy that remains from all that have passed before, either at Machu Picchu or elsewhere. I can do that anywhere.

 

2. Although I traveled by myself, I was never alone as, at many levels, we are connected to everyone and everything. If you find your center, the rest is easy.

 

I am now revising my bucket list. Instead of places to go and things to see, I will focus on what I need to do to create more positive energy to benefit the whole. 

 

 

PLR

 

 

Renegade

   

2013: Another Step on the Stairway

For those of my generation, Heart's recent rendition of Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Center should bring back more than a few memories. Hope you have a good set of speakers.





Welcome to 2013.

Without mercy or malice time flows on, and as no one knows what tomorrow will bring, I look forward to the journey, wherever it may lead. This retirement thing is more of an adjustment than I anticipated, but I'll get back in sync soon enough.

My predictions for 2013? Among others, there will be a major leak from under the dome in Harrisburg, and Team Tommy's connection to the natural gas industry will be laid out in all its glory for all to see. Oh, and you might want to attend the SRBC's next quarterly meeting.

I'm calling in all markers in the weeks ahead.

Happy New Year.


PLR


Renegade