PTINS

You sir, fucked up the most informative thread on this board. Please take your high school debate back and forth opinions and keep them to yourself, and off of this board. Thanks. Ukraine is fighting the same fight that my father, and you, and many before and after him fought, at a cost of maybe 2 cents on the dollar, without putting any American lives at risk. However, they are not fighting for the same things we fought for, they are fighting to simply exist. Thanks. Putin is the worst of humanity, on steroids, with ill gotten wealth that would make the titans of capitalism blush, and nukes. If it doesn't end here, it doesn't end. Thanks. This used to be the first thread I read every morning. The last few days have been brutal, and disappointing. Thanks. War is political. End of story. The self policing and keeping this thread on topic and void of CR has been admirable, until the past few days and weeks. Please don't fuck it up. Thanks. We all have questions. Perhaps some questions are better for Google, before they get asked here. I ask them here because I appreciate that so many of you have forgotten more about more things than most will ever know. I like this place because it usually provides the answers before the questions are even asked. You know who you are. Thank you. Slava Ukraini

Hard to find any good news from Ukraine, so I'll settle for bad news from Russia. The flooding in Russia is not because of a "dam failure", but appears to be from the volumes of water flowing through the creeks and rivers and over the dikes, dams, and whatever else is in the way. Reports of water at ~ 10 meter levels (32 feet) proximate to 16 foot levees means there is 16 feet of water flowing over the top. The widespread flooding spans an area and different river systems from Sorochinsk to Kurgan, ~ 540 miles. The pitiful response from the state will not improve, as there does not appear to be any significant resources available, and the flooding situation will get worse before it gets better. The flooding in Orsk, just north of Kazakhstan, is not coming from the Ural River that traverses east to west, but from the Yelshanka River, directionally northwest of the city. In the second video below, at the 09 second mark, you can see the monument in Gagarin Square, with the flood water coming towards the front of the monument, which faces Northwest. It is shown in the Google Earth screen shot. In the screenshot below, everything (~ 25 square miles) between the 638' elevations north and south of the Ural River, including the Gagarin Monument, is probably under water. The residential area doesn't have high rises, just a shit load of high density single family dwellings. (The lots are ~ 30 ft x 100 ft). The numbers of flooded homes, ~ 10,000?, in Orsk alone, is going to cause a shit storm, literally (Ha! Ha!), that won't go away. There's not a FEMA bailout on the horizon. One official proposed ~ $108/month for 6 months as compensation. Another said "he should be on vacation, not here." If your home is trashed and you have no place to go, how much do you care about going to work? Or going to Ukraine to be a meat popsicle? Worker productivity at the industrial facilities is going to be impacted, but to what degree? In a few days or weeks, this won't just be a few people in front of city hall complaining. I'm hoping this energizes and mobilizes the masses like never before err ..., nothing since 1917. Too bad it's in the middle of bum fuck no where. Corruption, meet Karma. One can only hope.

I did not get tickets and had 51 points.

“just throwing it and hoping for the best.” This year, the last 3 quarters v. OU and 1st half against Hou, QE completion rate was 90+ %. There are numerous throws he made as the receiver was coming out their break, where he anticipated where the receiver would be and delivered a perfect throw in stride. Can he improve? Certainly. But there was nothing close to Mike “find the ball and go up and get it” Evans on the Texas roster the last 2 years. Fuck that hoping the best bs. His anticipating and missing has as much to do with the receivers be off schedule as much as it has to do with the throws. Maybe he could wait another 2/10ths of a second before throwing it. Maybe is doesn’t want to chance a 250 lb meat head driving him into the ground because of a weather vane whiff by the OL. QE throws as catchable ball as well as anyone QB I’ve ever seen.

