Tulsa Topics

The above title refers to my Google query of "How far is it from Tulsa, Oklahoma USA to Sfax El-Maou?". The answer was generously provided by the FindLocalWeather.com's "How far is it?" service. I find myself Googling a lot of questions these days.

The precise answer that was returned was: The straight line distance between Tulsa and Sfax El-Maou is approximately 5646 miles or 9087 kilometers. So by now, if anyone is actually reading Tulsa Topics, you may be asking yourself.... Where in the world is Sfax El-Mauo? To save you the trouble of Googling it, Sfax El-Maou is located in North Africa and is one of the larger cities in the country of Tunisia.

So far this year, I've had the opportunity to work in Tunisia for two months commissioning some power generators and natural gas compressors.  I just returned from my second trip to Tunisia on Wednesday of this week and I’m still a wee bit jet-lagged.  The trip was very successful, but the job will probably require one more trip to actually put the equipment into service.

This particular job has proven to be both challenging, interesting, rewarding, and tiring for a number of reasons -  the major one being the location which is the Island of Kerkennah located off the coast of Tunisia.  5646 miles breaks down to three flight segments, a train ride, a ferry ride, and a few automobile rides thrown in for good measure.  Time wise it is somewhere between a 24 to 30 hour journey.

I have taken many pictures, gotten to know some of the people, explored the cities of Tunis, Carthage, Sfax and the Island of Kerkennah, and have been a visitor in their midst.  I find the culture and history of Tunisia fascinating and would like to put down some of my thoughts about the country in future posts which will be forthcoming.  Here’s a “teaser” of what’s to come:

On my first trip to Tunisia, I was just beginning my journey back home to Tulsa.  This required me to take a ferry from Sidi Youssef to Sfax which takes approximately one and half hours.  I was then transported to the train station where I boarded the train bound for Tunis.  One of the stops along the way was a town called El Jem.  A Brit that was on holiday told me there was a nice amphitheater in El Jem.  Being from Tulsa, I’m envisioning something like our River Parks Amphitheater.  Imagine my surprise when I looked out the train window and saw this before my eyes…..

The amphitheater was actually the Roman Coliseum but in El Jem.  To put the size of the structure into perspective….. The new BOK Center is Tulsa’s state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue with a 18,041 seat capacity.   The coliseum was constructed between 230 and 238 AD by the command of the Imperial official Gordian. It's believed to have given room for as much as 30,000 spectators, some estimates set it at 45,000.  Cesar Pelli, eat your heart out…….

More to come……

Posted by Bobby at   12:25 AM | (0)         | (0)
 

I actually looked at my Tulsa Topics blog the other day and noticed it has been awhile since I have posted.  Whether you are having fun or not, time flies.  I was a road warrior for the whole month of February.  A pleasant aspect of my work is doing familiar, yet different, tasks at each job site that I go on.  Take for example “South”; Ingleside, Texas:

Welcome to Chevron Blind Faith.  Initial production is expected to be about 30,000 b/d of oil and 30 mmcf/d of gas.  The semisubmersible Blind Faith platform will be towed to Mississippi Canyon Blocks 695 and 696, 160 miles (275 km)southeast of New Orleans, where it will be installed in 7,000 feet (2134 m) of water.  The platform left Ingleside on February 23^rd and luckily I finished my very small part before it left or I would have had to ride it out to sea!  Cost of the platform is around a billion bucks.

Ingleside, TX is a stone’s throw from Corpus Christi, TX and the weather was beautiful while I was there.  One thing I didn’t plan for on this trip was having to head to Billings, MT.  So when the call came for me to head North to Billings, I had to make a detour back in Tulsa to pick up some warmer clothes.  Unlike the nice warm weather in the Gulf, the temperature in Billings was a frigid -4 degrees F with howling winds.  On this particular assignment, I helped with the commissioning of a hydrogen compressor.  The WWII era refinery was upgrading the process and upgrading the capacity throughput.  Since the United States hasn’t built a new refinery in ages, existing refineries are increasing capacity by upgrading and adding on to the process.

