Oil Price Profiteering – Whose Doing What to Whom?

Okay, I’ve been waiting for the truth for as long as I can and now I’m convinced there is little truth of substance forthcoming from the hallowed halls of the free press of America. That’s just fine as long as the public understands the truth may be absent from reporting. It reminds me of a time about 10 years ago when I was in Moscow, as in Russia. I was searching for missing Stalin and Communist party film archives at a secret building in the frontier outside Moscow, on the perimeter of a former Soviet missile base.

The place was built by Stalin just before he died and many of his most valuable archives were moved there far outside Moscow where they would be safe from mobs in the city in case the Communists lost control one day. Well the day came a few years before I arrived and the KGB headquarters and archives in Moscow were stormed and destroyed when the Soviet Union collapsed. Of course the KGB had already removed anything of value, just as Saddam Hussein had moved the weapons of mass destruction long before the Americans invaded Iraq.

But people could not get to the Stalin archives in the frontier and thus I was hot on the trail of the truth about the Soviet empire. While interviewing and trying to train Russian librarians working for the archives I asked if they watched the news under the Soviets and they said yes. Yet they made it very clear they did not believe the news because the media and politicians were all controlled by more powerful forces. Imagine that! It could never happen in America.

So here we are today, well in to one of the warmest winters and years in history. People are traveling less and spending less because of previous horrendous hikes in oil prices last year. To my amazement, the oil people quietly released information late last week that oil prices have now increased five straight weeks. Heating oil use is way down. Gasoline use is way down. There were no hurricanes this past year. Energy conservation is way up. Yet the oil prices continue their upward climb.

What did the media or Congress or the White House have to say about this economic anomaly? Nothing? No answers and no questions. Do you find that a bit odd? I do. But the anomaly is still consistent with previous research I did and I have been waiting for the press or Congress to find the same information, what with their millions of dollars being spent investigating the high prices of oil.

When you slam down the gas pedal do you know where the gas comes from to get into your tank? Well crude oil is pumped from the ground all over the world but mostly from the Middle East. The barrels of crude are then sold on the energy futures markets in London and New York. Crude oil goes to refineries all over the place to be processed into fuel for heating, automobile use, and the millions of products made from petrol chemical feed stocks.

Multinational oil companies and a few governments own the oil reserves and they get their money back when the crude is sold on the futures markets, often before it is even pumped from the wells. Not a bad way to minimize losses, especially if the futures markets can prop up the cost of crude. All that takes is an occasional report from an independent financial analyst saying something bad about oil and the price skyrockets on the futures market. The financial analysts work for the financial institutions that finance oil companies and oil processing. One assumes they are truly independent otherwise their reports would be price fixing.

Who are the independent financial institutions whose reports influence the oil futures prices? You know them well because they probably handle some of your retirement or other money. Firms like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank (Germany), Société Générale (France) and others are among the biggest in the world. Among the major oil firms whose prices they influence are BP Amoco, Royal Dutch Shell and TotalfinaElf, all three among the top eight most profitable corporations in the world in 2005. So what do these international powerhouses from the financial and oil industries have in common that is not well known?

They were all launch partners of the privately held IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. which just happens to own the International Petroleum Exchange of London, one of the world’s largest energy futures and options exchanges. So the financiers of oil companies and the oil companies themselves are partners owning the very international oil exchange that determines the price of oil and the profits to be made from it throughout the world. By the way, is it any wonder oil industry analysts are always giving bad news that increases the price of oil?

Now why weren’t we told by our government, our Congress or our press of this obvious conflict of interest, the possible manipulation of prices, and most certainly the profiteering from spiraling oil prices by these multinational companies? Aren’t the stock and futures exchanges supposed to help regulate and bring credibility to the economic markets around the world? Maybe you should ask your favorite politicians what gives, and how much he or she received the last campaign from the financial and oil companies involved in these rather greedy business practices.

