Saturday, March 8, 2008

It's More Fun To Destroy The Earth Than To 'Save It'

I stated the obvious, didn't I? Besides which, I don't want to 'save the planet'...the planet will be fine...I just want it to be livable for me and my progeny

Or...we could try some of these ideas...he-he

http://qntm.org/?board

This site is both fun and informative. Remember to check often to see if the Earth has been destroyed…and it’s a UK number, so remember the country code is 44.

Qadaffi’s Got All the Answers

Clip (if this doesn't work, go to http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335993,00.html)

America democracy has failed. I think he’s right. The sooner we start following the Libyan model, the better off we’ll be. Utopia, here we come!
Alright, I tried being sarcastic, but I can’t do it. Qadaffi is a third world dictator of a backwards nation and he’s lecturing us on democracy AND prosperity? I can’t even make fun of this…I can’t even get upset.

And I like Barrack Obama personally, but this is just one more reason why I can’t vote for him. His optimism is good, but his rhetoric only encourages wing-nuts like Qadaffi.

Palestinian Gunmen Kill 8 Israelis

I’m a day late and a dollar short on this one, but do you still think we can sit down and talk to thugs like this? It’s not like it’s a handful of nuts in the middle east, either.
Every time I think maybe we’re too pro-Israel or that we kiss their ass just a tad too much, I see something like this…there is no choice but to support Israel. These particular gunmen chose a Yeshiva Center so they could kill children.

If Islam is a peaceful religion, many of it’s ‘followers’ are anything but.

Why Conservative Radio Destroys Liberal Radio

Besides the likely possibility that conservatives are generally more attentive to politics, there is another reason.
What’s the old standby for liberal talk radio? NPR. Ever listen to it? Why not?
It’s horrible. I lost the signal to the AM station this morning and turned on NPR. I came in as an airy, aging hippy read poetry. It was grooooovvvvyyyy. Assuming you’re stoned.
The segue was some easy listening.
Then I was treated to a woman recounting her boring war stories of accounting classes. Her voice was perfect for a relaxation CD. I drifted off and had to get the car back on the road quick. If there was damage, I’m suing NPR.
Then there was some really bizarre easy listening from the indigenous denizens of…wherever. Then I got a lecture on something from a fatuous academic. I can’t recall what it was because it wasn’t interesting enough.
The only show I wouldn’t classify as a sedative is, “Car Talk,” on Saturday mornings.

Conservative talk is the polar opposite. It has angry hosts raising controversial topics. The callers are better, especially the wingnuts. Even the intro music is better. They have classic or grunge rock, not easy listening.
You don’t have to like the host, either…hatred of the host only drives up the ratings. NPR hosts aren’t even worth hating. Everything about right wing radio is meant to raise your blood pressure.

NPR, and probably most leftist radio, is a sleeping pill. Conservative radio is cocaine. Cocaine can outsell valium anyday.

Reasons Why Conservatives Should Vote for McCain

I’m not a conservative, but I’m counting on conservatives to save the rest of us from making a mistake this fall.
It’s time for America’s conservatives to stop whining and get serious. You don’t always get what you want in life. Does that mean you should take nothing out of spite? No, you should take what you can get.
I understand why McCain makes conservatives queasy. You’ve got to get over it and hold your nose for the good of the country.
Do you think there’s no real difference between John McCain and Obama or Clinton? Or that your staying at home this fall will teach the rest of America a lesson?
You’re wrong on both counts.

The differences aren’t there in every category, but they are there and where they exist, they’re as vast as the Grand Canyon. Here’s the five main ones I see:

Defense and defense spending. Do you think Obama will make military recruiting and budgeting a top priority? Do you think McCain, a former navy pilot will? Enough said. And while I doubt Clinton would ‘gut’ the military, don’t you trust McCain a little more to make sure we’re military prepared?

Universal Health Care. Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama are both promising to socialize medicine. That’s not going to happen in a McCain administration.

