P.F.

Mentre tutti vanno in bici su è giù per il parco intorno a Bakken io resto ferma. Resto ferma con un vecchio libro in mano, un tal Guglielmo di inglesi natali che mi parla di folletti e maghe e ombre che solleticano le fantasie e illuminano la notte. Ma non sono su una panchina nel parco, qui la natura profuma di natura e gli alberi parlano sul serio. Chiudo il libro, mi metto in piedi, lentamente lascio il percorso. Un gruppo di cervi si avvicina. Così vicini. Così vivi. I piccoli ti fissano sul serio e sul serio guardano te, come tanti per strada non ti guardano ma vorresti ti guardassero. Come se esistessi sul serio. Anche solo per comunicarti che stoni tra gli alberi di un bosco, con quel libro in mano e lo zainetto. Loro ti guardano. Dritti in faccia e senza ritegno. Una mi ha detto oggi " i delfini saltavano tutto intorno alla barca, come se fossero addestrati ma senza essere addestrati" come se i delfini non nascessero con dentro la loro "delfinità" ma questa fosse un regalo che gli insegniamo noi. Ho odiato quella donna per la sua stupidità. Ora invece tra questi sguardi, mentre i cervi corrono dove han voglia, c'è la vergogna. Al di là di ogni discorso antispecista c'è la vergogna. Quella che ci ha reso animali tanto deboli perchè violentati dalla nostra perversa abdicazione alla civiltà. Abbiamo sacrificato la nostra animalità, mortificandola perchè ci faceva provare paura. Siamo animali sbagliati che si imbarazzano del proprio naturale odore. Ci strofiniamo contro creme profumate di odori non nostri, imprigioniamo il proprio istinto in atteggiamenti studiati a tavolino, spaventati da ogni suono che non si sia sentito, ogni parola che non sia stata decifrata da qualcuno prima di noi. Ridicoli nella nostra civile abitudine all'inettitudine ci spaventiamo di un ragno che fa il ragno, di un cane che fa il cane, di ogni spontanea manifestazione della vita che per poter accettare dobbiamo prima degradare, impoverire, catalogare. Abbiamo tagliato i nostri capelli, profumato la nostra intimità, avvilito il corpo in piccole perfette prigioni da 200 euro il paio e ci spaventiamo di chi ci ricorda che siamo animali, illusi fino alla fine di avere creato dal nulla la nostra povera supremazia. Anche la nostra violenza è falsa, posticcia. Non sappiamo più neanche usare le mani per stringere un collo, uccidiamo per interposta persona e ci sentiamo dei santi, trasformando ogni schiaffo che non diamo, non per bontà ma vigliaccheria, in un più socialmente appetibile male psicosomatico, una piccola ulcera, un allegro herpes genitale. Dove è la nostra umanità? Dentro le macchine fotografiche con cui immortaliamo il mondo, incapaci di usare più i nostri occhi, sempre bisognosi di avere le prove di aver vissuto? Nell'acciaio delle nostre forchette con cui tagliamo in piccoli pezzi il cocomero per non affondarci i denti? L'istinto lo amiamo solo visto imbalsamato, sui comodini della camera da letto e ci terrorizza il suono del vento se non viene da in i-pod per gli esercizi di rilassamento. Le coscienze le lasciamo in mano ai guru in prima serata o nelle piazze tra mille altri cuori in naftalina. Anche il sesso che dovrebbe essere sano istinto viene macchinato, indirizzato, usato e non gioito nella sua banale intensa spontaneità. Cosa ci spaventa così tanto da privarci di tanto per il poco che abbiamo? O forse che davvero la natura umana sia questa? O meglio, che la vera natura dell'uomo sia quella infame e aspra che mastica le illusioni e gioca orgogliosa, impiastricciando con la propria avvilente furbizia i cuori ingenui dei deboli del branco? MI viene in mente Gondry e forse neanche c'entra molto. Ma neanche poco a guardar bene.

Such small cap successes are typical of a region dependant on local operatives.  But smaller companies must re-invest heavily to ensure future stability.  To aid this re-investment, on June 30th Northern called for conversion on its existing outstanding warrants, issued in 2007.  By today, all the warrants were exercised, i.e. all warrant holders paid to exchange their warrants for shares, raising approximately $14.5mn in capital for the company.

Exercising warrants is a fast way of raising capital in the short term but investors should understand there are mid to long term risks.  With shares, the company has no obligation to pay dividends and can hold back profits for re-investmen, not so with warrants.  If the company goes bankrupt, warrant holders are higher on the ladder for receiving compensation than shareholders.  If the share price rises, however, shareholders fare far better than warrant holders.

