My Environmental Pledge
I've been changed. Yes, really changed. In these past few days when I see myself, I seem like someone else.
I pledge to keep my use of greenhouse gas-producing energy at or below the levels used by Al Gore, Barbra Streisand, Brad Pitt, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, and the other Evangelists of the Left.
If everyone in America does that, we just might save our world.
As I continue my enlightenment - my slow but sweet drift towards the Left - I find that the Academy Award Winning Al Gore has become my Superstar. He's a man. He's just a man.
I don't know how to love him.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
OK... This Makes Sense
Pop superstar Michael Jackson has confirmed his conversion to Islam, according to reports in the Middle East.
The Arab-Israeli newspaper Panorama claims Jackson has announced the move and revealed plans to move to Bahrain, where he has bought property.
The singer's Muslim brother Jermaine yesterday claimed the Thriller hitmaker had taken interest in the religion since he converted in 1989 - and had been considering converting himself following his acquittal on child abuse charges in 2005.
And from the Quran we read:
Quran 52:24 Round about them will serve, (devoted) to them, young male servants (handsome) as Pearls well-guarded.Also in Surah 76:19 Allah promises fresh youths to Muslim men.And round about them shall go youths never altering in age; when you see them you will think them to be scattered pearls.
Pop superstar Michael Jackson has confirmed his conversion to Islam, according to reports in the Middle East.
The Arab-Israeli newspaper Panorama claims Jackson has announced the move and revealed plans to move to Bahrain, where he has bought property.
The singer's Muslim brother Jermaine yesterday claimed the Thriller hitmaker had taken interest in the religion since he converted in 1989 - and had been considering converting himself following his acquittal on child abuse charges in 2005.
And from the Quran we read:
Quran 52:24 Round about them will serve, (devoted) to them, young male servants (handsome) as Pearls well-guarded.Also in Surah 76:19 Allah promises fresh youths to Muslim men.And round about them shall go youths never altering in age; when you see them you will think them to be scattered pearls.
There is symmetry here. Disgusting and troubling symmetry... But symmetry. Looks as if Michael has found a religion he can live with.
When Catholic priests molest children there is a law, there is a justice that holds them accountable. The Mullahs ARE the law, justice and the government. So they can do their shameful acts in public and who is going to stop them?http://www.faithfreedom.org/Gallery/16.htm
Culture of Corruption
WASHINGTON -- Six years ago, the launch of Hillary Clinton's career in the US Senate was marred by allegations that her brothers had received payments from people pardoned by President Bill Clinton in the waning months of his presidency.
Now, in the wake of the launch of her presidential campaign, the pardon controversy has reemerged in an obscure court case in which Senator Clinton's brother Tony is battling an order to repay more than $100,000 he received from a couple pardoned by President Clinton.
Tony Rodham, who acknowledged approaching the president about a pardon for the couple, is the second of Hillary Clinton's brothers to receive money from people who were eventually pardoned by President Clinton. Hugh Rodham received $400,000 from two people, one of whom was pardoned and one whose sentence was commuted.
President Clinton's pardons have been a political issue for Hillary Clinton because of her ties to a number of the cases. In addition to the people who paid her brothers, those receiving pardons included commodities trader Marc Rich, a fugitive who was prosecuted for tax evasion by then-US Attorney Rudolph Giuliani and fled to Switzerland. Rich was pardoned after his former wife, Denise Rich, contributed heavily to Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign.
WASHINGTON -- Six years ago, the launch of Hillary Clinton's career in the US Senate was marred by allegations that her brothers had received payments from people pardoned by President Bill Clinton in the waning months of his presidency.
Now, in the wake of the launch of her presidential campaign, the pardon controversy has reemerged in an obscure court case in which Senator Clinton's brother Tony is battling an order to repay more than $100,000 he received from a couple pardoned by President Clinton.
Tony Rodham, who acknowledged approaching the president about a pardon for the couple, is the second of Hillary Clinton's brothers to receive money from people who were eventually pardoned by President Clinton. Hugh Rodham received $400,000 from two people, one of whom was pardoned and one whose sentence was commuted.
President Clinton's pardons have been a political issue for Hillary Clinton because of her ties to a number of the cases. In addition to the people who paid her brothers, those receiving pardons included commodities trader Marc Rich, a fugitive who was prosecuted for tax evasion by then-US Attorney Rudolph Giuliani and fled to Switzerland. Rich was pardoned after his former wife, Denise Rich, contributed heavily to Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign.
