America’s Crisis of Character :: Is something more required to ‘Make America Great Again’?

Submitted by: SL @SLandinSoCal

The MSM continues to disgust me. The MAJORITY of people affected by the disaster in Texas have NOT complained. They have been thankful and even smiling. Yet as I watch MSM, I see them repeatedly playing clips of 3 ungrateful women complaining about the conditions at the George R Brown shelter. ‘It stinks in here’, ‘I didn’t have a cot for me or my kids last night’, ‘the mayor said we didn’t have to evacuate, but he LIED’.

These people disgust me, but MSM disgusts me even more. As they have covered this catastrophic event, most likely the biggest disaster our country has experienced, they have made every attempt to politicize it and criticize the response. A challenging thing, since the response has been amazing.

The impact of this disaster is FAR greater than that of Katrina but there are very DRAMATIC contrasts both in handling the response/rescue and in the reaction of the victims.

I would love to see someone put together a video that highlights some of these differences because I think it reveals both a core strength and a core weakness that exists in our country.

The issue is that of PERSONAL CHARACTER! I believe that the majority of Americans have good character, if not great character, but there is a subset of Americans who lack good character and some who have a very poor character. My concern is that America is facing a CRISIS OF CHARACTER!

When you see neighbor helping neighbor, gratefulness in times of crisis, respect for others & others property which includes cleanliness so you don’t leave a mess for someone else, these are the results of GOOD CHARACTER.

When you see people taking advantage of others by looting, or lack of respect for others in they way they talk or by vandalizing property or leaving a mess for others to clean up, when you see ungratefulness, people expecting others to do something for them but not being willing to help others, you are seeing the results of POOR CHARACTER.

The character of the people of our country is being undermined. Good character development is no longer being taught, exampled or encourage for many. We see dramatic displays of deplorable character in the Alt Left groups of BLM and ANTIFA. They have no respect for for their fellow man. They have many negative character traits. To make matters worse, many including MSM and prominent politicians are condoning and encouraging that character. There is no positive future for a society built on poor character.

If we are truly going to “Make America Great Again”, it will take more than jobs, tax cuts and a thriving economy. It will require programs and commitment to teach and build GOOD CHARACTER in the people of our country. Each of us should strive to build the elements of good character within ourselves everyday and also to encourage others to strive for those characters within themselves.

Here’s a link to a list of good character traits to strive for: http://www.character-training.com/blog/list-of-character-traits/ …

USA: Stabilis Energy to Build Five LNG Plants

Stabilis Energy LLC plans to build five LNG liquefaction facilities to service the high horsepower oilfield, marine, and rail fuel markets.

Stabilis has contracted Chart Energy & Chemicals to perform advance engineering for five LNG production plants for implementation in North America. Stabilis has selected Chart’s C100N and C250IMR standard LNG liquefaction plants, which produce 100,000 gallons and 250,000 gallons per day of LNG, respectively. Advance engineering will commence immediately.

Stabilis placed a deposit to secure a manufacturing space reservation with Chart, to ensure that the first LNG plant can be online in the 1^st quarter of 2015 or before. Stabilis is still analyzing the data to determine the ideal location for the first plant. The location priority analysis will consider a number of issues including local gas supply and quality, regional LNG demand, as well as state and local permitting requirements and timelines. The four remaining plants are scheduled to come online at regular intervals throughout 2015 and 2016.

“Stabilis Energy believes LNG will be a major contributor to North American energy independence. High quality locally produced LNG is the only reliable, clean and efficient alternative fuel to diesel. LNG is proven to be the most cost effective fuel solution for high horsepower applications. Stabilis will supply off-road engine fuel requirements while supporting on-highway motor fuel markets with strategic distribution partners,” commented Casey Crenshaw, President of Stabilis Energy.

“Chart is very pleased to support Stabilis in their drive to implement LNG fuelling infrastructure in North America, and we are very pleased they have chosen Chart to provide the underlying LNG production plants. Our standard LNG plant platform provides Stabilis the ability to get LNG to market quickly, reliably and cost efficiently. We look forward to our ongoing relationship with Stabilis as their build out progresses,” stated Mike Durkin, President of Chart E&C.

Source

Gulf Oil returns to Houston, branding 50 stations

by Simone Sebastian

The Gulf Oil logo is coming to Houston, as the fuel supplier launches plans to rebrand 50 gasoline stations in the area, according to executives.

Gulf Oil, a Massachusetts-based fuel wholesaler, has contracted to rebrand 50 ExxonMobil service stations beginning mid- May. Gulf Oil is partnering with Petroleum Wholesale LP, a distributor based in The Woodlands, to supply the stations.

The move is part of Gulf Oil’s aggressive move to expand the brand’s presence across the country, said Rick Dery, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

The company’s logo had been absent from Texas for decades, but returned to the state last year when it branded five stations in Austin. The company was launched in 1901 in Beaumont.

“We are very excited about the re-emergence in the Houston market,” Dery said. “We are going to come back in a much more significant way. The excitement here is bursting.”

The company stores and  distributes branded fuels. It currently supplies 3,000 Gulf Oil and other stations, Dery said.

The Gulf Oil-Petroleum Wholesale partnership plans to brand at least 15 new fueling stations each year for the next decade, Dery said.

Gulf Oil is a  fuel retailer and distributor, without refining operations. The company is expanding its presence at a time when retailers with refineries  are struggling against stagnant fuel demand and competitive pressure.

