41 AUGUST 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® The Un-Comfort Zone II by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. Baby Boomer Bashing is Bunkum [Nonsense]! I’ve been hearing condemnation of generations with increasing frequency. The Baby Boom generation is being accused of gobbling up all the resources and opportunity in the economy, and is now selfishly hoarding and not sharing it with younger generations. A lot more has been said, but this is the gist of the accusations. I’ve also heard Millennials being maligned as privileged, cocky, entitled, impatient, self-absorbed, lazy, unmotivated moochers. Yep, there was more about them too, but you get the picture. [Full Disclosure: I was born during the Baby Boom years and my children, the Millennial era.] This generational criticism is a demonstrable attempt at division. Collectivists lump people together into groups to manipulate them. They gain power by pitting groups against each other for political gain, to build an audience, or coalition - Black vs. White, Men vs. Women, Liberals vs. Conservatives. Politicians and media foment fear to control the masses. Politicians gain votes and power while the media creates an audience, which enables them to sell advertising. People who are afraid are easily guided and gulled into blaming a targeted group for causing their problems. Convincing people to identify as a member of a group empowers those who wish to manipulate others. The intention is to create the phenomenon of Groupthink, which according to Yale Psychologist Irving Janis who coined the term in 1971, is: “When people get together in a group, they are subject to conformity pressures that bias their ability to reason clearly and rationally.” People suffering Groupthink come to a consensus without critical thinking; and they don’t consider potential consequences or any alternatives that may exist. The desire to belong is a universal human need, which makes it a very powerful motivator. People, as a rule, do not like holding unpopular opinions; they feel more comfortable belonging to the majority. A word related to Groupthink is Mob Mentality. Groups don’t actually think - only individuals do. Brainstorming groups are fun for forming ideas. Yet, even within those groups, all ideas come from individual brains. Any persuasive demand for consensus within a group can stifle creative thought. I suspect there’s another reason Baby Boomers are being marginalized; it’s because they are walking-talking history books who remember the way things used to be. People from that era remember what it was like to have a gold-backed currency. They remember stable, low prices that could not be easily increased. They remember when money wasn’t stolen from the people through the hidden tax of inflation without which the government could not fund endless wars around the world. Boomers remember President Richard Nixon took the U.S. off the gold standard in 1971, enabling the past 54 years of deficit spending, which in turn fuels the war industry. Baby Boomers also remember when: e Flying was fun, and there was no one searching people’s bodies and bags. Anyone could go to any gate in an airport to greet or say goodbye to loved ones. At most airports, you could even go on the roof and watch planes take off and land. e Americans crossed the borders into Canada or Mexico freely without showing a passport or identification. e The police were called Peace Officers, who didn’t wear tactical military gear and carry semiautomatic weapons (they carried sixshot revolvers, and some only carried a billystick). e Most newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio stations were independently owned and not all owned by only six corporate media conglomerates. e Food was not filled with toxic chemicals. e Anyone could ride a bicycle or motorcycle without a helmet. e Diving boards were on every swimming pool. e Anyone could buy an incandescent light bulb. e Children were free to roam their neighborhoods without parental supervision. e Public schools were focused on reading, writing, and arithmetic - not on social programming and indoctrination. Wilson Cont’d on page 42. At-Bit Imaging Tool Provides Valuable Insight Adapted from Information by SLB SLB has a new tool for drilling professionals - the patented Retina™ at-bit imaging system. This unique system uses measurements from the bit to help identify underground formation characteristics to optimize drilling efficiency, formation evaluation, and safety. The Retina solution conquers the limitations of traditional imagers restricted by things such as drilling fluid type, wellbore damages, and borehole size limitations. Providing precise measurements at the critical point of first contact between the drill bit and the formation, this first-of-its-kind system provides exceptionally clear images. The impressive image clarity continues from the initial borehole size when drilling begins, down to the small-diameter borehole as it reduces progressively toward the reservoir section. “Retina provides an unparalleled view of the formation and its characteristics downhole, enabling better-informed decisions from the start,” said Cecilia Prieto, President, Well Construction, SLB. “This leading-edge technology marks a significant advancement in borehole imaging, providing [drill operators] with critical insight in situations where it was previously impossible. With imaging at the bit, before the formation is affected by drilling fluids, the exceptional resolution unlocks new opportunities around drilling, fluid management, and completions, leading to significant risk reduction and production optimization.” Practical for drilling operations using any drilling fluid composition, Retina provides the highest resolution imaging to date, providing critical insights into the formation. The data collected from the high-resolution images is important for several reasons including geological characterization, revealing potential well-related expenditures such as mud-loss zones, hard drilling intervals, and stuck-pipe events which can add days to complete the well, incur nonproductive time, and increase safety risks. Field testing from operations in South America and the Middle East demonstrated Retina's versatility and effectiveness. In South America, the technology identified conglomerates early in the drilling cycle, enabling the design of more durable drill bits to reduce downtime. In the Middle East, the system revealed the presence of fractures and vugs (small cavities or pores within the rock) in carbonate formations, providing crucial information for predicting and preventing mud losses. During another field test in the Middle East, the tool also provided high-resolution images of stylolites, which act as pressure barriers, allowing for a better understanding of productive zones. HDD
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