North Dakota and the American Oil Boom

North Dakota and the American Oil Boom   

The Gist

For the first time in over thirty years the United States is producing enough oil and gas for export. Oil production is at an all-time high and has created 169,000 jobs nationwide, growing at a rate ten times that of overall employment. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has the technology, know-how, and equipment (it has 60% of the world’s supply of drilling rigs) to use fracking to exploit its oil reserves. Property laws in the United States, which give property owners rights over what is beneath their land, create an incentive to drill. North Dakota sits on top of the largest contiguous oil field in the Lower 48. This has created unprecedented opportunities for the people of North Dakota (not to mention the thousands of mostly men who have arrived in the state since the boom). The growth has caused significant problems…of course. It really is like the Wild West: majority male, rampant prostitution, and increasing crime. Life can be brutal in the oilfields of North Dakota, but the possibility of striking it rich is so high that people keep taking the risk…and now you know the gist.  

Midland, Saudi America

Midland, Saudi America   

The Gist

The Midland/Odessa area of west Texas is booming. The oil boom that the United States is experiencing is brought to you courtesy of something called fracking. Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) is the use of high-pressure water and chemicals underground to break up shale rock and release the oil and gas trapped inside. The process is expensive and raises the ire of environmental groups. Although the price of oil continues to fall, the oil boom that has made Midland the “Dubai of Texas” is not likely to end any time soon. Midland has the lowest unemployment rate in the country and the population is growing at 4.6% per year (the overall Texas rate is 1.6%). Plans are being made to build the tallest building between Los Angeles and Houston. All this growth is creating an inflated housing market more like DC than a city of 150,000 and stretching the city’s infrastructure to the brink. However, city officials know that the boom might quickly become a bust when oil prices come down. Longtime residents remember ‘Black Friday’ (October 14, 1983) when the largest bank in the region collapsed after oil priced bottomed out, starting a domino effect that transformed a once booming Midland into a ghost town…and now you know the gist.  

Girls really do run the world....

Girls really do run the world....  

The Gist

Being famous for doing or being absolutely nothing is not new (think the Gabore sisters and, of course, the Kardashians). However, the speed by which ‘Alex from Target’ has become a household phrase took many by surprise. So quick, in fact, that the PR firm Breakr took credit for it (until they had to admit it wasn't them at all; they just wanted a piece of the action). The picture of Alex LaBeouf, a sixteen year old from the Dallas area, was originally posted to Twitter on November 2^nd. Within six hours, he had 100,000 Twitter followers. The number is now more near one million and he has been interviewed by the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, among others. Since we live in a world where teenage girls can make stars of boys they find attractive, we shouldn't be surprised that we also live in a world where people feel the need to send Alex death threats. The Twitter star is now working with John Shahidi, CEO of selfie app Shots, to harness his new found fame…and now you know the gist. 

Ebola Update

Ebola Update  

The Gist

It has been reported that the last person being treated for Ebola in the United States has been released. Although, some are still being monitored to make sure they don’t have the disease, the United States seems to be Ebola-free. Of the staggering NINE people who contracted the disease (the United States is home to 316,100,000 people) ONE died of the disease. Close to 5,000 people have died in West Africa in the past six months. Aid is coming in, but for many it is too little, too late…and now you know the gist. 

Is hearing all that it's cracked up to be?

Is hearing all that it's cracked up to be?  

The Gist

A great video of a mom and son (pictured) dancing has been making the rounds as of late. The son/dancer is Mark Villaver, who has been a backup dancer for Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. What makes the video great is the fact that his mom can not only dance better than the son, she can’t hear the music. Breakthroughs, such as cochlear implants, have allowed many to hear again (or for the first time). Many Americans don’t realize that a debate has been raging in the deaf community over how much they are willing to give up of the culture and community they have created. Protests erupted at the nation’s premier deaf college, Gallaudet University, in 2006 when it was announced that Jane Fernandes would be taking over as president of the school. Students were outraged that a person who was not fluent in American Sign Language was being placed at the helm of a deaf university; her offer was later withdrawn. Many people who cannot hear (referred to as Deaf people, with a capital “D”) feel like a distinct people group with their own cultural norms, proud history and traditions. One only has to see this video (minute 2:20) of a little boy hearing for the first time to see the joy that can be experienced when one is able to hear for the first time. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it’s the right decision for everyone. A quote from a Deaf person in a British newspaper is telling, “I actually feel bad for hearing people,” he says. “I wish that more people could experience the power and peace of utter silence.”….and now you know the gist. 

Mean Girls, an Embassy Takeover and US-Iran Relations

Mean Girls, an Embassy Takeover and US-Iran Relations

The Gist

This past November 4^th marked the 35^th anniversary of the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran by Iranian students, which caused the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries. But why did the students (called militants by some) decide to partake in one of the most flagrant breaches of diplomatic protocol and international law? Stephen Kinzer, in a fascinating book All the Shah’s Men, chronicles the CIA-backed coup of Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister (the book has all the makings of a good movie: monarch on the  run, communism v. capitalism, oil executives with politicians in their back pocket…) After the return of the Shah to his throne, he became a staunch ally of the West and the United States in turn humored his insatiable appetite for American weaponry (in fact, Iran was the only country allowed to purchase the advanced F14 Tomcat fighter jet) and turned a blind eye to his human rights abuses. Corruption, a widening gap between rich and poor, and a perceived loss of traditional local culture all led to the overthrow of the Shah. It should be pointed out that, although it’s called the Islamic Revolution, those who rebelled were socialists, liberals, communists, free market advocates AS WELL as religious conservatives (the conservatives just won out in the free for all afterward). The students claimed that they wanted to make sure the United States didn't interfere the way they did in 1953 (interestingly, President Carter openly stated he would be happy to deal with the new government in Tehran). In the thirty five years since, Iranian backed terrorists killed hundreds of Marines in Beirut, American navy officers shot down an Iranian civilian airliner killing hundreds and the two have pretty much been partaking in name calling reminiscent of catty (but popular) middle school girls….and now you know the gist. 

Voter ID Laws, Texas, and US History Class

Voter ID Laws, Texas, and US History Class  

The Gist

The ramifications, if any, of Texas Senate Bill 14 (colloquially referred to as the Voter ID Law) will be felt when Texans go to the polls tomorrow. SB14, passed in 2011, requires a person to show a government-issued identification before voting, which includes Texas driver licenses, Texas concealed handgun licenses, and United State Passports. The bill was struck down by U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos-an Obama appointee-in October, but the Supreme Court ordered it temporarily reinstated for the November elections. Proponents of the bill, overwhelmingly Republican, argue that they are merely combating voter fraud, not trying to disenfranchise the poor or minorities (it should be noted that not all conservatives support voter ID laws: Reagan-appointed conservative judge, Richard Posner, wrote a scathing article against the laws). Opponents of the bill, overwhelmingly Democratic, point to the fact that voter fraud is extremely rare, and that requiring a certain form of ID (which is not free) is tantamount to a poll tax. Early voting in counties with large minority populations has been lower in Texas this time around, but no one will know the full extent (if any) until after November 4^th. You need an ID for less important activities including getting into a nightclub, boarding a plane and buying alcohol. However, none of the above mentioned are protected constitutional rights (which, for anyone who took US History in high school knows, includes voting). To quote the right of center Economist: “Ultimately, and regardless of its effect, Texas's law restricts the right to vote. This is troubling, even if the choices at the polls inspire Texans to stay at home anyway.” ...and now you know the gist.