The Frontiers of Ignorance

"Push back the frontiers of ignorance," said Tom Katinas, outgoing leader of Syncrude during their annual community reception. A great quote, for which I cannot provide any context as I wasn't in the room when he said it; I was next door at the Leadership Wood Buffalo graduation banquet. A friend was on the other side and was sending me texts with highlights.

"With great apologies to the leeches," he said, in reference to his description of certain politicians who drifted into the cross hairs of his oratory, politicians who were not named and shall remain nameless--although, much like when you talk about "that philandering golf pro", everyone in the room knew who was being talked about.

"I almost ran over here to grab you and drag you in so you could hear," said my friend, delighted and inspired by Tom's farewell speech. Tom is off to new endeavors, including his next posting in Washington, D.C., where he will be a great voice in support of the Canadian oil sands resource, a counter-balance to some of the environmental lobbyists who have made significant progress in recent years of turning our golden oil sands into vilified tar sands.

We are into election season and the drums of electoral battle are thrumming, steadily and forcefully in the undercurrent. The flag of this industrial giant was firmly planted on one side of the political firmament during last night's event, a notable gesture for that setting and this early in election season--a strong, definitive statement for extraordinary times.

May 28, 2010 - 194 pounds, 27.9% body fat

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