INTERVIEW ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE CHIEF OF MISSION RESIDENCE PARIS, FRANCE APRIL 2, 2024 Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Darius Rochebin of LCI/TF1 QUESTION: Good evening, Mr. Secretary of State. Antony Blinken, you’re head of U.S. foreign policy. First, Ukraine’s cry for help. Is the United States in a position to promise that the Ukrainian state, that Kyiv, will never fall into Russian hands? SECRETARY BLINKEN: I am convinced we already have. In other words, it is not happening, it’s never going to happen. At the beginning of the Russian aggression in 2022, we thought there was a possibility that Kyiv would fall. But thanks to the incredible resistance of the Ukrainian people, and thanks also to the support given to Ukraine by the United States, France and other countries, Putin’s desire to conquer the whole country, to wipe it off the map, to make it part of a greater Russia, has not materialized and it won’t. QUESTION: Mr. Zelenskyy said: “We’re not 100% sure that Putin won’t use nuclear weapons.” And he added, “That’s what makes President Biden cautious.” Do you, indeed, have to take that risk into account? SECRETARY BLINKEN: From the start, from day one, President Biden was convinced of two things: that we had to do everything possible to support Ukraine, because the aggression against Ukraine was not just an aggression against the Ukrainian people and against the country, but against all the basic principles of the international system. But he was also convinced that we had to avoid a war with Russia. QUESTION: A nuclear escalation? SECRETARY BLINKEN: An escalation, whether conventional or nuclear. And so, since then, he’s been leading with great clarity in this direction: supporting Ukraine but avoiding a war with Russia. QUESTION: It’s not just theoretical. Don’t we remember the warning that went out about a possible use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine? If that were to happen, would the United States respond? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Look, I’m not going to get into hypotheticals. There was indeed a moment when there was fear. I think that — QUESTION: (Inaudible) there were concrete messages to that effect. SECRETARY BLINKEN: All I can say is that there was a fear that it was possible. But I think the Russians heard not only from the United States, not only from France, but from many other countries, including China, that a nuclear weapon should absolutely not be used. QUESTION: But in principle, Mr. Secretary of State, compared to the use of conventional weapons, would the slightest nuclear use, even tactical weapons, be a complete change? SECRETARY BLINKEN: For us, it would be a complete change, yes. QUESTION: With consequences for Russia? SECRETARY BLINKEN: With consequences. But we’re doing everything, of course, to avoid this possibility and to avoid a war, a bigger war. But at the same time, we absolutely must support Ukraine, because the Russian aggression continues to this day, it continues to do appalling damage within Ukraine, and it continues to present a danger not only to Ukraine, but to Europe as well. QUESTION: The Balts are expressing their fear of a more conventional war. It would be a Russian incursion into the Baltic territories and, as in Crimea in 2014, a fait accompli. Would the United States militarily prevent it this time? SECRETARY BLINKEN: You know, we have an exceptional asset, which is NATO. And the basic idea of NATO is that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on everyone. QUESTION: Article 5. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Article 5. And I don’t think it’s in Mr. Putin’s interest to widen the conflict, especially with or against a NATO member. QUESTION: Mr. Blinken, do you understand that this is the crucial question – for the Balts, in particular? Can they be assured that even one foot of a Russian soldier on Baltic territory would lead to a military response from the United States of America? SECRETARY BLINKEN: A millimeter or a centimeter. For us, Article 5 is essential. QUESTION: With a military reaction? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, I won’t go into specific hypotheses, but I think that any adversary who is aggressive against a NATO member knows that he will get a response from NATO, including the United States. QUESTION: That’s you. If it’s Mr. Trump, does that change? SECRETARY BLINKEN: You know, all I can do is manage today and do the best I can with all my colleagues. The future — QUESTION: But do you understand, excuse me, Mr. Secretary of State, the fear of Europeans who wonder, ‟If Mr. Trump is there, there may be a disengagement from NATO?” SECRETARY BLINKEN: I hear fears coming from my colleagues, from my fellow citizens, but, you know, there are often fears when there are changes in democracies, whether it’s the United States, whether it’s France, whether it’s any democratic country where there’s a change of government every four years, every six years or whatever, there’s always something, because of course you get used to what you’ve got. You don’t know what’s coming next, but what I can tell you is that this year will mark 75 years of NATO, 75 years of American administrations, Republicans and Democrats, supporting NATO. I’m convinced that it will continue, no matter what. QUESTION: You have helped Ukraine powerfully. You rule out – that’s clear – American troops in Ukraine, don’t you? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yes. QUESTION: However, what happens if the French – Mr. Macron has said, “it’s not out of the question” – the Finns, the Poles go for it. It’s their choice. Will it require a NATO consensus? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, I stay away from making hypotheses for the future. Our policy is clear. President Biden’s policy is clear. There will be no American troops on Ukrainian soil. QUESTION: Why not? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Because for us, it’s something that will lead closer to a direct conflict with Russia, which we want to avoid. It’s not in our interest and it’s not in the interest of the Allies. But at the same time — QUESTION: Excuse me. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Go ahead. QUESTION: Would it be like a stab in the pact since, let’s say, the Cold War when there’s been no direct confrontation between the two nuclear powers, for ground troops to take place? SECRETARY BLINKEN: For us, it’s a matter of national interest. It’s not in our interest to have a direct conflict with Russia. I don’t think it’s in the interest of any of the NATO members. But at the same time, there is a determination, a conviction that we must do our utmost to support Ukraine, and do so not only this year, but in the years to come. Because the real danger – there is an immediate danger on the ground – but the greatest danger is the idea that may be in Putin’s head, that he can outlast us, that we’ll end up fading away, whether it’s us, Europe or the other partners. I think it’s essential to convince Putin that this won’t be the case. QUESTION: But, Antony Blinken, once again, if the French also go, the Finns, the Poles, etc., is it at our peril or do you think it will involve NATO? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Everyone must make decisions on a national level and on an Alliance level too. QUESTION: Will the Alliance have to come to an agreement? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, I won’t go into hypotheticals, but I know very well that, with the relations we have within the Alliance, the relations we have directly with France, everything we do, we do together. We talk about it, we discuss it, and we decide together. QUESTION: In Brazil, President Macron raised the possibility of Vladimir Putin taking part in the next G20 meeting, provided, he said, that it would be useful and that there was a consensus among all G20 members. Do you see this as a possibility, under these conditions? SECRETARY BLINKEN: If there’s a consensus among all the members and if it’s useful, yes. In the current situation, it’s hard to see how it could be useful and how there could be a consensus among all the members — QUESTION: For you, would a Putin-Biden handshake be conceivable, provided, of course, that it was useful? SECRETARY BLINKEN: The idea has never been to exclude Russia or Mr. Putin. It’s the actions, it’s the policy of Russia and of Mr. Putin that triggers what happens in terms of Russia’s relations with the G20 or with the G7, with the world. So, if policy changes, we don’t rule anything out. The problem is that we don’t have any proof, for the moment, that policy is changing. QUESTION: But if the policy changes, can we talk to Mr. Putin again very directly, even at a summit? SECRETARY BLINKEN: I hope there will be a day, and I hope that day will come sooner rather than later, when relations between our countries and Russia will be quite different from the current one. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and it’s not the case because of Mr. Putin’s policies. QUESTION: So, to be perfectly clear, he’s not a pariah forever? Not necessarily? SECRETARY BLINKEN: Russia is not a pariah, and for us, it’s not so much the individuals, the personalities, that count, it’s the policy pursued by a country.