My next job was in Boston, MA (actually a suburb called North Weymouth) and it came up unexpectedly.  I left Billings early in the morning and two time zones later I was driving my rental vehicle through Boston’s Big Dig heading to the job site at a facility on the Fore River.

I arrived at the job site for a hurried test run of a system that went less than favorable.  I was asked to stick around, do my magic, and make the unworkable… workable.  Of course this took two weeks to make it so, but that’s the name of the game.

During my two week stay in Boston, I took my first subway/elevated mass transit train ride.  Boston seems to have a really nice mass transit with reasonable prices.  I bought a “Charlie Ticket” that was good for 7 days for $15 which was good for any of the trains.  One of the trips that a co-worker and I took was to head from Braintree, MA to downtown Boston in search of Faneuil Hall Marketplace.  After being completely lost for at least 15 minutes or so, a local told us to follow the “red line” that was prevalent in the sidewalk.  She explained this designated the Freedom Trail and if we followed the line it would lead us straight to Faneuil Hall.  Of course the local picked up on my Oklahoma accent and said “You’re not from around here are you,” to which I replied, “No, I’m from Brooklyn, NY.”  For some reason she didn’t believe me.

After we reached the markets surrounding Faneuil Hall, we decided to the touristy thing and grab a bite to eat at a reproduction “Cheers.”  The weather was in the high 50’s and rather pleasant for February.  Boston was just teasing us for the 9 inches of snow that fell two days later in a winter storm.  I’d like to go back to Boston and spend some time taking in the sights when I’m not working on a project.  Some quick observations about Boston…..  Great seafood!  You need a GPS navigation system.  I’ve never been so lost in my life.  A car is almost a hindrance in Boston.

Here’s a picture of the USS Salem that is just across the water from the job site I was on. (notice the snow on the ground from the winter storm)

That’s pretty much how I spent my leap month.  How did you spend yours?

Posted by Bobby at   10:14 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

Unfortunately my job has been extremely crazy these last few months.  The year end seems to be hectic at best with customers wanting to tie up loose ends.

The above being said, I miss having my finger on “Tulsa’s Pulse” like I used too.  Every once in a while, someone still sends something my way regarding Tulsa’s current atmosphere that is just too good not to pass along:

Now that’s funny, sad, and true all rolled up in one!

Posted by Bobby at   09:59 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

Even though I don’t think my wife and me are “socially challenged,” I decided to take Roscoe Turner’s tip #29 and watched our Tulsa Oilers defeat the OKC Blazers 5 – 4 in a pre-season match-up.

Most of the players were trying to earn their spot on the team and I must say the game was pretty intense at times.  Here’s a peek:

Posted by Bobby at   01:54 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

MadOkie over at Living on Tulsa Time gives this piece of advice:

A word of advice, if the river tax fails, hold onto your signs because they WILL come back and try again, and again, and again... and the next opportunity wont be a "long long time" away either, as they want you to believe.

Unfortunatly, Randi Miller’s quote in yesterday’s Tulsa Whirled article:

 "While the voters have spoken, our vision is not dead," Tulsa County Commissioner Randi Miller said. "If it's not this plan, maybe another."

Makes me feel kinda like this:

What part of NO don’t you understand Commissioner Miller?

Posted by Bobby at   08:52 AM | (0)         | (0)
 

A co-worker sent this to me today after a discussion of the Tulsa River Tax vote results and how cities use bonding as a funding mechanism.  I tend to agree with Samuel on this one!

“Beautiful credit! The foundation of modern society. ... ‘I wasn’t worth a cent two years ago, and now I owe two millions of dollars.’” —Mark Twain quoting a “distinguished speculator”

Posted by Bobby at   10:05 AM | (0)         | (0)
 

Unlike the YES’s recommendation pleading with you to vote YES for the children, I decided to vote NO for the older generation.  Although I don’t necessarily act it at times, I’m a bona fide member of the older Tulsan voter brigade.  The group that has to pay the sales taxes for the groceries you kiddo’s eat and the property taxes that keep a roof over your head.  Tonight, I actually have a glimmer of hope for Tulsa.  Instead of taking the flim flam spin of the PR Meisters hook, line, and sinker, you actually decided giving a blank check to our wondrous County Commissioners may be a less than optimal use of your tax dollars.  Tulsa County voters….. I salute you!