Investors who exercised their warrants must have expected strong growth in the share price, and the 12% boost is certainly vindicating.  But they should remember that Northern's highest share price was $16.40, only $4 higher than the current price.

Northern is optimistic and enthusiastic about re-investment, "The conversion of the outstanding warrants provides an influx of capital that will allow us to...  opportunistically grow our leasehold position as we did last month with the acquisition of an additional 24,000 net acres in Dunn County, North Dakota", said a company spokesman.  But investors should remember that re-investment now means less money left over to pay dividends to shareholders, and Northern's heavy acquisition strategy could suffer if a property bubble develops.

Small cap companies offer high risk, high reward opportunities.  For those looking to invest in the Bakken basin, companies like Northern Oil should be used to complement a balanced portfolio of long term assets.

By Chakradhar Adusumilli

BANGALORE, July 10 (Reuters) - Shares of Continental Resources Inc (CLR) rose as much as 20 percent to a life high, a day after the company said its second crude oil well in the Bakken Shale area of North Dakota reported a higher flow rate than its first.

The oil and gas explorer's flow rate for the second well was about 58 percent higher than the first, which flowed at an average rate of 693 barrels of crude oil equivalent per day in its initial week of production in May.

The second well, Mathistad 1-35H, began production on July 4 and flowed at an average rate of 1,095 barrels of crude oil equivalent per day, with 90 percent of production being crude oil and 10 percent natural gas.

Natixis Bleichroeder analyst Curtis Trimble said the latest results from the Three Forks/Sanish formation increased the productive profile of the Bakken Shale area.

"Future wells will be closer to the 600 to 1000 barrel a day level versus previous wells that were averaging about 450 barrels a day," Trimble said by phone.

The analyst, who maintained his "hold" rating, raised his price target on the company to $78 from $75 a share, citing higher estimated commodity prices.

Continental is the largest leaseholder in the Bakken Shale play with about 500,000 acres in North Dakota and Montana.

In April, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated about 3 billion to 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, recoverable crude oil in the North Dakota and Montana Bakken Shale play.

Shares of the company, which went public last May, were up $12.02 at $77.28 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange. They are up more than 400 percent since their debut on the back of rising crude oil prices and oil discoveries.

Men vad gör det om hundra år?

Problemet nu är att jag behöver foton på mig som är relativt nytagna för att söka till familjer på Nya Zeeland. Bilder där jag gör vardagliga saker gärna ihop barn. Jag har inga sådana längre. Bara några från när vi var på Bakken förra månaden och de som finns på facebook. Men facebook innehåller mest festbilder, inte så passande.

Har du bilder på mig, kära vän, kan du väl maila det? Så blir jag mycket tacksam.

Fika på parkeringen utanför Bakken. Jag och barn.

The Department of Mineral Resources (DoMR) states there could be 167 bn barrels under the ground.  Industry insiders were already piqued at earlier estimates of 4.3 bn barrels so the new figure is understably exciting.  Unfortunately, only around 1.4% of the 167 bn is extractable using today's technology and 40-50% in total.  Still, 1.4% adds up to 2 billion barrels and Lynn Helms, of the DoMR says "There is enormous opportunity and potential to increase that."

The Williston Basin conference in Regina, Sask hosts over 160 companies from electrical cooperatives to oil services.  Industry pro's and newcomers mingle to discuss and network over two days, the 28th and 29th of April.  Now in its 17th year, the conference normally attracts two to three hundred people but this year interest surged due to Bakken's possibilities.  Everyone from old captains to blue-collar workers are looking to invest in the field as a patriotic, safe source of future returns.

Bakken is indeed important since America's proven oil reserves are currently at 20.1bn barrels.  However, if you're looking to invest your assets in oil for the first time, please speak to a qualified investment manager and not the opportunistic websites popping up to exploit the interest in Bakken (and there are many).

 Bev Kadrmas, a conference attendee and service company owner, said in an article at the Bismarck Tribune that she’s been through a few booms, "Everybody is extremely excited about the Bakken, but I’ve seen two busts before. There are ups and downs. This is a high risk business."

Very Indepth over-view of Bakken at The Oil Drum

Bakken Shale Google discussion group

Initial response? Awesome! Let's start sticking it to OPEC by drilling our own oil.