We walked across on the bridge in February. I weighed 150 lbs dripping wet, wearing a ski parka that caught a lot of wind. Self preservation is strong with me. Too much good terra firma around not to have it under my feet.

I did an Expert Witness Report regarding business interruption insurance on an offshore drilling rig. They claimed damages for a well that was never drilled. Should have been a slam dunk. The attorneys said the insurance "people" would never show up to testify. They "earned" ~ $350,000 for the commissions (2005) on the policies and would never do anything to jeopardize their livelihood. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis can move as much as 18". The slight movements at the top give the appearance of a much larger movement at the bottom, 600 ft below. Looking straight down, you could see the sidewalk underneath the Arch, and then it would disappear, and then it would reappear. And then we were done, and left. The egg shaped tram that toggles back and forth on the way to the top of the Arch is not for the faint of heart. It took a few days to clear all the reservations at the Holiday Inn.

I remember picking up my Norwegian au pair at the airport, saw this statuesque blond goddess walking towards us, holy fuck!!! She was walking next to my au pair. A few months later, was with my friend at a beer & pizza joint in Boulder, and in walked a pack of 10-12 au pairs, from Norway, Sweden, Germany & Spain. Got home at 5 in the morning. Wife was sitting at the table drinking coffee. "Where the hell have you been!!!" "With Laila and her friends?" "Doing what?"

"Galloping Gertie" We were at the top of Pikes Peak, well above the tree line, and it started snowing, and then thundering, and then lightning, adios!!!. On the way down, the snow turned to sleet and an icy, slushy mix was covering the road. Nobody said a word on the way down. White knuckle city! In HS, I drove my friends Chevelle down the hill on 2222, ~ 150+ MPH, used 3 of the 4 lanes to make the turn at the bottom. Item #34 of stupid shit I did and why I'm lucky to be here. Moore's Crossing over Onion Creek, Elroy, Texas (Richard Moya Park) Built in In 1915, 3 of the 6 spans from the 1884 iron Congress Avenue Bridge were used to construct the bridge. It had a wooden deck, and squeaked when you drove across it; sounded like it was falling apart.

The house is in Longmont, CO, not Boulder. Longmont is to Boulder as Hackensack is to Manhattan. "The only thing I like about New Jersey is the view it has of Manhattan." The City of Boulder created a 5 mile buffer between Boulder, and the rest of the world. Longmont is outside of the Open Space. You can see the tops of some of the CU buildings right at the base of the mountains. With that said, playing golf in Longmont gives you a reason to take your eyes off the ball. The view of Long's Peak and the throat of Rocky Mountain National Park is spectacular. Re: Deion The first time I heard of him, it was a clip of him lounging in a car, with is sun glasses and his bling, talking about me, me, me, and shit about everybody else. Fuck that POS. But, his ratio of talking the talk to walking the walk is the benchmark. Most exiting player I've ever watched. Too bad for his sons. Alligator mouth. meet humming bird ass.

Time to replace your thermostat. The thermostat should open when more heat is needed, and open only enough to control the temperature at a specific set point.

Agree 100%. Sark asked and answered his own question, "What is the biggest difference between the B12 & SEC?". DL, which everybody already knows. The Big 12 has 1st round NFL DL every year, and they scheme for them when they play them. The SEC has NFL DL across the board, every week, and having multiple high end players is more difficult to scheme against. DL is the only real ??? this year, and with what is already campus, Texas is top half, maybe top quarter of the SEC, behind Georgia and Alabama. Improvements at Edge, LB and DB should help the DL. Other than DL, Texas is pretty damn solid. Texas made a lot of Alabama's NFL 1st & 2nd rounders look very pedestrian last year. No reason to expect this year to be any different.

Ukraine does not have enough artillery and offensive weapons to fight the fight they were fighting a year ago. When the US was leading an international wave of support for Ukraines defense, Ukraine towed the line (US preference) on hitting "military targets." Ukraine systematically targeted the smallish fuel depots and terminals close to the front lines and stayed away from the the heart of the energy complex, the refineries themselves. Basically, Its okay to fight back against Russia, as long as gasoline prices in the US stay within an acceptable range. Yeah, I know we sanctioned Russia's petroleum and refined product exports (wink. wink.), but its keeping the US in their comfort zone. Now, Akash Maniam, MD 🇺🇦 @ManiamAkash "Ukraine's fighting an existential war and the US is playing politics in an election year. What an utter farce." Ukraine cannot adequately defend themselves, much less prosecute a war effort that allows them to reclaim there Country. With the US sitting on their hands watching from the cheap seats, Ukraine is fighting the only war they can, which is directionally to cripple Russia's war machine. Period. That would be their energy production. Not storage tanks, but the refineries. Ukraine is fighting for survival. If the collateral damage is rising energy prices Worldwide, ... umm...OK. Now the rest of the world can appreciate what is happening. Oil, and the refined products derived from the production, are a worldwide commodity that is affected my a multitude of factors. This is the issue that drove American & British foreign policy for the past 100 years, to have control, or at least influence, on worldwide oil production. The Shale Revolution allowed the US to become self sufficient in energy production (~ 14 MM bbl/day) for the first time since ... not my lifetime at least? While the US is self sufficient in production, we export 4-5 MM bbl/day and import ~ 2.5 MM bbl/day. We export the lighter shale crude oil, which looks like Quaker State out of the can, and import the heavier, nastier crude oil that looks like Jed Clampett's back yard. The US refining capacity was converted from a light crude slate to a heavy crude slate 20-40 years ago, and that mix is required to maximize the production from US refineries, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, etc. We import oil, some to balance US demand, and some for the sole purpose of exporting refined products. Odds are the delicate balance between production, refining and consumption is getting ready to be challenged in a way most have not envisioned.