But this is an important story only if the Mainstream Media says it is. And... The Mainstream Media says it isn't. As long as the media is a hidden wing of the Democrat party - a silent partner in the business of Liberalism - Republican and Democrat indiscretions will be weighed with different sets of scales.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Duck, Ahmadinejad!
Israel is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq as part of a plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
A senior Israeli defence official said negotiations were now underway between the two countries for the US-led coalition in Iraq to provide an "air corridor" in the event of the Israeli government deciding on unilateral military action to prevent Teheran developing nuclear weapons.
"We are planning for every eventuality, and sorting out issues such as these are crucially important," said the official, who asked not to be named.
The pace of military planning in Israel has accelerated markedly since the start of this year after Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, provided a stark intelligence assessment that Iran, given the current rate of progress being made on its uranium enrichment programme, could have enough fissile material for a nuclear warhead by 2009.
Iran ignored a UN deadline of last Wednesday to halt uranium enrichment.
And near the straits of Hormuz:
It is four and a half acres of American power in the middle of the Arabian Sea but the influence of USS Dwight D Eisenhower stretches for hundreds of miles.
The aircraft carrier, backed by its sister vessel, a handful of destroyers and a shoal of support ships, has placed a maritime ring of steel around an increasingly unstable region.
While the Eisenhower is ostensibly assisting US operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is the looming threat of Iran that increasingly occupies its attention.
As flagship of the Fifth Fleet, the Eisenhower welcomed the arrival of a second Nimitz class nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS John C. Stennis, and its accompanying destroyers on Tuesday.
I'm sure in Washington the Democrats are snapping into action... Drafting some sort of non-binding resolution to condemn this provocative action. Non-binding stances are their specialty, and reflect perfectly their resolve and courage.
Israel is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq as part of a plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
A senior Israeli defence official said negotiations were now underway between the two countries for the US-led coalition in Iraq to provide an "air corridor" in the event of the Israeli government deciding on unilateral military action to prevent Teheran developing nuclear weapons.
"We are planning for every eventuality, and sorting out issues such as these are crucially important," said the official, who asked not to be named.
The pace of military planning in Israel has accelerated markedly since the start of this year after Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, provided a stark intelligence assessment that Iran, given the current rate of progress being made on its uranium enrichment programme, could have enough fissile material for a nuclear warhead by 2009.
Iran ignored a UN deadline of last Wednesday to halt uranium enrichment.
And near the straits of Hormuz:
It is four and a half acres of American power in the middle of the Arabian Sea but the influence of USS Dwight D Eisenhower stretches for hundreds of miles.
The aircraft carrier, backed by its sister vessel, a handful of destroyers and a shoal of support ships, has placed a maritime ring of steel around an increasingly unstable region.
While the Eisenhower is ostensibly assisting US operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is the looming threat of Iran that increasingly occupies its attention.
As flagship of the Fifth Fleet, the Eisenhower welcomed the arrival of a second Nimitz class nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS John C. Stennis, and its accompanying destroyers on Tuesday.
I'm sure in Washington the Democrats are snapping into action... Drafting some sort of non-binding resolution to condemn this provocative action. Non-binding stances are their specialty, and reflect perfectly their resolve and courage.
The Other Duke Rape Case
DURHAM - Police made an arrest Monday in connection with a Duke University freshman's allegation that she was sexually assaulted at an off-campus party earlier this month.
The 18-year-old accuser told investigators she was sexually assaulted about 3 a.m. in a bathroom. She went to Duke University Hospital, according to police radio reports.
I hadn't heard of this story - but that may be because it involved a white girl at a black fraternity.
The story mentions no Duke professors issuing statements condemning the fraternity party at which the rape allegedly occurred. In the lacrosse case, the media almost always reported the race of the accused students. In the article above the News & Observer has gone out of its way not to report the race of the suspect.
Ah, the color game we continue to play. I think I'll quit now before I'm accused of racism.
DURHAM - Police made an arrest Monday in connection with a Duke University freshman's allegation that she was sexually assaulted at an off-campus party earlier this month.
The 18-year-old accuser told investigators she was sexually assaulted about 3 a.m. in a bathroom. She went to Duke University Hospital, according to police radio reports.
