Truth In Lending Statement
Yuck, what gives with this “Truth In Lending Statement” that the banker pulls from a secret under-desk location and throws innocently your way once all the paper work is signed, sealed and delivered? And after your down-payment has already been cashed out. Plus your wife has already begun moving her wardrobe into the new house. Can’t turn back now! Who is making all this “extra” cash? I don’t know about you, but my mortgage has been sold to a zillion different offshore outfits. Somebody is making out like a bandit as I am sure a “non-profit” gets slipped in here and there somewhere along the way! And with those ARM rip-offs, a lawyer for one of the now “homeless” is convinced that some of these scam artists work offshore, from a place called “Atlantis”! No wonder Uncle Sam is going broke, the deficit is taking on an entire new dimension. Isn’t it time that “Religion” gets taxed? In fact, I am throwing my name into the Congressmen Don Young’s seat assignment follies. My platform will set in motion a moratorium on worker income tax and demand all religious’ denominations to pay up, just to see how it all averages out. Anyway, enough of the “Lending” stuff and on to the “Truth In Spending Statement”. The latter has to do with “Shareholder” responsibility. When the price of oil “tanked” back in the mid 90’s, “Big Oil” working here in Alaska had a choice, feed the workers or invest in the infrastructure. It was an easy decision to make but feeding was cheaper, so guess what? And it was at the same time that everybody and their brother was becoming bonafide “Shareholders”, as that is how we all build up a retirement nest egg, by having our 401k gurus invest wisely - while we continue to work. But over time, “shareholder” demands became front and center - above responsibility - as we all wanted more return on our investment. So NO, those workers cannot have a raise. And instead of feeding them bacon and eggs, porridge will suffice. Talk about a “Mobius Strip” phenomenon. Say you are a worker and a shareholder under the same fiduciary umbrella. Do you vote yourself a raise or not? What goes in your pocket goes missing from your investing! It reminds me of the novel I am working on, called Sadie’s War. Sadie was an elderly widow that relied on her deceased husband’s single investment – tied to the corporation that had employed his skills for many years as a welder. She never worked, so S.S. was not an option. And her medical coverage was mediocre. So she prided herself when at teatime, boasting to her friends how well she was doing on her own. She became interested as an active “shareholder”, attending the meetings and searching the “Net” for valuable information about the corporation’s holdings. All was good until she found out that an affiliated sub-company was covering-up an environmental nightmare. This little old lady wasn’t about to let the corporation get away with it, even if it meant loosing that nest egg. She started causing trouble at the meetings. Soon she was targeted by a “Goon Squadron Gone Wild”, so turned to a bunch of Vietnam Vets for help. See, her son was killed during the war. The Vets were platoon comrades with her not-forgotten son. So the 60’s aged war machine - with Sadie at the helm - went alive and well and justice they did do, Rambo Style. Anyway, a little sidetracked I went. I guess you should have read that “Truth In Storytelling Statement”. Anyway, “Big Oil” is under the pen again. Several fires have caused disruption in oil flow from up north. That hurts the state’s income. It also hurts the “shareholders” demands. What I despise? Every time “Big Oil” does something wrong this state’s officials - who have been remiss in their duties to begin with - they have to appoint some new committee with a fandangle of a name that is so long one could never find it in the phone book. Anyway, the recent fires up in Prudhoe Bay have targeted the turbines that run pumps and generators. Without turbines, no pumps and no electricity. It means no oil! Without oil, shareholders cry. Now these contraptions are indeed like an aircraft engine. Except for the fact that it is a stationary piece of equipment operating at temperatures that approach 1200 degrees Fahrenheit and speeds of 15,000 RPM’s and using enough natural gas in one day’s time that it is enough to heat your house for 10-years! So why all of a sudden these fires gone wild? Blame the “Shareholders”. See, these cast-iron beasts are 30-plus years old. Not the “shareholders”! And this kind of equipment has a life expectancy to it. A stationary gas turbine can only run so many hours or “start and stop” cycles. After that, send it to the bone yard. Time has a tendency to stress things out of round. That is why you will very seldom see OEM technicians rebuilding these ancient units on the ”Slope”. Why? There comes a point in time where liability rules! Some OEM outfits will not touch these units, as it is time expired and time to buy news ones. These turbines - for the most part delivered during the 1970 sealift - should have bit the rust dust a long, long time ago. So you can’t blame this on the boomerang effect. That is where a boss begs for money for replacing worn out stuff and is told by the governance board - elected by and for the shareholders - a big fat “No”. Then something drastic happens – like a fire that lowers production – and the boss gets blamed for the loss