The Way We Was...

...is the way we shouldn't be.

So gas here in Tulsa has finally dropped back below $2.00/gallon. Rumor has it that gas may get down to $1.70 or so before bottoming out.

Is that really a good thing? Most people would say 'Yes, what kind of dumbass question is that'. But I, and I am not alone, contend that cheaper gas is not really a positive for our economy and national security.

Don't get me wrong, I hate paying $40 to fill up my Malibu's small 11 gallon tank. It must really suck for others who have 20+ gallon tanks. Though those people can usually afford it, otherwise why would they own an 11MPG SUV? *snicker*

High gas prices have gotten Americans to do something that I, in my entire life, have never seen us do. Conserve. We as a group have actually made changes in our lives - most of them I will contend are positive - to keep our gas bills down. Now though we may end up going back to the way we were before; which of course will drive gas back up to $3.50-$4.00.

Of course by then it will be President Obama's fault. But I digress.

It would be really nice to see people continue to conserve, keeping down the price of oil and gas, and by proxy reducing our dependence on foreign oil. That combined with more domestic exploration would help us keep our economy less dependent on countries that could very easily be our enemy in the future (see Venezuela).

But with that we need the government to enact policies in support of our new lifestyle. Mass transit in the country is pitiful. Tulsa leaves many areas without any options that do not involve driving at all. This is very disturbing to someone like me who is not to interested in walking three miles each day; especially considering the lack of sidewalks in south Tulsa (if you want me to rant on sidewalks and the narrowness of the streets here, I'd be happy to).

We need better alternatives to driving for interstate (and intrastate, but to be honest I believe that's a state by state issue) travel. Amtrak is hemorrhaging money, but I really think that's because it really doesn't go anywhere, nor offer any real ability to go from one place to the other efficiently. I'd love to have the ability to go via Amtrak from here to Springfield.

Alternative fuels like Hydrogen won't be around for a while. CNG is an option, but until every corner station sells it, we won't see CNG cars mass produced like gas cars. As well, natural gas is a finite resource (as far as we know), so it could eventually run low and drive up prices. Gas from food? Maybe. But some people, myself included, have concerns that taking staples from the food supply and placing it into the fuel supply will hurt the cost of food. How true is this? I don't know. But it's certainly something to take into consideration. I'd also question how cheap electric cars are when you take into account the landfill space (or recycling costs) for all those toxic batteries, and the extra money you will be paying on your electric bill to charge your car. Plus fully electric cars (the ones that are not just modified golf carts that I have a hard time believing passed any sort of crash test without a massive bribe) are expensive.

An exception appears to be the Chevy Volt. Allegedly, the Volt will be reasonably priced, in the mid 20's, but it's not fully electric unless you travel less than 40 miles. However that should be far enough for most people. It will be interesting to see what the actual MSRP is when it comes out in 2010. As well, unlike 99% of the fully electric cars out there, the Volt actually looks like a car.

Yeah, aesthetics are important, just like functionality.

In summary, I hope people will stop and think about how we got to $4 a gallon for gas and not listen to those who would claim Exxon's profits and George Bush's oil connections have everything to do with it. I hope that people will continue to conserve, will continue to drive reasonably, and will push their elected governments to implement programs to encourage less vehicle use, like light rail, bus service and intra/interstate train service.

If not, then when gas goes back to $4/gallon, I will happily tell you to STFU.

Here We Go Again...

By the time I am done writing this, Hurricane Gustav will be very close to making landfall. According to NOAA predictions, it looks like it will catch NOLA with it's northeast side; the most powerful side of a counter-clockwise spinning hurricane.

We had a short show today and not much for me to do, so I spent a lot of the day on the internet. I checked out CNN, FOX, BBC, etc. One thing they seemed to have in common really pissed me the fuck off.

All of them mentioned how the RNC was holding off on the celebratory aspect of the convention. This was then followed by a quote or soundbyte from Bush in Texas. This was then followed by how he doesn't want a repeat of how he and FEMA fucked up Katrina.

Excuse me?

What I want to know is why, after soundbytes with Ray Nagin, NOLA mayor, they did not say the same thing. Nagin fucked up and fucked up bad. In fact, had Nagin and the now fired Gov. Blanco not fucked up, there would have been nothing for FEMA to fuck up. Nagin, in my opinion, has taken no responsibility and accepted no blame.

On the BBC, they showed stories from 2005. The BBC and his intrepid photographer found people and interviewed them in the days after the hurricane. One by one... "Where's Bush?" "Why has Bush abandon us?" "Help us FEMA!"

Not a single 'Where's Nagin?' 'Where's NOLA PD?' 'Why has Nagin abandon us?'

Do people not understand how this country works?

We are a nation of 50 sovereign states. Each state has a government that works for the whole state. In each state there are multiple counties or parishes. Each one of those has a government that works for each county or parish. In those there are villages, towns, hamlets and cities. Most of those have their own government.

After each one of those fails, city > county > state, THEN it's the federal governments responsibility to step in.

I guess when I put it that way, the feds should have intervened before the hurricane hit. Nagin failed to order a mandatory evacuation soon enough. He failed to make sure that those who couldn't leave, got out. He failed by setting up the Superdome without enough supplies and police to keep things from falling apart. Blanco failed by not stepping in and fixing what Nagin screwed up.

Then FEMA and the feds failed. FEMA, a formerly reactive organization by its very nature didn't move in fast enough. Yes, I believe that FEMA failed as well. They respond to emergencies. That's all they do. Yet it took them days to get fully mobilized. Don't get me started on the trailers.

However, had the city and state not failed first, the human suffering and death toll would have been FAR less.

You know, I posted a warning from NOAA/NWS before the hurricane hit. Here's an excerpt.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

...

WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

Seems like they are doing things this time like they SHOULD have done last time. The National Guard has been activated ahead of the storm. The city is making sure people get out. They are bothering to evacuate the hospitals and nursing homes. And NOLA PD, assuming another batch doesn't walk off the job again, has placed every officer on duty.

I am sure that if NOLA is spared, or damaged without massive loss of life, Nagin will be the first one to accept credit.

(A section was removed due to new information coming to my attention!)

Fail...

Hardcore, sickening fail.

I speak of CNN and its viewers/readers. As well as those who view FOX News' website.

Here are some facts:








What could very well be a major conflict that could end up causing the United States to deploy forces is going on in Georgia. Something that could cause disruptions to the supply of oil - Georgia has 20 or so thousand cubic meters of oil flowing through it. Something that is an INVASION by the Russian military...

No one cares.

I don't get FOX News channel (though I doubt O'Reilly and the like would ever talk about anything other than liberals) nor MSNBC, but CNN has barely mentioned it. What's been the focus tonight?

John Freakin' Edwards.

And us. Americans... What do we find important? Edwards. Sex changing athletes. Things in the larger scale that do not matter.

I have CNN on right now. Finally, now at 9:30, Anderson Cooper has found some time to talk about the war. And now, 9:35, all done.

Enough of that bitching though. Here's my opinion on the matter.

Between 1994 and 1996, and then again in 1999 into 2000, Russia used their military to attack and destroy separatists in Chechnya. Russia, under the rule of Boris Yeltsin for the first war and Vladimir Putin for the second, exercised their right to maintain their territory. Thousands of soldiers, irregulars and civilians killed.

August 7. Georgia exercised their right to have control over their territory, and launched a military incursion into the self governed, yet not independent (not a single country in the world recognized SO's deceleration of independence - including Russia) region of South Ossetia (SO).

Russia, who had granted the residents Russian passports and citizenship, decided what was acceptable for Russia was not so for Georgia and launched an incursion into SO. This incursion has expanded with, as of the time I am writing this, Russian troops moving outside of SO and into Georgia proper. As well, Russian forces have landed in another breakaway province, Abkhazia. There have been air strikes on Georgian military and civilian targets.

In my opinion, Russia has clearly violated Georgia's sovereignty and internationally recognized borders. Russia must withdraw immediately and unconditionally and an international and neutral peacekeeping force needs to be deployed to SO.

However the likelyhood of that happening is slightly between none and zilch. The UN, which has once again proved what a pointless organization it is, has tried for 4 days to draft a strongly worded resolution telling Russia to stop.

Of course since Russia can veto anything that comes before the security council, it's an exercise in futility. Right now Russia can tell the rest of the world to STFU and do what it wants.

So, what can America do about this?

Some armchair politicos have said Georgia's actions were encouraged by the United States. I doubt that very much. I cannot see the CIA and other military advisers not seeing that this would piss off Russia and egging the Georgians on. Besides, Georgia cannot join NATO if it is annexed by Russia - which to me is what this looks like this is headed for.

Right now it looks like the only thing we can do is what we have been doing. Making frumpy faces and telling Russia to stop. Our military is too over extended and tied up to force Russia out - not to mention that it would draw us into an even bigger war that - god forbid - may turn nuclear.

Europe is in the same state. While they may have the military in place, the EU has never done anything militarily. Also, both Europe and the US needs Russia to help keep Iran in check. Although after the WMDs in Iraq stuff, I don't know how much I believe US intelligence reports that Iran is indeed looking to build nuclear weapons.

What COULD happen is other former Soviet republics, afraid that Russia might come for them next, could supply forces or at least logistics and non-military aid to Georgia. The Ukraine has already barred Russian warships from returning to their Ukrainian ports, so long as Russia continues to occupy Georgia.

All in all, what is happening will impact the United States for the forseeable future. And it would be nice if the media and the public would realize that and stop focusing on nonsense and crap that doesn't affect a single person.

Democrats are Idiots...

Why, for the love of God, why, are you trying to make the ONLY democrat who could lose to the republicans in November, the presidential nominee?

WHY? What the fuck are you people thinking?

I am saying it here and now, November 5th, I will be posting biggest HA HA I possibly can when Hillary loses to what seems like will be a McCain/Giulianinineeleven ticket. Paul running as (I) or (L) which he's said he won't, (but when has flip-flopping been shunned by a politician) may take votes away from the GOP, and then Rodham-Clinton (I see she's no longer a feminist, since all her signs just say 'Clinton' on them) may win. But I assure you. Hillary on the ticket will bring out the republicans en mass to insure she doesn't win.

Obama could get the disenfranchised GOP vote, but whatever.

*sigh*

Lacking either a comeback from Obama or Romney, the next four years are going to be miserable.

Writer's Strike

Real quick...

While I really hate the writer's strike because it's left us with reruns and more fucking reality shows (and worst of all, has pretty much sealed the non-existance of 24 this season), I must stand in support of my writer brothers and sisters.

While I am not a member of the WGA, since you actually have to get paid for writing in order to become a 'professional' writer. Stupid rule, in my opinion. I should try to get in though. I have helped reporters on more than one occassion write a tease, intro, etc...

Anyway, my point is all the writers want is to be paid for their work, regardless of how its distributed. You wouldn't tell Steven Spielberg 'Hey, you did a great job directing, but we're only going to give you a cut of the box office revenue, and the DVD revenue, but all the money we make from selling your work online, we're going to keep for ourselves.' Of course you wouldn't! The writers simply want a cut of the 'new media' money (in this case, an example would be online distribution) and from what I can tell, the studios are telling them to fuck off.

Anyway. Just sayin', in case you were wondering about that graphic on the left. (If its gone, that means the strike is over.)