The Iraq War. This is ironic, since I opposed it from the beginning. But, much as I hate to admit it, we’re stuck there. What pains me more is that Karl Rove had a point when he suggested Iran would have control over Iraqi oil if and when we leave. We can’t leave right now. This isn’t 1991, when we had a strong tyrant there to act as a buffer against Iran. We killed that buffer, literally.

The Bush tax cuts. Hillary and Obama are already promising to end the Bush tax cuts. They will also have to pay for health care. It’s 1/7 of the economy. They’ll likely need to raise taxes considerably.

Judges. I realize would only barely view McCain as the lesser of two evils here, but it does matter.

And if you think the rest of the country will be so sorry that a Republican will be guaranteed to win in 2012, remember Clinton’s easy re-election in 1996…two years earlier he’d seemed impotent and beaten. Truth is, there are a lot of have-nots in America who’d be glad to move toward socialism.

Friday, March 7, 2008

No Shortage of Oil and ANWAR Will Solve the Shortage (That Doesn’t Exist), Anyway

A conservative caller to the Howie Carr show yesterday explained his misgivings about McCain: McCain is opposed to drilling in ANWAR and supports alternative energy.
The caller described solar, wind, ethanol and other energy sources as, “Bunk.”
Let’s say he’s right.

We drill ANWAR. Does he know how much oil is in ANWAR? Estimates vary, but four billion barrels seems a reasonable estimate. That’s about a six month supply.

Ooh, that helped.

I’m not opposed to drilling in ANWAR. We won’t save it for a REAL emergency, anyway. This is the USA and we don’t save anything, including our paychecks. That’s why huge numbers of us are filing for bankruptcy. This is why we have a massive national deficit, which as we speak is contributing to the dollar’s general worthlessness.

I’ll admit that maybe ethanol, solar and wind aren’t the answer, or not the whole answer. Hydrogen, geothermal, and nuclear power (maybe Republicans can stomach that one) are out there, too.

The point is we need to do something to wean ourselves from oil. Even the president has said so.

Do Republicans live in a fairy world where oil is never going to run out and we’re going to magically find new oil on Mars or something? Or do most of them figure they’ll be off the planet through natural causes before we run out anyway…and seriously, fuck the next generation.
Or, perhaps they want us to become a third world country, with a handful of elites who can still afford cars, while the rest of us have to bicycle to work (not by choice) and join food co-ops.
Maybe they missed school the day we were taught that oil is a NON-RENEWABLE resource. It will run out, it’s only a question of when.

If you think we don’t now and won’t ever need another source of energy, then let me float some other fictional ideas by you:

1) Cavemen hunted dinosaurs.
2) The world was created in seven days (back off bible thumpers, I attend church, and consider myself a Christian…I just don’t deny reality, and the reality is the Bible, while an excellent set of rules to live by, is a parable)
3) If it wasn’t for NAFTA, GM and Ford wouldn’t have cut US jobs in the last two decades (while Toyota and Nissan were adding US jobs)
4) Hillary Clinton will repeal NAFTA

At best, those in oil shortage denial mode remind me of the ROTC student in Animal House, shouting, “Remain calm! All is well,” while rioters ran amok around him.

Meanwhile, I have some financial advice, and it’s as good as anything you’d get on MAD MONEY…if oil has some kind of a minor correction in the next few months, if it ever drops below $100 a barrel again, BUY IT! Sink every cent you have, and every cent you’ve borrowed into it. It will go back up…and up, and up, and up, and up.