Texas DE Colin Simmons on Why He Chose Texas Worth the watch. Quality young man gonna wreck some shit up this year. " ... another reason I came early is so I can get stronger faster ..." Said he's already gained 20 lbs.

Crude Oil =/= Refined Products Sorry, should have posted this in the "I did not know that" thread. The shroud prevents leaking oil from accumulating on the garage floor, and improves aerodynamics. The Porsche 944S required a lift to replace the oil filter; the wheels had to drop down all the away for proper access. It also required a ~ 30" screwdriver to change the lower radiator hose; it could only be accessed from the top of the engine. It was a marvel of engineering, but impossible to maintain without the special set of Porsche tools. Not meant for weekend warrior maintenance.

I did the same. They could make it a lot easier and simply tell you it will take this many priority points to get season tickets. Are all current season ticket holders guaranteed of getting tickets this year, before any waitlist person?

Whatever Frank Erwin was, I don't recall that his demeanor was driven by his ego. He was a hard ass SOB, like pretty most every Texan in power in that era. He was behind the building boom of the 60's & 70's, good or bad. Good, in that the growth was needed, Disch-Falk, Upper Deck & Belmont, Super Drum, bad, in that open space gave way to buildings, and Jester was butt ugly. Function over form was the mantra. IMO, his polarizing personality did as much to effect changes at The University of Texas as anybody before, or after him. More about this in a second. Really wish you would clearly articulate what you really think! (just kidding 🙂 ) DKR wouldn't get in the mud w/ Barry Switzer. That helped OU, and hurt Texas. FE literally moved the earth for UT. He was never about feelings. Looking at the Super Drum from 2024 is a far cry from 1974. Gregory Gym was a cool place for intramural sports and pick-up BBall games, and for some bad Texas Basketball. I don't remember if I ever saw a musical act there, but there's a lot of things I don't remember, even 2 days after I did them. The Super Drum was infinitely better than Gregory Gym for Basketball Ball. A/C and Floor Seats. End of argument. The birth of NCAA Women's Basketball, and sports, was cradled in the Super Drum. Before the SD, Austin's "larger" concert venues were the Municipal Auditorium, City Coliseum, DKR (only once, "ZZ Top's Rompin', Stompin' Barn Dance and BBQ"). There were a number of quality small places and any number of out-in-the-country places that came and went. The SD may have been an acoustic train wreck, but it was much better than anything before it. Ironically, the SD enabled bigger crowds at Austin concerts, which was a contributing factor to the Armadillo's demise. "... was married with kids and working..." Mr. Brat, you're one my Surly heroes, but your doing it wrong. My son bought me a new set of golf clubs for my 1st Fathers Day, when he was 9 months old. Even my wife laughed. My son "played" a '68 Gold Top w/ my brother when he was a toddler and grew up with an admirable appreciation for music, the kind of music I grew up with. Nothing brings me more joy than watching him playing music around town. His playing a tribute to Roky Erickson on his passing was special. Mr. Brat, thanks for posting that story. This was my coming of age, growing up in Austin/Bergstrom, w/ a strict military Brat upbringing, w/ a guitar playing older brother and a varsity cheerleader older sister. I always got to hang out with the older, cool kids. Had friends w/ older brothers & sister at UT. Hippie chicks and VW