Due to my crazy work schedule and other various sundry reasons, I couldn’t be as active in the NO campaign as I would like to have been.  Fortunately for the taxpaying citizens of Tulsa, you have some hard working people who are passionate and fight tooth and nail in hopes of a better Tulsa.  Being a combatant in the trenches gets tiresome when you are out-gunned and under funded, but the need for the fight being fought remains.  Tulsa Topics would like to give a nod to the following grassroots guerilla fighters for their efforts:

Michael Bates – UrbanTulsa columnist and proprietor of Batesline.com.
Tulsa City Councilors Roscoe Turner, Jack Henderson, and John Eagleton.  You guys rock!
Dan Hicks – You were fighting when others didn’t even know there was a fight.
The morning crew at KFAQ, Gwen and Chris.
The rest of the Tulsa Bloggers who, via the Internet, try to balance the Tulsa Whirled skew.
The citizens of Tulsa who voted NO today and decided they are not going to take it anymore.
And last but not least…. everyone who got involved above and beyond just voting.  You ARE the grassroots and worth more than slick PR firms, shiny campaign ads, and bulging battle chest.  Be proud, stand tall, and pat yourself on the back!

Honorable Mention:  KOTV for running some fairly unbiased and balanced reporting on the River Tax.

Hall of Shame:  River Parks Authority Board of Trustees.  Although it probably isn’t illegal, I believe it’s highly unethical to author a resolution supporting the River Tax.  Leave the politics to the politicians.

Analyzing The Vote And Pondering What To Make Of It

52.4% – NO
47.6% – YES

What inferences can be made of tonight’s results?

Regarding the County Commission:  Miller is predictable.  Her good traits she exhibited while on the City Council have faded and I predict she will dive like the home mortgage industry has of late.  Perry and Smaligo… I hope “fast tracking” this on the ballot bought you enough clout to offset your loss of face with your grassroots base.

Tulsa City Councilors:  Depending on which side you supported and the location of your district, you may have over half of your constituency perturbed at you.  Trust me on this one…. there are LOTS of soundclips of your statements and archives of news articles that WILL be used for you or against you in the next election.  This ought to give you something to look forward to.

I’m sure others will slice and dice the results of the River Tax election for weeks to come, so I won’t expound any further with my thoughts.  I will, however, leave you with this thought to ponder: Since this conceptual River Plan is deep sixed, where and what should Tulsa lay their sights on?  I for one propose streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, streets and public safety, and STREETS AND PUBLIC SAFETY.  Do it for the kids!

Posted by Bobby at   11:50 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

I ran across this “truer to life than fiction” video.  Thought I’d pass it along for grins.

I Wanna Be A Pop Star - Watch more free videos

Posted by Bobby at   01:35 AM | (0)         | (0)
 

See any similarities?

Posted by Bobby at   12:32 AM | (0)         | (0)
 

In the “ideas so simple I should of thought of it” category:

From KOTV.com: “Crime Crackdown Working”

Last month, the Tulsa Police Department started the "Safe City Initiative". For 30 days, Tulsa police have kept tabs on known bad guys, individual apartment complexes and neighborhoods with high crime, and bars and nightclubs tied to crime.

”The whole police department is engaged in fighting crime. Crime is down. I know our guys are making the difference,” says Tulsa Police Captain Matt Kirkland.

Wow what a new and novel concept…..  having the police department fight crime.  Hopefully they will continue to do this.  Even if the river tax doesn’t pass.

In the “I want to be adopted by those folks” category:

From Philly.com: “Scandal Brewing at Oral Roberts U.”