At least I’m not the only awake to reality: Clusterfuck Nation by Jim Kunstler : After ANWAR

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Vermont Towns Vote to Arrest Bush and Cheney;

Here’s a productive use of town meetings, culled from Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0454699420080305

I tried being a Democrat. I did. Nobody opposed the war in Iraq more than me, especially before it began. I thought it was a mistake then, and still do. I knew Bush was lying when he talked about weapons of mass destruction and insinuated a 9/11 link. I knew he didn’t believe it himself.
I suppose Karl Rove recently let the real reason for Iraq slip when he suggested that without our presence in Iraq, we would pay $200 a gallon for gas. Whether or not you believe that, his point is well made.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/02/rove-oil-iraq/
If the administration had been honest about invading Iraq for oil, I would have had an easier time swallowing it. Hear me out: wars are fought for self-preservation. Rove is right in a sense. Resources, especially food, water and, in our case oil, are self preservation.
But, gas prices have skyrocketed anyway, and why the bull about WMD?

Iraq, along with some other Bush disasters, turned me into a Democrat. I voted for Bill Richardson in the primary.

But, I have no home in the Democratic party, either it seems. Apparently, being a Democrat means condemning your president for supposed war crimes while ignoring true evil that exists in other countries. This is self-hatred.
Do these people really think George Bush is worse than Ahmadinejad, or even Chavez? My God, they do, don’t they?

Apparently, being a Democrat means whining about how awful your life is (and mine is a struggle, too) and demanding the government come along and fix everything.
It’s been tried, folks. It didn’t work out too good in the USSR. It hasn’t worked too well in Cuba. China only started to see growth when they eased economic restrictions.
So why are we going to do this to ourselves? Why don’t we take action to fix our own lives? Government isn’t going to make all your problems go away.

So I can’t be a Democrat, not really a mainstream one.

How about the Republicans? I seem to be finding some common ground there…that is, until I talk to one. I was talking to a dyed in the wool conservative yesterday, and he told me something I didn’t know.
Apparently, Barrack Obama is an Al-Qaeda spy. I didn’t know that.
I was skeptical at first, so I asked for evidence. I was told that Obama doesn’t like America, and that he’s a wimp who’s said he won’t invade other countries.
I didn’t realize that was all that was required to be an Al-Qaeda spy. I’m quite naïve, at least according to my conservative acquaintance.

And I thought some of my ideas were edgy. Apparently I’m not far out enough to be a Republican, either.

The only good that will come out of voting to pass a symbolic war crime measure against the president is that it will destroy the credibility of leftist loons.
The only good that will come out of loony, unfounded conspiracy theories is that the McCain wing of the GOP will gain sway.

My only hope after 8 years of Bush is that when Obama or Hillary become president, they screw things up even worse, and that we’re left with no choice but to have a viable third party.
God knows partisanship has made people in both parties temporarily insane.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Why Whites Won’t Talk Race

I saw an interview with Dr. Mark Lamont Hill on FOXNEWS this morning. He said we need to protect Barrack Obama, as he is under increased danger because of his race. He said that we need to talk through race issues, and pointed out that when these issues come up, whites go, “Colorblind.”
He may be right. But, there’s a good reason why whites don’t talk race. We’re afraid to talk race. The perception among many whites exists that if you make one slip up, one mistake, you’re going to be branded forever as a monster. Similar fear exists for some men at the workplace when it comes to sexual harassment. Talking through social, racial and gender issues would definitely be a good thing.
But, fear of being perceived as insensitive is what prevents a lot of whites, especially men, from talking openly. What remains hidden can only lead to divisions and feelings of resentment.

Many white men seem to fear and resent African-Americans, especially African-American men. (Hey, why are whites not referred to as European Americans…just kidding) Many African-Americans seem to think they are kept down by whites. Many in both races seem to think many Hispanics only come here to go on welfare.

Talking openly and without fear would be a good thing. Integration is a good thing. Fear-on either side-is not helpful to anyone. Relentlessly over-blowing every foolish comment doesn’t help people and hides the real issues.