buses. New teachers every year from UT and San Marcos. Music, and everything that went with it, was everywhere. I remember the "Battle of Waller Creek", think about it every time I'm on campus, or at Crown & Anchor. The original tree-huggers. The first time I saw the open defiance of authority, the news of kids being pulled from the trees. That spark lit a firestorm in Austin that ... changed the world. It certainly my world. When I was 13, we went to the pregame pep rally before the 69' Texas-Arkansas game, and later played some football with the bigger kids south of Taylor Hall. I remember walking along the Belmont construction, through the mud along Waller Creek. Euphoria over the football team, and nothing but a sense of hostility towards the administration, any administration, for Frank Erwin, for LBJ. "Joined" the Student Mobilization Committee, because my Young Life mentor from UT, Bev, was the coolest person ever. Told me I was "a Head"; not sure what that meant, but I knew it was better than being a tail. Damn, I was so naive! Frank Erwin led UT through a dramatic growth spurt, capitalizing on the success of Texas Football. His funding efforts built, DKR's Upper Deck & Bellmont Hall, Disch-Falk Field (opened my freshman year with the '75 National Championship Team), the Texas Swimming Center, and the Super Drum. His efforts also led to The Humanities Research Center, Jester, Burdine Hall, PMA, the PCL, and numerous other buildings, along with the expansion of the 40 acres east of I-35. But Frank Erwin's polarizing antics did not sit well with many people, and UT changed because of that, for the better. The Good Ole Boy network of Texas Politics was forever changed. Once the gates were open, there was no going back. Shortly after, UT made a concerted effort to change the demographics of the campus, to more closely mirror the population of Texas. Myself, and others, were given, and earned, academic scholarships based on a combination of being "disadvantaged" educationally, socially, and economically, and coincidentally, minorities. Frank Erwin, by influencing and changing those around me, changed and influenced me. Because of him, and like minded souls, I grew up idolizing those who stood up for their beliefs, and went against the mainstream. Won't repost your picture, that's nasty! Made me think about The Classic Cat; my belt w/ my Father's Longhorn buckle got taken out of my car one night... Now the bathroom at the Armadillo,... there was one stall with ~ 2" diameter hole in the floor, no fixture, just a hole... before their time in conserving water. If I recall, the Guacamole Queen was a painting of a beefy, butch biker chic ...

Kate & Rooney Mara are the great grand-daughters of both the NY Giants founder Tim Mara and the Pittsburg Steelers founder Art Rooney, Sr. Rooney, is a little softer on the eyes, Kate has the better rack. When going through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific, you travel from the Northwest to the Southeast. A wildlife biologist told me there are more Audad in Texas than their native Africa.

My screenshot of Russian Refineries, Orange font is damaged to some extent, Red, not nyet. Ukraine has attacked 3 of the 5 largest refineries in Russia. Owner - Refinery Capacity Bbl/Day Gazprom Neft - Omsk 444,600 Surgutneftegaz - Kirishi 420,000 Rosneft - Ryazan 342,000 Lukoil - Nizhny Novgorod 341,000 Lukoil - Volgograd 314,000 Of the stocks I watch, Valero was the only one positive yesterday, +2.7%. I'm guessing they're running at capacity right now. Ukraine hitting the Russian refining infrastructure is indicative of the waining support from the US.

