Ol' Delbert and Rico were driving their wagon across the Texas Panhandle. See, Delbert didn't like horses much, but sure liked gettin' paid to haul freight over the west. Rico, on the other hand, was a regular horse whisperer.
Delbert was always adding freight to the wagon, because he got paid more the more he carried.
"Del, don't you think we ought to feed the horses a little bit more if we are gonna have them carry this much freight?", asked Rico.
"Nah. Scroom. Them horses are already overfed. Feed 'em more and they will jest crap some more and mess up the envire-ment even more", replied Del. "In fact, I think we should load up the empty space we got with rocks just to get 'em trained up some more... make 'em all better at carrying loads".
So Del hopped off the wagon at the next stop and started loading it up with rocks. "Rico, get your ass over here and help me load these rocks!"
"I don't know if this is a real good idea, Del".
"Dammit, this wagon is gonna get loaded with rocks even if I have to do it myself, so get over here and help me so we can get going".
Pretty soon, the wagon was loaded tall with rocks. So tall, that the wagon was riding and grinding against the axle. The horses were straining to pull the load, especially up the hills. Every once in a while, the horses would fall, and the wagon would drop backwards.
"I got me an idea, Rico. These wheels are about to bust, and going backwards isn't good. We should replace them with square wheels. They are more stable on flat ground. Not as likely to bust up and slide backwards." said Del.
"Well, yeah, Del. I can see your reasoning, but it sure seems like it will make it a lot harder for these horses to pull the wagon forward when we get going again." Rico sputtered.
"You know, Rico, I am tired of your horse loving attitude. These here animals are just beasts of burden. One dies, we replace it with another. Simple. We do things your way, these animals would be sitting around sipping marg'ritas on a beach somewheres, instead of hauling our freight. Quit arguing with me and lets get these square wheels on the wagon."
Pretty soon, the first horse pulled up lame trying to haul the hugely frictioned wagon.
"Dad gum it, thats some bad luck", mumbled Del. "That's a pretty good horse. We need to do whatever we can to make it part of the team again. I say we cut off its two bad leg and put it in the middle of the team so the rest of the team can support it and it can contribute with its two good legs." declared Del.
So they did it.
"You know, Rico, I like ducks better'n horses. They don't eat as much and they don't crap as much as these horses and they got some wings, so I think they would do a better job pulling the cart with the square wheels. We feed the horses less, and give the food we save to the ducks, we gonna move fast! We are gonna transition to an all- duck team".
"I think this is a real bad idea, Del. I think physics dictates that it will take a million ducks to replace a few horses, and how we gonna bridle them?"
"What you taking physics, Rico? You some sort a duck denier? You clearly hate the enviro-ment. That reminds me. I got these razor sharp bridles I want to put on the horse team. They slow up at all, it cuts the bejeezus outa their mouth! That'll teach them not to slow down none!"
Of course, soon all the horses die of their festering mouth wounds and of exhaustion. The ducks flew the coop and were drinking marg'ritas on a beach during their southward Winter journey, and Del and Rico were left with a busted down cart full of rocks near Hereford.
Del muttered "I always knew that horses were worthless!"
You'll need a follow-up for those too stupid to figure out your metaphor.
Posted by: Hondo Lane | September 14, 2011 at 02:25 PM
Clearly, Choke is stating his agreement with Marx's theory of Dialectical Materialism, or in the alternative, he is smoking kine bud. Go Choke
Posted by: Royal Enfield | September 14, 2011 at 02:59 PM
Either the horses are business in general or the oil and gas business, the cart is society, and Del is the Democratic Party and Rico is the Republican Party. Ducks? I think they must be alt energy? Did I get it right?
Posted by: Solar Meow | September 14, 2011 at 03:41 PM
Please excuse me for changing the subject…but I am not sure what the subject is.
Range Production has just drilled an interesting horizontal well in western Walker County (Gibbs 1-H) in what appears to be laminated sands about 100’ above the Buda. The lateral is 4000 feet +. This section does not look like much on the log, but I am hearing rumors…and I always believe oilfield rumors. In any event, it looks like Range has put together a big lease position, 100,000 acres or so. If this well works it seem to me a lot of country will be in play.
Posted by: Royal Enfield | September 15, 2011 at 05:12 PM
Heck, I enjoyed the story just for the sake of the story. But, it seems to me, if there is 'deeper meanin' here the Horses must symbolize average "Joe worker" (whose life is always getting screwed by the brilliant ideas of upper management, Uncle Sam, etc.) Del is symbolic of Modern Business 'upper management' (always wanting to improve his bottom line with no regard for common sense) Rico represents "Common Sense" - no one pays any attention to him anyway. And the Ducks represent the Democratic Party- symbolizing a "new way of doing things" ie. CHANGE but when the going gets tough, they fly off and get drunk (Martha's Vineyard). Of course, the Republican Party was not represented in this story, if they were, they would be the Duck hunters...
Posted by: K Wilmar | September 16, 2011 at 02:18 PM
A metaphor is sometimes a Picasso or a Miro. If you like it, fine. If you don't, fine. It is not information or fact or reason, it is for the pleasure it gives the first group and the artist, nothing more.
Posted by: J Nelsom | September 21, 2011 at 08:44 AM
Ok…I think I have got it figured out.
Dlebert - Delbert is Dave Pursell of TPH…he comes up with ideas and projections which destroy capital with the hope to make short term money and always projects his failures on others
The Horses – The horses are the shale gas investors…driven into the ground
Rico- Rico is Art Berman, always there to provide an insight into the truth.
The only thing missing from the story is the Cavalry, riding in to save the day, which, of course is the SEC
Posted by: Royal Enfield | October 06, 2011 at 09:56 AM