Just my .02

Hillary’s Rebound

It appears to have been based on older whites, especially white women. She got the overwhelming support of those with no college degree. The older you are, the more likely you were to have voted for her. Union households went her way. Those who think NAFTA ‘steals’ jobs voted for her.
In other words, if you consider yourself a victim, you probably voted for her. This is terrifying. Have we given up?
Whatever you think of Barrack Obama, his slogan of, “Yes we can,” beats the (bleep) out of, “No we can’t.”
Sadly, that’s what Hillary seems to be saying. You can’t do it without her. You’re a victim of big mean oil companies. You're a victim of NAFTA. You're a victim of everything.
(BTW, do you know who owns oil companies? If you own stock, or mutual funds, it’s entirely possible that YOU DO. They’re publicly owned by stockholders.)
But we can’t do it. We need free health care. We need free child care. We need free $5,000 bonds for every newborn child. We need free everything.

What’s the message here? Life’s hard, so quit? Let the government take care of you? Don’t bother to work. There are no jobs anyway, because NAFTA (which Hillary’s husband signed into law) sent them all to Mexico.
You union workers who were making $50 to $100 an hour including benefits, all those jobs went to Mexico. That’s why Mexicans don’t want to come here anymore…things are too good back home.

You people who are overweight, diabetic and suffering from heart disease, Hillary’s Fidel Castro style health care will cure you. Keep on eating that chocolate and those super sized combo meals at Burger King, cause Lord knows that’s not the problem.

Single moms, you know you can identify with Hillary. She’s lived your life, what with her one kid, her career as a corporate lawyer, then politician, yeah, she’s walked a mile in your shoes, so she must care about you.
She’s going to get you free day care, because God knows that’ll solve all your problems and free you from the horrible burden of your children. Certainly beats having their father watch them, right?

Wait…I just realized something…she’s not just a really caring politician who’s looking out for little folks like us while simultaneously destroying the businesses upon which our livelihoods are built, she’s…she’s…a MAGICIAN.

Mohammed to Overtake Jack in The Union Jack

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/politics/muhammad-second-most-common-baby-name-in-uk-$1095527.htm

Here’s some more good news. It will likely become the most popular name in England by year’s end, if it hasn’t already, because this was an old article.

A more recent op-ed piece from Michelle Malkin puts this in perspective:

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/11/30/jihadists-want-mohammed-teddy-bear-blasphemer-executed-kill-her-kill-her-by-firing-squad/

I know, I’m probably being a bigot or a xenophobe in the eyes of some. But, if I am, then what does that make Muslims who want to kill people over jokes? What are people who want to behead a woman over a teddy bear? Is this tolerance and understanding?
And does it bother anyone that so many of these families are not productive? That their sole purpose seems to be…breeding? Read:
http://commonsenseagainstislam.websanon.com/?p=162

The most chilling line? “The repression of womenfolk has also led some Muslim men to view vulnerable young women from outside the faith as sub-human sexual fodder fit only to be used and abused”

I have seen this elsewhere.

This is why we’re in trouble…while the Brits, our closest ally in Europe, are too busy drinking themselves stupid and fornicating, Muslims are moving there and having fifteen children…in a generation we won’t recognize England.

Canada is next:

http://theopinionator.typepad.com/my_weblog/islam_in_world/index.html

I’m all for immigration. I have nothing against any race. If you want to move to a country, including the USA, and integrate, work and be part of the society, good for you. That’s what built America. You can bring your religion, too.
God is good.
But when so many people of one religion preach hatred and violence, you can’t allow them to usurp your country through overpopulation. If you think Sharia law is something you can live under safely if you’re non-Muslim, read this. This is especially frightening for women:

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Announcement/601081013.htm

As the article asks, why did Amnesty International do nothing to help this woman? All she did was defend herself from three savage rapists…for that she is sentenced to death. Meanwhile, the PC Amnesty group seems concerned only with wrongs done by the west in Guantanamo.

Iran is not the exception.

http://www.womensassistance.com/index.php?page=factsinfo2.html

At least in Pakistan, they recently changed the laws, but as you can, hard line Muslims were infuriated:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/433D0A50-47A3-4995-8B5B-770AFE71B16A.htm

This is why, for all his flaws, I appreciate Pervez Musharraf.