I hadn't heard of this story - but that may be because it involved a white girl at a black fraternity.
The story mentions no Duke professors issuing statements condemning the fraternity party at which the rape allegedly occurred. In the lacrosse case, the media almost always reported the race of the accused students. In the article above the News & Observer has gone out of its way not to report the race of the suspect.
Ah, the color game we continue to play. I think I'll quit now before I'm accused of racism.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Failed Policy
Alright! I'll admit it! No mas!
The war in Iraq is a "failed policy."
Reviewing... Throughout the world organized radical elements of the Islamic Faith declared war on us and attacked... Repeatedly. Republicans and Democrats finally banded together and voted to take preemptive action. We struck back. We went after countries that harbored our enemies. But in the process we lost over 3000 soldiers.
Now I don't know how the world - or our country - would look if those 3000 soldiers had stayed home. I don't know if the bombers in Iraq would currently be targeting U.S. cities. But I do know that too many soldiers are dead now - and it's President Bush's fault. Well... His and the terrorists... but mostly his.
Now in the future, before spending billions of dollars sending our troops to die in foreign lands, let's all take a poll and decide how many deaths are acceptable to protect our freedom and security. If on September 12th 2001 President Bush had commissioned such a poll, the American people would no doubt have said, "Oh... If you can keep our cities from being attacked by terrorists, you have our permission to sacrifice 3, maybe 4 hundred guys. If that doesn't work, we'll just give up."
We probably should have just sent Madeline Albright to the Middle East in the first place. She could have offered missile technology to Iraq and Iran in exchange for their assurance of non-aggression. Surely Secretary Albright's policies would work better among the level-headed Middle East leaders than they did in North Korea. And most of those 3000 soldiers would still be alive!
Alright! I'll admit it! No mas!
The war in Iraq is a "failed policy."
Reviewing... Throughout the world organized radical elements of the Islamic Faith declared war on us and attacked... Repeatedly. Republicans and Democrats finally banded together and voted to take preemptive action. We struck back. We went after countries that harbored our enemies. But in the process we lost over 3000 soldiers.
Now I don't know how the world - or our country - would look if those 3000 soldiers had stayed home. I don't know if the bombers in Iraq would currently be targeting U.S. cities. But I do know that too many soldiers are dead now - and it's President Bush's fault. Well... His and the terrorists... but mostly his.
Now in the future, before spending billions of dollars sending our troops to die in foreign lands, let's all take a poll and decide how many deaths are acceptable to protect our freedom and security. If on September 12th 2001 President Bush had commissioned such a poll, the American people would no doubt have said, "Oh... If you can keep our cities from being attacked by terrorists, you have our permission to sacrifice 3, maybe 4 hundred guys. If that doesn't work, we'll just give up."
We probably should have just sent Madeline Albright to the Middle East in the first place. She could have offered missile technology to Iraq and Iran in exchange for their assurance of non-aggression. Surely Secretary Albright's policies would work better among the level-headed Middle East leaders than they did in North Korea. And most of those 3000 soldiers would still be alive!
It's time President Bush gave peace a chance.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Theologian-in-Chief
There is a political party that has a bad habit of mixing its religion with the governing process. That's what can happen when you chuck the Constitution and nominate judges who rule by personal preference rather than by the law. You've heard of the "Living Constitution?" - that's just another way of saying "The Constitution is Dead."
The Religion of Secular Humanism, the official Faith of the Democrat Party, is the biggest threat to representative democracy in America today... with its Altar of Abortion, Mosque of Multiculturalism, Abby of Environmentalism, the Convent and Monastery of Gay Marriage, and the Temple of the Welfare State - funded of course by its Tabernacle of Taxation. The Blessed Cult of Amnesty for Illegals is a growing concern - And of course you have the "Holy of Holies" located in the Cathedral of Nations United.
The Democrats aren't interested in the majority opinion. They don't care what you think. And they certainly don't want you to be able to vote on it. Their religious agenda is to become the law - not through votes - but by decree - sent down from on high by the High Priests on the Supreme Court, and the Bishops on the Federal Bench - the unelected Clergy of the Liberal Faith.
If in 2008 we elect another Democrat Theologian-in-Chief, the process will continue.
