From the desk of ND's editor.

Becoming Bullish on 2011

Most forecasts (from notably reliable sources) foresee an acceleration of our economic recovery this year. The recession (depression?) officially ended June 2009, but the hole that was dug plunged far beyond the lair of the Mole Men and all but reached Satan’s Lake of Fire.

Recovery certainly has been slow, with a number of setbacks humbling the more overly optimistic predictors. And much of the recovery so far has been government induced, which has some of the particularly pessimistic prognosticators warning of a double dip this year. As per usual, the truth lies in between the extremes. And given that the pessimists are wary of the private sector taking over the heavy lifting after the government’s policies are scaled back, that, actually, can only be a good thing.

The situation remains tough, though not dire (with apologies to the millions of Americans still un- or underemployed). The world’s an entirely different place than it was just five years ago, so we move on.

For me, the recession ended and recovery began Dec. 8, 2010, at 11:45 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. That’s when it took me several minutes to wade through the buzzing throng waiting to enter the exhibit hall at the NGWA convention. Even the most cynical, pitiable soul had to be cheerfully uplifted at the confident exuberance on display – from the contractors beaming about their new projects to the suppliers bragging on their latest advancements.

Prescient observers know that when we look back on the bad ol’ days of 2008-2010, it was the drilling industry that was at the forefront in leading the way to a more spirited, fruitful and rewarding era.

Happy Birthday, Germain

Germain Sommeiller (Feb. 15, 1815 - July 11, 1871) was a civil engineer from Savoy. He directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel. This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through the Alps. Sommeiller pioneered the use of pneumatic drilling and dynamite to achieve record-breaking excavation speeds. This eight-mile-long tunnel was completed on Dec. 26, 1870 – 11 years ahead of schedule. It was, at the time, the longest tunnel in the world.

Isn't Technology Wonderful?

So, it appears as though this whole Internet thing actually is starting to catch on, so what we’ve done for all you tech-geeks out there is make our industry-leading “Buyers’ Guides” available online. Just surf on over to www.nationaldriller.com on your computing machine, and click on the “Directories” link on the menu bar at the left – from there, you’ll be able to access our:

• SourceBook – where leading industry suppliers have their offerings listed in a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate format. If you’re looking for products, equipment or services for your business, this is where you’ll find them.
  
  
• The Water Treatment Buyers’ Guide – self-explanatory.
  
  
• Pump Buyers’ Guide – see description above.

Technology is, indeed, wonderful. Which reminds me – I’m still waiting for one of those jetpacks that were supposed to be arriving at any moment back in ’65. 
ND