Why are we in the west more afraid of offending anyone than of losing our country, our lives?

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Reverse Mortgages: Leave Your Kids a Big F.U. in Your Will

By making sure they don’t get your house. While you’re at it, cancel your life insurance and run up your credit card bills. Seriously, fuck the next generation, right?
Just because you didn’t plan for your retirement and were irresponsible during your life is no reason you should have to suffer. Just leave your kids no money and a mountain of debt, and you can live it up.

The Latest Round of Shootings

Six killed in Memphis yesterday. Two of those killed were children. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334703,00.html

Two dead, several injured in a Florida Wendy’s yesterday.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334632,00.html

Family killed by daughter after she was told to break up with her boyfriend…
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/03/03/texas.deaths.ap/index.html

This is just a sample of one day in suburban America. Rising oil prices, a growing disparity between rich and poor, a worthless dollar, a recession, and constant violence in the streets…welcome to America, the third world country.
Wake up, people. Both parties are equally responsible, but more than that, we’re responsible.
We’ve got kids who grow up thinking they’re entitled to everything they see, a nation living on debt, people unable to control themselves…so what happens when the shit finally hits the fan and we realize we can’t always get what we want? We kill. Others, ourselves, mindlessly.

This could have been any Wendy’s. It was NIU last time, but it could be any university next time.
Wake up, we’re losing our country. Electing different politicians won’t change it. It starts with you and me. Raise your kids right. Take some responsibility. Tell your kids no now and then.
Do you think you can let your kids grow up getting anything they want and expect them to be sane, productive, responsible members of a society? Do you think it’s okay to live in fear of your kids? No, it turns them into monsters at some point.
We’ve got parents who don’t discipline their kids, and a department of social services that punishes parents if they dare to.

I think the best summation of where we’ve been headed can be read right here:
http://www.walletpop.com/2008/02/28/michael-jackson-to-lose-neverland-can-housing-market-get-any-wo/
Phil’s response is best of all:

You are absolutely correct Andy. But they can't help it, that's the kind of education that is fed to the younger generation. Everything is o.k., and if you over 25, you know nothing. The republican bailed out the S&L's, after they misappropiated everyone's money. And it's about to happen again for all these mortgage/banks that can't collect the ARM interest they are charging. Boys and girls, "just say no", to more than drugs. Be honoable, don't let someone else pay your bills. If you can't afford it, don't buy it. No matter how many times you tell yourself, I deserve it, if you can't pay for it , you do not deserve it. The education system tells you from a young age, If you set your mind to it you can do it. That isn't true when you buy a $50K car for the wife, a $50K truck for MMwah. Oh! don't forget JR's and Janet's $25K cars, credit cards, college, stylin clothes and the 75 piercings, and that $350K mortgage. What's that you say, You and mamma make how much!!! $80KI rest my case.


In short, we’re crazy, and this is where our nihilism has led us

Drug Sentence Reductions…

…Are probably a good thing sometimes. We can’t keep recidivistic child molesters and murderers behind bars, but we can keep the non-using, non-violent girlfriend of a drug dealer behind bars for fifteen years… Crack sentences being reduced - Crime & courts- msnbc.com
Ms. Cunningham’s only crime, IMHO, is being stupid. For that, she was sentenced to one fifth of a human lifetime behind bars.
While Attorney General Michael Mukasey fights to keep us safe from the dangers of people like Ms. Cunningham (watch out, she might get a job in telemarketing if released), liberal politicians and activists fight to get murderers like Arnold King released.
There’s something wrong in this country.

I’m not downplaying the dangers of drugs. I’ve seen what addiction can do to people. I’ve seen how desperation can turn decent people into criminals. But, people like Ms. Cunningham need to be released immediately to clear overcrowding in our prisons, if only so that people like Mr. King can stay in.
There is something wrong with this woman. Her choice for a boyfriend is a sign of a common problem in women with low self esteem. Why do these women always fall for a scumbag? It’s not okay. But, it’s not criminal.