Getting around the voters - getting around the law - seems like a clever way to further your agenda - And the Liberals thrive on this tactic. Radical Islam certainly doesn't let laws get in the way of its agenda. Oddly, conservative Christians are still trying to effect change through the voting booth - for which they are roundly criticized.
But weakening your representative democracy is always a recipe for tyranny - A bad idea... no matter where you worship.
There is a political party that has a bad habit of mixing its religion with the governing process. That's what can happen when you chuck the Constitution and nominate judges who rule by personal preference rather than by the law. You've heard of the "Living Constitution?" - that's just another way of saying "The Constitution is Dead."
The Religion of Secular Humanism, the official Faith of the Democrat Party, is the biggest threat to representative democracy in America today... with its Altar of Abortion, Mosque of Multiculturalism, Abby of Environmentalism, the Convent and Monastery of Gay Marriage, and the Temple of the Welfare State - funded of course by its Tabernacle of Taxation. The Blessed Cult of Amnesty for Illegals is a growing concern - And of course you have the "Holy of Holies" located in the Cathedral of Nations United.
The Democrats aren't interested in the majority opinion. They don't care what you think. And they certainly don't want you to be able to vote on it. Their religious agenda is to become the law - not through votes - but by decree - sent down from on high by the High Priests on the Supreme Court, and the Bishops on the Federal Bench - the unelected Clergy of the Liberal Faith.
If in 2008 we elect another Democrat Theologian-in-Chief, the process will continue.
Getting around the voters - getting around the law - seems like a clever way to further your agenda - And the Liberals thrive on this tactic. Radical Islam certainly doesn't let laws get in the way of its agenda. Oddly, conservative Christians are still trying to effect change through the voting booth - for which they are roundly criticized.
But weakening your representative democracy is always a recipe for tyranny - A bad idea... no matter where you worship.
Friday, February 16, 2007
God is for Suckers
Through Five Public Opinions I found a site called God is for Suckers. Yes, there is actually a blog page dedicated to the trashing of God and believers.
Or as GIFS puts it: Commentary, news, and rants on the evils and stupidity of belief in the big invisible daddy in the sky. Illuminating and watchdogging the widespread attempts to institutionalize the theocratic rule of the US. Making fun of believers everywhere.
That's nice. But if God really is for suckers, may I submit the following...
Morals are for suckers.
Giving to charity is for suckers.
Observing laws when no one is looking is for suckers.
Having children, for any other reason than stem cell production, is for suckers.
Saving the planet from any death that comes after mine is for suckers.
If we are just evolved animals without a soul, then don't talk to me about responsibility and don't try to tell me what is good. Don't talk to me about your little sense of right and wrong - or justice - because I'm not interested - Because it doesn't matter.
Religion is the linchpin that keeps the wheels on society. It is the basis for our laws and the general way we treat each other. Without God... we are just animals.
People who feel the need to trash religion might want to stop and consider what the world would be like without it.
Through Five Public Opinions I found a site called God is for Suckers. Yes, there is actually a blog page dedicated to the trashing of God and believers.
Or as GIFS puts it: Commentary, news, and rants on the evils and stupidity of belief in the big invisible daddy in the sky. Illuminating and watchdogging the widespread attempts to institutionalize the theocratic rule of the US. Making fun of believers everywhere.
That's nice. But if God really is for suckers, may I submit the following...
Morals are for suckers.
Giving to charity is for suckers.
Observing laws when no one is looking is for suckers.
Having children, for any other reason than stem cell production, is for suckers.
Saving the planet from any death that comes after mine is for suckers.
If we are just evolved animals without a soul, then don't talk to me about responsibility and don't try to tell me what is good. Don't talk to me about your little sense of right and wrong - or justice - because I'm not interested - Because it doesn't matter.
Religion is the linchpin that keeps the wheels on society. It is the basis for our laws and the general way we treat each other. Without God... we are just animals.
People who feel the need to trash religion might want to stop and consider what the world would be like without it.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
What we are
I found this on an "atheist" blog. I'm sure the person that put it together thinks he is a "good" person, with many profound and important things to say. But if there is no God - If we are just animals - What does it matter?
Why be more than animals? Why be moral. There are more fun things to do.
Actually, the producer of this film, this atheist, is very religious - In his own way. And he judges - Like our God. HE is his god, and he feels he is entitled.
