Angry Young Man

Is it just me or is the president coming across as an angry young man? His public display of dissing the Supreme Court, who sat directly in front of him, encouraging the packed room to stand up as one body and clap, with the judges remaining sitting -- how embarrassing -- was probably the most impolite moment of any State of the Union address I can remember. I wonder what his mother would have thought? Or even his wife? He just seems to immature and angry. How does one "reach across the aisle" with that kind of grandstanding? The swing vote was a moderate (liberal by some definitions); I can hardly imagine the Court being all that friendly when the administration argues its next case.

From my perspective, this is his short list of enemies: the coal industry ("the industry will go bankrupt"); the Olympic committee; the environmentalists (no White House action in his first year); the military ("don't ask, don't tell" policy); the bankers; Wall Street ("fat cats"); the police (for acting "stupidly"); New York City (bringing the terrorist trial to Manhattan); the oil industry; the Supreme Court; China; Fox Television; talk radio; France; and, Queen Elizabeth.

Except for the unions working at General Motors who were bailed out, I think the president has managed to insult everyone in his first year in office. It just may be me, but positive comments might be a whole lot more helpful.

A Slew of Cancellations and Expirations

This isn't often seen in the Bakken: companies announced the cancellation of seven permits on January 27, 2010 (daily activity report). Zenergy canceled five permits: the scuttlebutt is that the company is going to scrap these "640-acre spaced" wells and go back for permits for "1280-acre spaced" wells. Miscellaneous reasons given for the other two permit cancellations.

Then on January 28, 2010, the NDIC's daily activity report listed a slew of expired permits: Price Energy (3); Cirque (1); Samson (1); and, Zavanna (1: Lynx 1-27H).