Are Office Politics a Market Failure?

My mother can’t keep a job. She works in customer service, in one form or another. She is hard working. She is reliable. She is mature. She’s great with customers. She is not as great with her co-workers.
In theory, a company such as a hotel should be most concerned with employee-customer interaction. In practice, employers are often more concerned with employee-employee interaction. Complain about your co-workers, and you’ll push yourself out. Sales may be an exception, but not always.
But, I started thinking, is that what’s best for the company? I believe in Adam Smith’s invisible hand. It’s the best economic system we’ve found. But, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There are market failures.
Maybe office politics represents one of the biggest market failures. Should a company that is hugely dependent on public image push out an employee who presents such a positive image, because they are annoying and grating to deal with?
Or, should employees suck it up and act like adults to retain someone who’s strong at dealing with customers? I think many managers choose their personal feelings over the company’s interests.

And we wonder why customer service often stinks.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Gloria Steinem, Military Expert, Speaks

http://www.observer.com/2008/stumping-clinton-steinem-says-mccains-p-o-w-cred-overrated
While I agree that military service alone doesn’t qualify or disqualify one running for president, I find her remarks on the whole repulsive.
I trust that the vast majority of Americans will be disgusted with her and supportive of McCain. I’ve considered myself a Democrat, but I’m starting to question the sanity and judgment of the base of the party.
First, it was a hit job by the NYT on McCain over a lobbyist he allegedly slept with. Only there was no allegation, and no proof, only innuendo. Then McCain couldn’t be president because he was born on a foreign military base.
You folks in the armed services should take note of that…anyone who feels that way would punish your children because you served.

Now, we’re supposed to believe that McCain was a bad airman because he was shot down? Many US planes were shot down in Vietnam. Many were shot down in WWII. The technology wasn’t as advanced then as it is now, either.
Does that mean every pilot who was shot down, in any war, in US history is a bad pilot? Should they be punished, stripped of rank, that is, if they weren’t killed initially?

What an ungrateful bleep she is. She never served, and probably never appreciated anyone who did. I didn’t support the Iraq war from the outset, and I wouldn’t have supported Vietnam. I don’t believe in what I feel are elective wars. And I’ve attacked Republicans who I feel abuse our military by sending troops off to fight in unnecessary wars, when they’ve never served.
But, I sure as (blank) appreciate people like McCain. I appreciate those who do serve, as I never did. Not only is it a sacrifice to risk one’s life and limb, but to be away from one’s family, as well.
John McCain has plenty of imperfections. There’s plenty wrong with him, as there is with all three candidates, with every human being. But, he’s a legit war hero. He’s walked the proverbial mile.
Gloria Steinem also fails to mention that, after being physically abused for years, McCain was given an opportunity to leave. He refused to leave without all of his countrymen. That’s pretty heroic.

I know, in context, Steinem meant to point out a gender gap. She tried to insinuate that a woman in the same situation would not have been viewed a hero. I think she’s wrong. She also fails to mention that women form the majority of eligible voters in this country. She fails to mention that men are disproportionately imprisoned in this country. She fails to mention that mothers get custody over 80% of the time in divorces, or that selective service (i.e., the draft) to this day only applies to men.

Come to think of it, she’s right. We do need to do something about these inequalities.

In seriousness, why should this surprise us? This is a spoiled, coddled person, who doesn’t even appreciate the sacrifices people in our military make so that the rest of us can lead our spoiled, coddled lives. These remarks fit perfectly with the selfish life she’s led.

If she and all the other loons on the far left really wanted to help Hillary Clinton, they would go away. I would never insult Senator Clinton by suggesting she appreciates these remarks.

Limbaugh Whining About CAFÉ Standards; Hey Rush, It’s an Economic Issue, Not an Environmental Issue

Why is it that the right has completely misunderstood the problem with their argument on big oil? Every time I hear someone try to propose conservation (am I the only one who sees irony in the fact that conservatives largely hate conservation?) of oil, you can count on Rush Limbaugh, Bob Lutz (of General Motors), energy companies (there’s a shock), scientists hired by energy companies, and FOX NEWS to immediately reply that global warming is a crock.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_022508/content/01125106.guest.html
They’ve completely missed the point. Global warming is a separate issue.