anyhow, for shabby maintenance. Now even with the price of oil at an all time high, it is still the “shareholders” responsibility to make sure what is making their investment grow has the means to support it. Why is it that Sir John Brown was booted out as the CEO of the British outfit that according to everybody and their brother is not fit to fight turbine lube oil fires? And why did his majesty’s governance board file a lawsuit, against the “Sir’s” retirement? It just doesn’t make sense. We cannot have our cake and eat it to. It has become a catch 22! And why is the TAPS pipeline operator under the gun and microscope by Sir Hamel? See, there is an ongoing project on the pipeline that is three times over budget and way behind schedule. But the agent in charge doesn’t have any control, as it hasn’t taken ownership in this fiasco to un-man the pumping stations. The contractor owns it, and several outfits – including VECO – are making a killing over this delay and dismay tactics. Most of the contractors have been involved in the oil industry here in Alaska for a long, long time. They often times - like for 30-years - got away with it, until Sarah became the new sheriff in town. But it still remains the golden goose fleecing of Alaska’s resources. Case in point #1. A guy that is a partner in the consulting firm that provides management expertise for this “Strategic Blunder Project” was riding around in an old jalopy just a year ago. Now it is a Mercedes Benzene, limited “pipeline paid for it” addition! Oh sorry, he also gets a royalty for “BIG WILDLIFE” posters that are showing up all over town. Case in Point #2. Why did this “management” contractor go hawkish against an electrical inspector and deny this guy back on the project, when the pipeline owner’s wanted him back? Maybe it was because what the guy was finding was not up and up with the contractor’s deliverables? “Hurry up and sign it off, as we need to get a big fat payment”. And why are the Fed.’s investigating “missing” inspection weld reports? You answer that. It must be a “shareholders” demand! All I can say, sometimes the blame targets the correct entity but goes astray with “identity theft”. It is basically an internal catch 22, and it sometimes can get things pretty hot around the collar of greed! The greed game has ignited these fires and lack of “shareholder” responsibility fuels the intensity, wherein lives have already been lost because this agenda “be there these almighty riches” rules. But the worth of a human casualty is all so calculable, by the shareholders and for the shareholders, for their own selfish shortcomings.
Yuck, what gives with this “Truth In Lending Statement” that the banker pulls from a secret under-desk location and throws innocently your way once all the paper work is signed, sealed and delivered? And after your down-payment has already been cashed out. Plus your wife has already begun moving her wardrobe into the new house. Can’t turn back now! Who is making all this “extra” cash? I don’t know about you, but my mortgage has been sold to a zillion different offshore outfits. Somebody is making out like a bandit as I am sure a “non-profit” gets slipped in here and there somewhere along the way! And with those ARM rip-offs, a lawyer for one of the now “homeless” is convinced that some of these scam artists work offshore, from a place called “Atlantis”! No wonder Uncle Sam is going broke, the deficit is taking on an entire new dimension. Isn’t it time that “Religion” gets taxed? In fact, I am throwing my name into the Congressmen Don Young’s seat assignment follies. My platform will set in motion a moratorium on worker income tax and demand all religious’ denominations to pay up, just to see how it all averages out. Anyway, enough of the “Lending” stuff and on to the “Truth In Spending Statement”. The latter has to do with “Shareholder” responsibility. When the price of oil “tanked” back in the mid 90’s, “Big Oil” working here in Alaska had a choice, feed the workers or invest in the infrastructure. It was an easy decision to make but feeding was cheaper, so guess what? And it was at the same time that everybody and their brother was becoming bonafide “Shareholders”, as that is how we all build up a retirement nest egg, by having our 401k gurus invest wisely - while we continue to work. But over time, “shareholder” demands became front and center - above responsibility - as we all wanted more return on our investment. So NO, those workers cannot have a raise. And instead of feeding them bacon and eggs, porridge will suffice. Talk about a “Mobius Strip” phenomenon. Say you are a worker and a shareholder under the same fiduciary umbrella. Do you vote yourself a raise or not? What goes in your pocket goes missing from your investing! It reminds me of the novel I am working on, called Sadie’s War. Sadie was an elderly widow that relied on her deceased husband’s single investment – tied to the corporation that had employed his skills for many years as a welder. She never worked, so S.S. was not an option. And her medical coverage was mediocre. So she prided herself when at teatime, boasting to her friends how well she was doing on her own. She became interested as an active “shareholder”, attending the meetings and searching the “Net” for valuable information about the corporation’s holdings. All was good until she found out that an affiliated sub-company was covering-up an