But then I think back to something I read once. There is apparently a large amount of oil under Nevada also. And the government has already leased out like, 75% of the land there for drilling. But not one drop of oil comes out of that entire state.

Turns out that Big Oil feels it would be too expensive to start up all the processing facilities necessary for us to provide our own oil. In other words, it would effect their profit margins too much.

I don't believe for a second anymore that the reason we aren't drilling for oil in Alaska is because of the animals that are up there in the wildlife preserve. There are technologies that would allow us to get that oil out without greatly disturbing the habitat. (I know, the page that links to is totally biased but it was the best I could find on short notice and it does talk about the technologies I was thinking of.)

No, I think the reason that we aren't drilling up there, and we aren't drilling in Nevada, and we won't be drilling in North Dakota, is because it would crimp the take home cash of the rich oil execs.

Screw the little guy. Buy from OPEC until they run out, then we can really gouge the little guy even more when we are forced to open up our own plants.

The U.S. Geological Survey called it the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed.

The Bakken Formation encompasses some 25,000 square miles (64,750 sq. kilometers) in North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, in three layers. About two-thirds of the acreage is in western North Dakota, where the oil is trapped in a thin layer of dense rock nearly two miles (3 kilometers) beneath the surface. Companies use pressurized fluid and sand to break pores in the rock and prop them open to recover the oil. More from The Star

The great thing about this article is that there are a couple of oil companies drilling up there.  I can only hope whatever they do get remains in the US and helps ease the dependency on foreign oil.

RTaylor

I first noticed this story on NRO’s The Corner. If true, the United States will soon level the petroleum playing field and silence those in the Middle East who are sick and tired of us “stealing” their oil. Perhaps we will finally break the energy dependence that has infected our foreign policy and impeded our economic growth.

From Next Energy News:

America is sitting on top of a super massive 200 billion barrel Oil Field that could potentially make America Energy Independent and until now has largely gone unnoticed. Thanks to new technology the Bakken Formation in North Dakota could boost America’s Oil reserves by an incredible 10 times, giving western economies the trump card against OPEC’s short squeeze on oil supply and making Iranian and Venezuelan threats of disrupted supply irrelevant.

With new horizontal drilling technology it is believed that from 175 to 500 billion barrels of recoverable oil are held in this 200,000 square mile reserve that was initially discovered in 1951. The USGS did an initial study back in 1999 that estimated 400 billion recoverable barrels were present but with prices bottoming out at $10 a barrel back then the report was dismissed because of the higher cost of horizontal drilling techniques that would be needed, estimated at $20-$40 a barrel.

It was not until 2007, when EOG Resources of Texas started a frenzy when they drilled a single well in Parshal N.D. that is expected to yield 700,000 barrels of oil that real excitement and money started to flow in North Dakota. Marathon Oil is investing $1.5 billion and drilling 300 new wells in what is expected to be one of the greatest booms in Oil discovery since Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938.

We should know the results soon as the USGS is due to release its report. I have looked in the foreign newspapers to see if anyone was talking about it. The only report I’ve seen is in a Ukranian outlet. And since Russia has made repeated threats of reducing natural gas supply through their pipeline, I imagine they would love to see a western counterbalance to the oil thugs in the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela and Iran.

UPDATE: The newly released USGS report puts the estimate of recoverable oil at up to 4.3 billion barrels or approximately one-hundred times less than this optimistic article estimated.

Mellem kl. 20 og 21 i aften slukkes lyset i forbindelse med klimaeventen "Earth Hour", der finder sted i en række storbyer verden over. I San Fransisco, Dubai, Tel Aviv og København.  

Mad på lavenergi
I Danmark er det Verdensnaturfonden, som er primus motor bag kampagnen, som hedder "Sluk Lyset". På hjemmesiden kan man læse om, hvem der afbryder strømmen og hvilke arrangementer, der finder sted i forbindelse med "Earth Hour". 

Opfindsomheden er stor. Restauranter laver fx mad på lavenergi og spillesteder præsenterer CO2-neutralt akustisk musik. Det sker alt sammen for at sætte fokus på den globale opvarmning. 

Jah, så for jer der vil opleve hvordan det var at leve for 300 år siden, kan i opleve det idag. ved at slukke lyset, og tage en tur til indre by. Hvor alle slukker lyset for at minde os andre (der ikke gør) om Co2 udslippet....det er faktisk et nobelt tanke, hvis man vel at mærke ikke tænder for et stearinlys....

