The dearth of blogging over the past several days are directly attributable to the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines -- which Tiger Woods won in sudden death on the 19th hole of the day today. The San Diego Union-Tribune has been doing special sections for more than a week, and I was designing some of them and laying the groundwork for others -- in addition to some of my additional duties. So, today is my one-day weekend, and I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Which brings me to this interesting anecdote over at National Review's "Planet Gore" blog.

Nice post. Nothing like the obvious — how about next time some pol declares we can't drill our way out the problem, someone ask "why not"?

Thus a little anecdote: Last year I took an Alaska cruise and in the process bagged my 50th state. I was hoping there would be a few history lectures and such but we got "Alaska Bob," environmentalist extraordinaire. He was OK up until the subject came to ANWR. You see, there just isn't enough oil up there to make a difference. Bob informs us that some enviro group whose name I forget has done a survey and determined there are only 3 billion barrels of oil. This is a nonprofit, with no ax to grind with anybody, right? However, we are also told, Chevron who wants to drill thinks there are 35 billion barrels. Bob then looks to the audience of about 100 and asks (wink,wink) So who do you believe? After the chuckles, like a dope I raised my hand. Well why wouldn't you believe the guys who are putting up the money? I then got a glimpse of what it must feel like striking out with the bases loaded in Philadelphia.

Happy Fathers Day,
Charles Johnson

That's the question you should be asking when you get two drastically different numbers on how many million/billion/trillion barrels of oil are underneath a particular plot of land. The anti-oil environmentalists have a vested interest in minimizing the number. The oil companies, on the other hand, have no real interest in overestimating the quantity of oil. After all, if they're wrong and they pour millions of dollars in infrastructure into getting a bunch of nothing out of the ground, that company won't be in business very long.