environmental nightmare. This little old lady wasn’t about to let the corporation get away with it, even if it meant loosing that nest egg. She started causing trouble at the meetings. Soon she was targeted by a “Goon Squadron Gone Wild”, so turned to a bunch of Vietnam Vets for help. See, her son was killed during the war. The Vets were platoon comrades with her not-forgotten son. So the 60’s aged war machine - with Sadie at the helm - went alive and well and justice they did do, Rambo Style. Anyway, a little sidetracked I went. I guess you should have read that “Truth In Storytelling Statement”. Anyway, “Big Oil” is under the pen again. Several fires have caused disruption in oil flow from up north. That hurts the state’s income. It also hurts the “shareholders” demands. What I despise? Every time “Big Oil” does something wrong this state’s officials - who have been remiss in their duties to begin with - they have to appoint some new committee with a fandangle of a name that is so long one could never find it in the phone book. Anyway, the recent fires up in Prudhoe Bay have targeted the turbines that run pumps and generators. Without turbines, no pumps and no electricity. It means no oil! Without oil, shareholders cry. Now these contraptions are indeed like an aircraft engine. Except for the fact that it is a stationary piece of equipment operating at temperatures that approach 1200 degrees Fahrenheit and speeds of 15,000 RPM’s and using enough natural gas in one day’s time that it is enough to heat your house for 10-years! So why all of a sudden these fires gone wild? Blame the “Shareholders”. See, these cast-iron beasts are 30-plus years old. Not the “shareholders”! And this kind of equipment has a life expectancy to it. A stationary gas turbine can only run so many hours or “start and stop” cycles. After that, send it to the bone yard. Time has a tendency to stress things out of round. That is why you will very seldom see OEM technicians rebuilding these ancient units on the ”Slope”. Why? There comes a point in time where liability rules! Some OEM outfits will not touch these units, as it is time expired and time to buy news ones. These turbines - for the most part delivered during the 1970 sealift - should have bit the rust dust a long, long time ago. So you can’t blame this on the boomerang effect. That is where a boss begs for money for replacing worn out stuff and is told by the governance board - elected by and for the shareholders - a big fat “No”. Then something drastic happens – like a fire that lowers production – and the boss gets blamed for the loss anyhow, for shabby maintenance. Now even with the price of oil at an all time high, it is still the “shareholders” responsibility to make sure what is making their investment grow has the means to support it. Why is it that Sir John Brown was booted out as the CEO of the British outfit that according to everybody and their brother is not fit to fight turbine lube oil fires? And why did his majesty’s governance board file a lawsuit, against the “Sir’s” retirement? It just doesn’t make sense. We cannot have our cake and eat it to. It has become a catch 22! And why is the TAPS pipeline operator under the gun and microscope by Sir Hamel? See, there is an ongoing project on the pipeline that is three times over budget and way behind schedule. But the agent in charge doesn’t have any control, as it hasn’t taken ownership in this fiasco to un-man the pumping stations. The contractor owns it, and several outfits – including VECO – are making a killing over this delay and dismay tactics. Most of the contractors have been involved in the oil industry here in Alaska for a long, long time. They often times - like for 30-years - got away with it, until Sarah became the new sheriff in town. But it still remains the golden goose fleecing of Alaska’s resources. Case in point #1. A guy that is a partner in the consulting firm that provides management expertise for this “Strategic Blunder Project” was riding around in an old jalopy just a year ago. Now it is a Mercedes Benzene, limited “pipeline paid for it” addition! Oh sorry, he also gets a royalty for “BIG WILDLIFE” posters that are showing up all over town. Case in Point #2. Why did this “management” contractor go hawkish against an electrical inspector and deny this guy back on the project, when the pipeline owner’s wanted him back? Maybe it was because what the guy was finding was not up and up with the contractor’s deliverables? “Hurry up and sign it off, as we need to get a big fat payment”. And why are the Fed.’s investigating “missing” inspection weld reports? You answer that. It must be a “shareholders” demand! All I can say, sometimes the blame targets the correct entity but goes astray with “identity theft”. It is basically an internal catch 22, and it sometimes can get things pretty hot around the collar of greed! The greed game has ignited these fires and lack of “shareholder” responsibility fuels the intensity, wherein lives have already been lost because this agenda “be there these almighty riches” rules. But the worth of a human casualty is all so calculable, by the shareholders and for the shareholders, for their own selfish shortcomings.
CopyRight 2007 – Dixie Productions/MSK Media/Eagle Rock PressContact: Storylineonline@gci.net or www.Storylineonline.com or www.chinookjournal.blogspot.com
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