Farewell To The People's President

Bob Woodward – Blabbermouth of American Media!
Egomaniac, Opportunist and Sensationalist Extraordinaire

By Jim Putnam

Bob Woodward, former Washington Post reporter of Watergate “Deep Throat” fame has taken a giant leap forward on his path of single handedly trying to demonstrate the sorry state of decline the journalism profession in America has reached. The day after President Ford died Woodward release a tape of an interview with the former President, a tape Ford requested not be released until after his death.

Woodward, the mad dog of opportunistic reporting and despicable journalist practices did not even have the decency to wait until the former President was buried before releasing the most provocative elements of the taping in which Ford disagreed with the Bush administration handling of the Iraq war.

Ever the seeker of sensationalism in reporting, especially when he has a new book on the market with disappointing sales, Woodward used his confidential taping of Ford in order to smear the Bush administration, to cast doubt on Ford’s honesty, and to distract from the many ceremonies honoring the “People’s President”.

Ford did not have an imperial presidency like others, but he did encounter an imperial media hack in Woodward. I doubt Ford said Woodward should release edited fragments of his interview at the instant of his death while his wife was in mourning and before he was even in the ground. Being the egomaniac he is Woodward showed no respect for the Ford family, for the fact Ford was kind enough to grant him the interview in the first place, or for the fact reporters are supposed to be reporting the news, not manufacturing it.

Woodward demonstrated once again when reporters think they are the stars of the news, and when good judgment and common decency can so easily be ignored, then it is no wonder the credibility of the news media has been tossed down the toilet. After this travesty no one in their right mind should be a confidential source to a self-serving blabbermouth like Woodward.

Wild Thing Rules Colton Point Skies

The magnificent Wild Thing, named by the Delaware Eagle Rehab Center where Wild Thing was taken after being rescued from the Potomac River by Jim Putnam, had nearly died from lead poisoning from the fish he ate. After several months in rehab Wild Thing was returned to Coltons Point and Putnam released him in the lot behind the Museum.

Wild Thing, his lifelong mate and two young offspring can be seen soaring over the Point most mornings and mid afternoon. You will know him from the massive size and silver tag on his leg. Regarding the unusual rescue in which Putnam waded out into the current in freezing chest deep water and Wild Thing actually swam to him to be saved, don't believe Ernie when he tells you the water is only knee deep.

Also, if you want to save a Bald Eagle don't listen to the authorities who warned Putnam not to interfer with the rescue of a Bald Eagle or he would be fined $10,000. Wild Thing would be dead if Putnam listened to the warnings. Wild Thing was the first of two Bald Eagles Putnam helped save and release back into Coltons Point and they are most certainly the most beautiful of all nature's wonders we share.

May your spirits soar this New Year on the wings of the eagles that share our home.

New Years Resolutions for Pointers

2007 should be a time for the Pointer True Hearts to rally around the flag and build the Colony of Coltons Point into the home of the proud Pointers starting with the tee shirt stating “I’m Proud to be a Pointer”.

Then we have the Four Seasons Social Schedule to kick off a tremendous year with some quite ambitious undertakings meant to bring together the people of the point (POPers).

Spring

May Day Flower Festival – take a planned walking tour of the Point leading the unsuspecting public to all the secret locations of the beautiful flowers hidden throughout the Point. To take place the first Saturday of May it should include a re-enactment of a genuine European May Day festival with the Maypole and all.

Memorial Weekend Environmental Clean Up – a series of clean up projects for the Point will take place ranging from the first annual Burn Out to shore line and road clean up crews, etc. More details to follow.

Summer

The Pointers Potomac River Raft Regatta & Street Festival featuring original raft prizes, fun in the sun festivities, and the Coltons Point Talent Show competition.

Grand Opening of the Museum Band Stand and Summer Concert Series – where local and unique musical performers will perform weekly Sunday afternoon concerts in the new bandstand to be built on Museum grounds. One day a month a major concert will be held at the St. Clements Island amphitheater which will also need a Grand Opening Celebration of Music.