The university jet was used to take one daughter and several friends on a senior trip to Orlando, Fla., and the Bahamas. The $29,411 trip was billed to the ministry as an “evangelistic function of the president.”

In the “figuratively, but not literally” category:

From USA Today: “Barber commits suicide in front of city council after zoning request denied”

And we thought Tulsa’s zoning process was traumatic.

In the “slower than molasses” category:

From Hoosier Ag Today: Farm Bill Funding Advances, Farm Bill Policy Still In Turmoil

Monday is the day we observe Columbus Day, In Washington, Congress will take the next two weeks to observe Columbus Day.

It takes Congress two weeks to observe one day?  No wonder nothing gets done on the hill.  I can just imagine how long the Twelve Days of Christmas will take.

In the “cause and effect” category:

From Boston.com: US, Iran play with fire

but never fear……

From the northwestern.com: Fire prevention week starts Sunday

Posted by Bobby at   11:09 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

Irony – Irony may arise from a discordance between acts and results.

I read an article at the Tulsa Whirled website the other day titled: “Mayor’s Staff Update: Personnel expert is newest addition”.  The story features a table of salaries of the Mayor’s “at-will” employees and me being the Excel type of guy that I am; I copied and pasted all the numbers in a spreadsheet and crunched the numbers.  The cost of the Mayor’s staff in salary alone totaled out at more than $1.2 million bucks.  I’m sure that doesn’t include the cost of benefits either.

What I find ironic is that with a staff smaller than the Mayor’s, and a yearly budget of around $1.5 million greenbacks, the River Parks Authority continues the daily grind of maintaining one of Tulsa’s most popular areas.  Another irony that chaps my derierre, are the umpteen different stories and articles mentioning the so-called “Movers, Shakers, and Players” regarding river development.  In recent history, I don’t remember mention of the River Parks Authority.  Compared to the high dollar Mayor’s staff…… Tulsa your getting a bargain with every tax dollar that goes to the RPA!

Some may argue this is the reason we need more tax dollars, but I for one believe the city and county could be better stewards of our existing tax dollars.  If they were… maybe our swimming pools would be filled in the summer, our street lights would be working on freeways, our roads wouldn’t be crumbling, our crime statistics looking wouldn’t look like j-sloped curves, and the RPA fiscal budget wouldn’t be a meager $1.5 million.

Probably the biggest irony of all will be our attempt to hold our so-called public servants accountable when the huge whooper of lies promises they’ve made to the gullible public falls flatter than projected.  On a state level, recent history that exemplifies this:  Indian Casinos, Lottery, etc. etc. which are less in reality than projected when it comes to filling the state piggy bank.  I can still remember the war cry used then as well as now…. “Do it for the kids, do it for their future.” (Some things never change)

Something is inherently wrong in Metropolis when I receive no less than a dozen vote yes mailings and having to listen to the perpetual onslaught of TV and Radio ads promising everything under the sun.  The “full court press” tactics of the vote yes camp remind me of a hard sales pitch you experience when shopping for an automobile or furniture.  If it’s such a great deal, why are they having to sell it so hard?  I’d almost venture to guess that the advertising campaign cost alone is more that RPA’s fiscal budget!

Just remember fellow Tulsan’s…. just like Kathy Taylor and her band of “at will” employees, elected officials serve “at will” to us.  They are public servants that we, the voting public, can hire or fire with the ease of casting your vote.  Whether you are for or against a river tax, an elected official, or allowing the tribes to have full blown gambling, you can’t run with the big dogs if you don’t get off the porch.  Make sure you exercise your right to vote.

In case you wondering how I’m going to vote:

AGAINST THE PROPOSITION - NO 

Posted by Bobby at   01:53 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

Does anyone else find it ironic that it’s easier to get back into the good ol’ USA as an illegal alien than being a legal Social Security wielding US Citizen?