“Margins have been tight with $4 gasoline and retail customers are becoming hyper sensitive to price,” Dery said. “It’ll get challenging for retail operators, the publicity for our industry isn’t the best.”

Source

Related articles

• Gulf Oil History (mb50.wordpress.com)

J Storm XVI Is 50th Jackup Commissioned At Bethlehem, Beaumont

Southern Drilling Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marine Drilling Company, and Bethlehem Steel Corporation‘s Beaumont, Texas, shipyard, recently commissioned a 250-foot water depth mobile offshore drilling unit.

The rig was christened J Storm XVI by its sponsor Mrs. Jack K. Larsen, wife of the executive vice president of Mesa Petroleum Company. Senator John G. Tower, senior Senator from Texas, gave the keynote address at the ceremony. The multimillion-dollar rig has been under construction for nearly 10 months and, upon delivery, will begin drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico for Mesa Petroleum Company.

James C. Storm has been a long-time customer of Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s shipyard at Beaumont.

Sherman C. Perry, general manager of the shipyard, said this commissioning marks a significant milestone in the history of the shipyard. It extends to 50 the number of jackup drilling units commissioned by the Beaumont yard since it built the first 100- foot water depth jackup in 1954. The commissioning also marks the fifth rig to be delivered this year by the yard, as well as the 87th offshore rig delivered by Bethlehem yards.

The J Storm XVI is a mat-supported jackup designed for deepwell drilling operations. On location, the rig will have a total variable drilling load capacity of 4.5 million pounds and handle hook or rotary, plus setback loads of 950,000 pounds.

The rig consists of a platform measuring 176 feet by 109 feet supported by three 12-foot-diameter columns fixed to a mat that is 210 feet by 170 feet. Outfitted with deepwell drilling equipment, the rig can operate in waters of up to 250 feet while experiencing forces resulting from 70-knot winds and 35-foot-high waves. The J Storm XVI contains onboard, air-conditioned living accommodations for 48 persons. This marks the 18th time that one of the 50 Beaumont rigs was commissioned for the James C. Storm interests.

The J Storm XVI is No. 18, and the J Storm XVII No. 19 is scheduled for commissioning and delivery later this year.

Mr. Storm’s dealings with the yard follow a direct line back to 1949. Then in November 1954, the Beaumont yard delivered the Mr. Gus, the first mobile drilling platform capable of operating in 100 feet of water.

Mr. Gus was built for the C.G. Glasscock Drilling Company; Mr. Storm became a partner in that company shortly after he joined it at the close of World War II. In 1957, the Beaumont yard delivered Mr. Gus II, the prototype of the mat-supported jackup rigs built at the yard today. It was the first mobile drilling unit that could drill in up to 150 feet of water. Mr. Storm was involved with that rig also. And Mr. Gus II, after 24 years of service, is still drilling for oil and natural gas. After the Glasscock interests disposed of their drilling rigs, Mr. Storm formed Storm Drilling Company for whom the Beaumont Yard built Stormdrill I, Stormdrill II, Stormdrill III, and Stormdrill IV. Another Storm company, Southern Marine Drilling Company, ordered Stormdrill V. Subsequently Storm Drilling Company was sold.

Mr. Storm then formed Marine Drilling Company and ordered J Storm I from the Beaumont shipyard. J Storm I was initially ordered with capability to operate in 225 feet of water. Mr. Storm asked if the columns could be strengthened and lengthened. The yard added 25 feet of capability, and the rig became the prototype for B e t h l e h e m ‘ s series of 250-foot jackup rigs.

He also ordered the first jackup drilling unit capable of working in up to 375 feet of water. The yard designed this platform to utilize telescoping legs so it would be manageable under tow to different locations, yet be able to work in deeper waters. This rig, J Storm VII, was delivered in 1976. Mr. Perry, general manager of the yard since June 1, 1978, reported that Beaumont has work for the next 1H years. “We have orders for 12 offshore mobile drilling units, which will take us into 1983, and negotiations are being conducted for additional contracts.” The general manager said that the yard has delivered four jackup drilling units thus far this year, and anticipates delivery of four or possibly five more by the end of the year.

That would match or nearly match 1980, when nine drilling units were delivered. For 1978 and 1979, the yard delivered five units each year.

Contracts on hand and the customers are: Marine Drilling Company, one unit in addition to the J Storm XVI; Houtech Energy, Inc., four units; O & U Drilling Co., Inc., one unit; Griffin-Alexander Drilling Co., three units; Teledyne Movible, one unit, and Alfa Drilling, one unit.

The yard presently has more than 2,300 employees at work on the drilling units with two shifts generally being worked, and can accommodate six units under construction simultaneously.

The shipyard’s principal products are offshore mobile drilling units, primarily jackups, and oil and gas production and storage facilities for offshore service. The Beaumont yard has built many ships and barges, principally for the petroleum industry, and can handle any repair, reconditioning, conversion or jumboizing of ships. It has a floating drydock with lifting capacity of 17,500 tons and extreme length of 648 feet. Its mobile floating crane has a capacity of 500 tons.

Source

Related articles

• Offshore Drilling Pioneers – James C. Storm (mb50.wordpress.com)
• High-Spec Jackup Market: Hercules Offshore increases stake in Discovery Offshore (mb50.wordpress.com)
• Feds approve Murphy drilling project using Helix emergency equipment (mb50.wordpress.com)
• USA: Drilling at Eugene Island Starts Next Week, Says Leni (mb50.wordpress.com)