Waar het ineens vandaan kwam weet ik ook niet. Er helpt nu eenmaal niets beter dan het bakken van een taart. Soms ben ik wat neurotisch, psychotisch, chaotisch, labiel of neogothisch. Maar dan bak ik een taart en ben ik vandaag weer vrolijk. Net als Herman van Veen overigens. Gewoon meel, boter, suiker en dan flink kneden met het vooruitzicht op iets heel lekkers. Maar een hartige taart mag ook, of een ovenschotel. Want koken is al net zo bevredigend.

Ik heb een grote zwak voor keukenspullen. Waar de gemiddelde student nauwelijks over een eigen koekenpan beschikt, bezit ik een arsenaal aan springvormen, cakeblikken, mixermalers en beslagkommen. Het grote voordeel daarvan is dat je altijd nog iets wel hebt waar je je substantie in kunt opdienen als het aanrecht gevuld is met schimmelende potjes en pannetjes die nodig afgewassen moeten worden. Alle hygiëne ten spijt vaar ik wel bij mijn eigen kookkunst. Vijf kilo in één jaar, is dat de huwelijkse staat of het genot van een eigen keuken?! Maargoed, een vies huis schijnt bevorderlijk voor het immuunsysteem te zijn. Dat is althans wat ik mezelf voorhoudt.

In het kader van de eenjarige duur van onze wettelijk vastgelegde eenheid wilden we weer eens uit eten. Een vegetarisch restaurantje bij het stadspark leek hier voor heel geschikt. Als vegetariër ben je in een normaal restaurant vaak gedwongen tot een bijgerecht of afdankertje onderaan de kaart. De naam Lukemieke kwam wat kneuterig over, mor allée, een kniesoor die daar op let. Het concept: een bescheiden menukaart met elke dag twee wisselende hoofdschotels, en wat vaste bijgerechten daar om heen. De setting bleek niet erg romantisch. Van gedempt licht, geluid, afgeschermde hoekjes en meer van dat soort cliché elementen waar je op zulke avonden behoefte aan hebt, was geen sprake. In een ruimte niet veel groter dan een huiskamer stond het stampvol tafeltjes met daaraan kakelende mensen. De verlichting liet niet veel over aan de fantasie en de onverschillige bediening deed me plotseling ergens aan denken. Toen ik het hoofdgerecht proefde wist ik het ineens. Bolletjes rijst met erwtjes, aardappelpuree en een schijf gepaneerde knol. Ik zou zweren dat ik een dergelijk gerecht al eens bij mijn andere vertrouwde stek gegeten had. Zou deze kok soms gewerkt hebben bij de Alma? Tijdens het afrekenen had ik een mooi uitzicht op de keuken, die met zijn grote stalen bakken vol rijst en aardappelprut een kopie leek van de Leuvense studenten gaarkeuken. De prijs voor het hoofdgerecht bleek echter verdriedubbeld te zijn ten opzichte van haar studentikoze zusje. Er was nog een nadeel. Ik mocht niet met mijn bordje in de rij gaan staan voor een tweede ronde...

gisteren een ovenschotel van internet uitgeprobeerd. met de site: www.kookjij.nl kwam ik op het recept van Marijke Geurts met haar overschotel met witlof, ham en eieren.

recept voor: 4 pers.
seizoen: lente gerecht
niveau: gemiddeld

benodigheden:
- 4 struikjes witlof
- 4 grote gekookte aardappelen
- 2 hardgekookte eieren
- 100 g gekookte ham
- klontje boter
- 50 g geraspte kaas
- 1 pak kookroom, 2 dl
- fijngehakte selderij takjes
- paneermeel
- kruiden

verder nodig:
- oven
- ovenschaal (normaal)
- kookpan

bereiding:
1.) zet de oven aan op 180 graden en kook twee eiren tot ze hard geworden zijn.  schil de grote aardappelen en maak ze schoon. kook ze vervolgens in een kookpan tot ze zacht zijn.
2.) haal intussen de vieze bladeren van de witloven af en snij de kontjes eraf. snij de witlof in de lengte in dikke repen. schil de eieren als ze inmiddels afgekoelt zijn en snij ze in kleine stukjes.
3.) snij de ham ook in stukjes en snij de aardappelen in plakjes. doe een klontje boter in een bakpan en roerbak en witlof kort, waarna je hem vervolgens laat afkoelen.
4.) vet een ovenschaal in en bestrooi hem daarna met het paneermeel. verdeel de aardappelschijfjes over de overschaal en strooi er wat fijngehakte selderij overheen. leg de witlof er vervolgens op en de ham samen met de ei stukken. strooi er wat kruiden overheen met natuurlijk ook zout en strooi en vervolgens de geraspte kaas over. als laatste giet je een beetje kookroom over de ovenschaal voor je hem in de oven doet.
5.) doe de schaal voor ongeveer 20 a 30 minuten in de oven en haal hem eruit wanneer de kaaskorst lichtjes bruin is. laten afkoelen en serveren met een licht salade zoals komkommer of tomaat.