When I returned from a recent international trip, the flight landed at DFW airport.  I had to walk umpteen miles from the gate to the US Immigration kiosks (There were about 30 kiosks, but only a half dozen were staffed by immigration officials) and present myself and my passport.  I then had to claim my luggage and present myself and my luggage to US Customs with my Customs Declaration that I filled during the plane ride.  I then had to recheck my luggage for the short hop to TUL.  I think it would be easier to land in Mexico and come across the border illegally so to speak.

Regardless of the pain, if you plan on traveling outside US Borders, you better make sure you have a passport.

Release Date: September 4, 2007

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reminding air carriers and the traveling public that the temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere using a Department of State (DOS) official proof of passport application receipt will end as scheduled at midnight on Sept. 30, 2007.  U.S. citizens who departed the country under this travel accommodation prior to Oct. 1 with a Department of State official proof of passport application receipt and government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.

As a reminder, through Sept. 30, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received, passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and DOS official proof of application for a passport.

Effective Oct. 1, 2007, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country.

DHS and DOS announced the temporary WHTI accommodation for air travel in June. The federal government made this accommodation due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

WHTI was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and addresses core 9/11 Commission findings for secure and reliable identification documents. It requires all travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda to present a passport or other approved document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality in order to enter or re-enter the United States. For more information about WHTI approved travel documentation, please visit our website at www.dhs.gov.  For information on obtaining a U.S. passport please go to www.travel.state.gov.

# # #

Posted by Bobby at   08:07 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

 
Originally uploaded by Tulsa Topics.

Thanks to the same people who want you to give them more money via the upcoming River Tax vote.... you will not be seeing the Zingo or the rest of Bells at the state fair this year.

I find it ironic, the flagrant use of kids on all the hack ads that the vote yes camp has been running on the tube lately, when the same group killed a long standing family tradition here in Tulsa.

If traditions can be tossed out like yesterday's trash, you've got to ask yourself how safe other "traditional" areas are to the whim of our so-called leaders. What's going to protect Cherry St., Brookside, or other historic or traditional places become more valuable as infill fodder to special interests?

And we want to put MORE money in the hands of this group?

I for one.... think not!

Posted by Bobby at   12:35 AM | (0)         | (0)
 

I stumbled across a pretty good article over at INSIDECRM regarding how deal with those clients that are less than ideal.  Thought I’d pass it along via Digg, yet another “pretty” that I seem to be playing with all the time.  At work they call me the “trinket” and “gadget” guy…. go figure.

Clients are the lifeblood of any business. On the other hand, some clients are so bad that your business, not to mention your personal sanity, is better off without them. So what do you do when you have a client that pushes you to the brink? You fire them! Here's how to give 10 of the worst offenders the pink slip without burning bridges.

read more | digg story

Posted by Bobby at   10:12 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

Okay…. so I couldn’t leave well enough alone.

I was viewing the vids that Our Tulsa World shot over at Tulsa Now’s River Tax forum (Good job BTW David!) and ran across the following You Tube video that literally made me fall out of my seat at Shades of Brown and caused coffee to speweth from my nose.

I made the comment to a friend that I’m expecting the Vote “YES” TV ads to start making claims like this:

Vote “YES” and Tulsa will once again become the Oil Capitol of the World.

Vote “YES” and Cancer will be cured.

Vote “YES” and Kathy will promise never to vote in two states again.

Vote “YES” and Public Works will replace all the failing roads with “self-healing” roads.

Vote “YES” and OJ will never get in trouble again.

Vote “YES” and we promise to never tear down a Family Tradition like Bell’s again.

Vote “YES”…. We know where you live and we have ways to make you talk.

Vote “YES” or we’ll have the Tulsa Chamberpots create another group called TGPROS (Tulsa Geriatric Professionals)

….. Feel free to add your very own Vote “YES” catchy slogan……

Posted by Bobby at   09:06 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

Just a quick thought regarding the River Tax Vote “YES” Television Ads I’ve been seeing…….

Does “truth in advertising” apply?

Nuff said…… for the moment.