I'm betting there's a lot of things you don't understand. The primary task of the Highland Lakes is Flood Control. Recreation was a by product, never a primary concern. Lake Travis was always meant to be a surge control for the Colorado River. The water use, and rights downstream have always taken priority over the conditions on Lake Travis. Lake Travis will release a minimal amount of water for downstream water needs, and will restrict water discharges when the downstream river levels reach a certain point. In the not to distant future, there will be 50 million people living between DFW and San Antonio. There are not enough water resources to support that many people. Who is They? You and your neighbors going to foot the bill for this? The rocks have always been there. Perhaps it's the dumbass who hit the rocks is the one that came out of nowhere? Reminds me of the time some guy ran his boat aground at Pace Bend Park and couldn't understand why no one would take him to back to Lago Vista. It was only a mile away, by helicopter, or 50 miles, and a 3 hour round trip, by car. Yeah, setting off explosive charges to fracture the natural limestone adjacent to Mansfield Dam sounds like a great idea. The water level in the Trinity Aquifer dropped 50' last year. Not a lake, the aquifer. That is a much bigger issue than the water levels in Lake Travis. There is not enough water for the amount of people that want it. End of Story. Great Picture. Not a house is site. One would think the river channel at the base of the damn would be the deepest part. IGNORANT, SELFISH ASSHOLES!!! Simply amazing how so many people move to a very desirable habitat, and then intentionally fuck it up.

That sounds like a script for a Bruce Willis movie. A bad one. The energy contained in the facilities at an LNG Plant are immense, but an explosion impacting an area from BPA to Lake Charles is a stretch. In 1992, the MAPCO Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) underground storage facility near Brenham, TX was over filled, sending high pressure NGLs to atmosphere. The NGLs were heavier than air, there was little wind, and the vapor cloud flowed across the ground until it found an ignition source. The shock wave was felt in the downtown towers in Houston ( ~ 50 miles away). People said the blinds moved. The physical damage was confined to an area proximate to the vapor cloud. People used to make poor jokes that industrial accidents in Houston were measured on the Richter Scale. "LNG? NGL? Whatever it takes." For a LNG disaster as described: LNG Storage tanks are double-walled, with a carbon steel outer wall and a nickel-steel inner tank, which is housed in a reinforced concrete shell that is 20-30" thick. The probability of failure; more than 0.0, but very low. (Nuclear reactors were designed to withstand a direct hit from a 747.) You could draw up scenario where... 100% of every piece of equipment, pipe, process columns, storage tanks (160,000 M3 per tank, 5,600,000 Ft3), LNG tankers (~ 250,000 M3, 8,800,000 Ft3) , etc. are filled to 100% of volume and 100% of operating pressure, and ... all of that volume of LNG would have to be moved to the open air, and ... all of that volume of LNG at -260 °F would have to be warmed up (no open flames) to the point it would vaporize, (1 Ft3 of LNG ~ 600 Ft3 of natural gas), and ... all of that 100 % LNG would have to be diluted with air to a 5-15% concentration, and ... that immense vapor cloud of explosive gas and air would need to be corralled some how, (methane is lighter than air and will rise), and ... then some Darwin candidate would have to light a match, and the mother of all fuel air bombs would go ... Big Bada Boom! Even then, most of the heat and energy would go upwards... you've seen the videos. The first time I went to Mont Belvieu in 1980, I had similar concerns. I enjoyed my career in the energy sector, but I'm happy for my exposure to be down to filling up my personal vehicles.

Hey, looks like he did okay on the ejection.

Thank you. You made my day. Music hits us, and resonates with us, for so many different reasons. This song does it for me, one of those songs that makes me stop what I'm doing, and just listen. It always takes me back, to the darkest of day of my youth. But it always helps me remember, all the days before.

This is a big step towards Ukraine targeting the refinery towers themselves as opposed to storage tanks. Everybody likes big fires. The tank farms are easier targets, in that hand grenade close is good enough, but you only damage the tanks and the products in the tanks. All it takes to repair them is plate steel and labor. Knocking out the towers is huge, like taking out the heart. The towers themselves are also rolled, plate steel, but the control systems and instrumentation are specialized equipment that is No Bueno for Russia. There have already been portions of Russian refining capacity shut down because of sanctions stopping the availability of critical equipment, to the point Russia was already curtailing the exports of refined products. It is relatively easy for Russia to export crude oil to the black market. Importing significant quantities of refined products is a much bigger issue.