Fall

Coltons Point Colony Theatre Company (CPCTC) will premiere the original play in vintage dress titled The Native Pointer Perspective of the Pilgrims Progress or Lack Thereof, subtitled, Look at those Silly White Skins in that Ark and Dove.

Mini Macys Pointer Parade the day after Thanksgiving to welcome the Christmas season with a stunning parade of all the blow up Christmas decorations from throughout the Point (Santa’s, Snowmen, etc.) being towed by a massive fleet of riding mowers.

Winter

A Colony Christmas Eve reenacting a colonial Christmas in the days before electricity, television, computers and cars built around Christmas Carol teams on trailers being taken around the Point to serenade shut ins. All Pointers will then gather at the Museum Grandstand for Carols, Cider, Peace and good cheer. Luminaries will line the streets of the Point.

Coltons Point First Annual Snow Ball Championship in January will feature the women of the Point (Pointettes) taking on the men of the Point (Pointers) in a softball slow pitch President’s championship game to be played in rain or snow, hell or high water. The winning team will get to claim ownership of the President’s Cup which will be on permanent display in the Arrow Bar and drinks will be on the losers.

Coltons Point Social Club Brings Down the Year!

The Coltons Point Social Club brought the year 2006 to a dramatic close with the Carpenter Joe and Rose the Mary New Years Celebration of hope, peace and love on the island compound where the crowd got so big that after Haughty Helen’s arrival the draw bridge was raised.

It seemed most of the Coltons Point characters were out in their best dressed, best behaved mood and the mix of Pointers was nothing short of eclectic. Hillbilly Joe combed his hair for the first time in modern memory, Bren kept worrying her hair would become an unmanageable maze, Dogman and the Cord were having too good of a time to worry about their hair while Duke Deere had been so busy setting up the bash he forgot all about his hair.

Sweet Sue, ever the perpetual cheerleader, made certain none of the elders fell asleep while Colorado Chris kept surveying the rapidly growing masses and longing for the isolation of his Colorado mountain retreat.

Best estimates were somewhere between 50 and 300 people found their way to the island last night and a large number were probably still there this morning. Inky, the Mother Theresa of the Point, entertained with stories of her Mother Hubbard life while President Bob kept wondering if the fish would be biting at 5 am. Seems he went out a couple of days earlier in the massive fog bank and couldn’t tell if the boat was in the Chesapeake Bay or St. Patricks Creek but they still caught some 3 foot Rock fish.

Now the couple traveling farthest to the party were none other than the host and hostess Carpenter Joe and the Rose. They were re-living their youth cruising around the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina the day before when they realized they were hosting the New Years Eve bash at the Island back in Maryland and had to cut short the fantasy and race home to where they belonged, surrounded by their Coltons Point family and friends.

The other Chris, chef de cuisine of the seafood joint and wife Dainty Deb were there to verify the veracity of the delicacies. Even the no shows were there in spirit as Stevie Van Zany and Broadway Linda called in to wish everyone a great New Year though their presence will be expected at future Pointer parties.

Sheila, new pretender to the title of President of the Point by virtue of her ascension, should one choose to look at it in Biblical terms, to Head of the Museum, or top Dead Head, held court in the grand ballroom while Professor Ray, fresh from his trip around the world, was making note of the differences between the Pointers and the Chinese and Iranians he recently met. Perhaps he is doing a secret study of third world nations.

Marie Antoinette could be seen pressuring President Bob to take her out in the boat while Polar Pam was adding to the pressure saying shouldn’t a daughter be allowed in the boat as well? Of course President Bob was masterfully non-committal. The list of party Pointers goes on and on but the space in this story is limited so we can just say it was a record turnout and a nice follow up to the Kopel Kouple Kristmas Kaper a few nights earlier.

As the characters of the Point grow closer and get to know the amazing range of people and personalities that have found their way to the Point, it is becoming clear that the protectors of the Point are the very Coltons Point Social Club members working to bring about a sense of community, togetherness, and pride in the swamp. In the future, it will be up to the CP Social Club to make the Point all it can be.

Happy New Year, peace, freedom, love and where was Father Berry last night?