als je misschien op de site hebt gekeken die bovenaan staat, zie je misschien dat dit recept niet helemaal overeenkomt met hoe Marijke het beschrijft, maar dit is niet zo heel erg.

tips voor dit gerecht:
* in plaats van geraspte kaas kun je ook stukjes geitenkaas erdoor heen doen. dat geeft misschien een iets andere smaak.
* je zou ook de eieren gewoon breken in de schaal zelf zodat het stolt in de oven. de rest van het gerecht blijft dan wat meer bij elkaar.
* je kunt er ook natuurlijk verschillende andere groenten aan toevoegen.

nou wij vonden hem best wel lekker, hopelijk proberen jullie hem ook (is best makkelijk te maken) en vinden jullie hem ook lekker!

De plaat is gepoetst en klaar voor het culinaire feest!

3537 Zenith Ave. S (off Lake Calhoun), Minneapolis, MN. 612-926-3878. www.thebakken.org
$7 adults, $5 students & senior, 3 and under free. Free parking. Stroller accessible, though easier in some areas than others. Restrooms available.

We visited the Bakken Museum last spring while using our first Museum Adventure Pass, which was available from Minneapolis-St. Paul area libraries for admission to several different museums. The Bakken was unique enough that I hadn't heard of it before, but since I had a free pass, we gave it a try.

The Bakken is truly an electrifying place. Most of its exhibits are on the theme of electricity. Visitors can crank a wheel to make a spark, see how primitive batteries worked, and learn about magnetism and the history of electricity. A hands-on area (with capable guide) allowed the kids to be "charged up" and demonstrate how static electricity works.

The museum was very quiet when we were there, which allowed the kids to explore their favorites several times over. I had been afraid that it would be a "looking only" museum, but there were a nice number of hands-on activities the kids could try.

There is also a Frankenstein exhibit, but the posted warnings said it might not be suitable for young children, so we didn't go in that area.

The Bakken was a nice surprise to find. I wish I would have planned ahead a little more so that we would have had time for a nice walk around Lake Calhoun, which is just across the street.

We'll probably go back again when the kids are a little older, and when my husband can come as well, since I think he would be interested in a lot of things at the Bakken.

I really liked doing the electricity wheel.

 http://www.pineapple-girl.com/omelet.htm

Klinkt misschien raar, een taart met basilicum, als afwisseling op een gewone kaastaart. Maar best lekker, zeker in combinatie met frambozencoulis! Het heeft een frisse smaak, zelfs een beetje citroenachtig.
We aten het bij la mama, maar het oorspronkelijke recept kwam van een vriendin. Proberen waard.

Nodig:
korstdeeg (na familieoverleg kopen wij klaargemaakt kruimeldeeg...) > 150 gr mascarpone > 150 gr ricotta> 3 eieren > 100 gr suiker > basilicum (la mama gebruikte diepvriesbasilicum - doosje uit de Delhaize, ongeveer de helft) of ± 1 eetlepel gedroogde basilicum > frambozencoulis (kant-en-klaar in het koelvak).

Doen:
Deeg in vorm leggen, en inprikken met vork, eieren en suiker opkloppen, ricotta, mascarpone bijvoegen en dan ook basilicum, goed mengen. 35 min bakken op 200°C. Laten afkoelen. En dan je haasten, zodat je zelf ook nog een stukje hebt...

PS/ Ik ben trouwens naarstig op zoek naar een lekker en eenvoudig recept voor een kaastaart op speculaasbodem, zoals die van bij Exki en Les Tartes de Françoise.
Alle hulp is welkom!

Is er een heerlijkere geur dan die van versgebakken brood?
En dan bedoel ik niet dat kleffe, halfgebakken, na 48-uur-niet-meer-te-vreten goedje dat de plaatselijke bakker ons voorschotelt.
Nee, nee: bij mij is het homemade, krokant, en vooral - met liefde gemaakt...

Deze post is dus eigenlijk een eerbetoon aan Misters P's fantastische bakkunsten *knipoog*.
Jaja, ik heb mijn eigen Rudy...