Posted by Bobby at   08:45 PM | (0)         | (0)
 

It seems like most of my "out of town" trips have various twists and turns.  Add several factors like thousands of gallons of Natural Gas Liquids, Natural Gas Feeds, and Propane refrigerant, lots of vessels under high pressure and you have the makings of a Nitrogen Rejection Unit or NRU for short.

Things are going good for bringing this bad boy to life, but unlike Tulsa, Price, Utah and surrounding areas have been extremely dry.  Add some serious lightning strikes and you get something that looks like this: 

Luckily the wind has been blowing away from the jobsite, but with the nature of the beast and knowing that fire and extremely volatile substances don't mix, can keep a person a little jumpy.  Thank God for the people fighting the fires that have made our hotel a hopping place that is overflowing and the pilots that fly into the fire beast and drop whatever they drop on the fire.

Hey Tulsa, say a prayer for the folks up this way dealing with the Utah wildfires (440 square miles) and send some of that moisture this way! 

Posted by Bobby at   11:56 PM | (0)         | (0)
 Price+Utah Wildfires

For those of you that have forgotten what clear skies look like here a snapshot from the plane window as I was flying somewhere over Colorado on my way to an assignment on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Normally I'd probably bitch and moan about having to head out on a Sunday, but I must say temperatures in the 70's with 10% humidity almost makes missing the 4th of July celebrations at River Parks almost worth it.  Salt Lake City seems to be a nice clean town and I look forward to doing some exploring if time permits.  This assignment should keep me hopping since I'm going to be helping bring some new equipment to life.  If you are interested you can check out what I'm working on by reading this story over at the Examiner-Enterprise website.

Our company is responsible for the controls aspect of the project which basically means I get to act like a computer geek on steroids.  This is some pretty neato whiz bang technology that's being employed here at the site, so hopefully I can apply what I know and learn something along the way.

Where's Bobby?  A. Price, Utah

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July.  Eat a hotdog for me and remember our troops, past and present, that enable us to continue our American tradition of celebrating our freedoms.  May God bless every one of them!

Posted by Bobby at   01:55 AM | (0)         | (0)
 Price+Utah 4th+of+July Freedom

I'm currently playing around with a new Desktop Blog Client from Microsoft called Windows Live Writer.  So far it seems to work pretty good....   (crossing fingers).  Here is some of the particulars about the program:

Windows Live Writer Beta is a desktop application that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog.

Before installing Windows Live Writer Beta, please review the release notes.

Compatible with your blog service

Writer can publish to Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, Moveable Type, Community Server, and many other weblog services.

WYSIWYG editing

Writer knows your blog's visual theme. So you can see exactly what your posts will look like as you write them, before you publish. No more wasting time previewing your posts online.

Rich media publishing

Writer makes publishing rich media as easy as sending e-mail. Insert and customize photos, maps, tags, and lots of other cool content—then click the “Publish” button. It’s that easy.

Powerful editing features

Creating compelling blog posts is much easier with the ability to insert and edit tables, check spelling as you type, and format and hyperlink content at your fingertips.

Offline editing

Now you can blog anytime, from anywhere. Writer synchronizes drafts on your blog with changes you make when you're offline, so you don't have to worry about reconciling different versions.

If any of this interests you, check out the link:  http://get.live.com/betas/writer_betas

Posted by Bobby at   12:30 AM | (0)         | (0)
 Blog Blog+Desktop+Client Windows+Live+Writer

Yesterday after work my wife and I happened to be over by Keystone Dam.  We decided to go below the dam to see how much water was being released.  My wife told me that the Corp of Engineers had called her earlier to report that they anticipated that the release from Keystone Dam would be 80,000 cfs (cubic feet per second).

Note: 1 cubic foot is approximately equal to 7.480519 gallons.

That's a lot of gallons flowing down the Arkansas River by my calculation.  If you are interested in keeping track of lake levels and dam releases, you can click on the picture of Keystone Dam to the left or click the following link:
http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/KEYS.lakepage.html

Hopefully the rainy weather will end soon!

Posted by Bobby at   04:38 PM | (1)         | (0)
 Keystone+Lake Keystone+Dam Arkansas+River