Why is it so hard for conservatives to understand this is a non-renewable resource? It took millions of years to create the planet’s petroleum reserves. We’ve run through probably over half of them in a century. That’s a long time relative to a human lifetime, but in the course of human history, it’s the blink of an eye.

Now, that doesn’t matter if you’re a bloated, fat cat millionaire like Limbaugh. It especially doesn’t matter if you’re in your fifties and have no kids. He figures to be off the planet before any, ‘oil apocalypse.’ He’s not affected in the least by rising gas prices.
The rest of us and our children will have to deal with the economic fallout of rising prices and diminishing supplies. Eventually, if we do not find other fuels, our standard of living will be shattered.

Should future generations live like cavemen while we wait to find new technologies? And why don’t we move our ass until we’re hip deep in shit? Or do conservatives live in a dream world where we’re going to magically find new, cheap and easily extracted oil? Or maybe, they don’t mind a world where only the privileged have cars?

Maybe I’m just bitter because I’m what some would call, ‘working poor,’ and $4-$5 a gallon gas (which will be here within a few months), greatly affects my standard of living. But, I know that Limbaugh and other selfish so called, ‘conservatives,’ don’t have any solution. George Bush’s response to a question on gas prices from David Gregory? Deflect.
Bush: “Is gas going to hit $4 a gallon?”
He never answered the question.

If you’ve read my posts, you know I believe in the free market, generally. I know big corporations are evil, but so aren’t we all. At least with the free market, we’re equally evil. The free market is the best system we have. But, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect, and there are times when government intervention is necessary.
We have to decide, do we want a world where only the very wealthy have cars, or do we want to accept change? If we continue to rely almost solely on oil, you can expect prices to rise. If prices rise at only 14% a year, and gas and oil have been rising faster, then in 15 years, when my son is 18, gas will be about $30 a gallon. Check my math if you don’t believe it.
You can follow the conservative blind faith in the market and just wait until you can no longer drive. Then you’ll just have to hope we find another fuel fast…or we can move on this now to prevent a lot of pain later.

Maybe taxing the daylights out of oil companies to fund an ethanol program isn’t the answer. But CAFÉ standards must rise, and alternative fuels must be found. It doesn’t have to be ethanol. There are alternatives galore. We need to stop listening to the, “junk science,” touted by oil companies. They have an interest in stifling competition (do you blame them?)
Switch-grass, solar, and my favorite, hydrogen, are all going to be tried out. Hydrogen is also non-renewable, but it’s far more abundant (and yes, cleaner) than oil.
We need to get away from this knee jerk resistance to change of any kind we have in this country. And for those who think oil has always been the answer, you should remember that the Model-T was originally designed to run on bio-fuels.

I know, I know, ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’ but do we really need to wait until there’s a crisis before accepting reality? Do we need to allow existing giants to quash competition before it can get off the ground, even if that competition is in the best long term economic interests of our country?

Sunday, March 2, 2008

My Heart Belongs to Paris

…Hilton. The Queen of Stupid is going to have her own reality show. The goal is to get her a new BFF.
I’m going to get on. I’ve loved her from afar for so long, they have to let me on. I know we’re meant to be friends forever, ever since I first saw the simple life. I’ve waited so long, and now this is my chance. Just picture Paris and I: going around and fucking up the simplest jobs together, making new sex tapes together, driving drunk together, preening together; oh, I’m so happy.
All I have to do is continue to take my stupid pills and hope this guy, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23416099/?GT1=43001who’s obviously over qualified for the role, doesn’t beat me to it…

Actually, I think I’ve found the contestant pool right here… http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13577349/
I can’t think of a better talent pool for the show.