Environmentalism is Not About the Environment
Environmentalism is about politics, not about the Environment. If it was about science, different viewpoints would be welcomed and discussed - and the issue would not be treated as a moral and ethical whipping post.
Global warming caused by man? Why buy into it when it when there is honest disagreement about its validity - and arguments on both sides rely upon anecdotal evidence - which isn't real evidence.
When volcanos dump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than all human contributors?
When China's and India's contributions to greenhouse gases are excused by Al Gore and his friends? (Oddly, their sense of panic only revolves around the West's ecological transgressions.)
Maybe when those on the Left are more attentive to the threat of Radical Islam and its threat to our world - maybe then we can address their pet issues.
If common sense was a part of the Environmentalist's thinking, would a small portion of Anwar elicit histeria?
Before we choose to wreck our economy on the word of a few Environ-Nuts and a few scientists looking for federal funding, let's all simmer down and take a few deep breaths.
I'm still not convinced.
Environmentalism is about politics, not about the Environment. If it was about science, different viewpoints would be welcomed and discussed - and the issue would not be treated as a moral and ethical whipping post.
Global warming caused by man? Why buy into it when it when there is honest disagreement about its validity - and arguments on both sides rely upon anecdotal evidence - which isn't real evidence.
When volcanos dump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than all human contributors?
When China's and India's contributions to greenhouse gases are excused by Al Gore and his friends? (Oddly, their sense of panic only revolves around the West's ecological transgressions.)
Maybe when those on the Left are more attentive to the threat of Radical Islam and its threat to our world - maybe then we can address their pet issues.
If common sense was a part of the Environmentalist's thinking, would a small portion of Anwar elicit histeria?
Before we choose to wreck our economy on the word of a few Environ-Nuts and a few scientists looking for federal funding, let's all simmer down and take a few deep breaths.
I'm still not convinced.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy V.D.
Yes there is nothing quite like V.D.
Find the right woman, develop a relationship and pretty soon you're enjoying V.D. Some guys think V.D. is a pain, but it's really pretty easily taken care of. It's not cheap, but few things worth having are! So just sit back, relax, and enjoy your V.D.
Remember, V.D. is meant to be shared with your mate.
Yes there is nothing quite like V.D.
Find the right woman, develop a relationship and pretty soon you're enjoying V.D. Some guys think V.D. is a pain, but it's really pretty easily taken care of. It's not cheap, but few things worth having are! So just sit back, relax, and enjoy your V.D.
Remember, V.D. is meant to be shared with your mate.
HEARING ON 'WARMING OF PLANET' CANCELED BECAUSE OF ICE STORM
Some headlines are just "choice."
The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather. The hearing is entitled “Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet?”
Some headlines are just "choice."
The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather. The hearing is entitled “Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet?”
I'd like to invite the entire subcommittee to Kokomo. Just get behind a snowplow and come on over.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Obama Attempts to Extract Foot
DURHAM, N.H., Feb. 12 — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois said Monday that he had misspoken when he suggested that the lives of more than 3,000 American soldiers killed in Iraq had been “wasted.”
As he arrived in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama said he would “absolutely apologize” to military families if they were offended by a remark he made in Iowa while criticizing the Bush administration’s Iraq policy.
“What I would say — and meant to say — is that their service hasn’t been honored,” Mr. Obama told reporters in Nashua, N.H., “because our civilian strategy has not honored their courage and bravery, and we have put them in a situation in which it is hard for them to succeed.”
A New Hampshire reporter asked Mr. Obama whether he regretted the remark, made at a rally on Sunday that “we ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged, and to which we now have spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.”
“Even as I said it,” Mr. Obama said Monday, “I realized I had misspoken.”
Well, he may be smoother and smarter than John Kerry, but his sympathies obviously lie in the same general ball park. This man is not fit to lead. This man is no "Commander-in-Chief."
DURHAM, N.H., Feb. 12 — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois said Monday that he had misspoken when he suggested that the lives of more than 3,000 American soldiers killed in Iraq had been “wasted.”
As he arrived in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama said he would “absolutely apologize” to military families if they were offended by a remark he made in Iowa while criticizing the Bush administration’s Iraq policy.
“What I would say — and meant to say — is that their service hasn’t been honored,” Mr. Obama told reporters in Nashua, N.H., “because our civilian strategy has not honored their courage and bravery, and we have put them in a situation in which it is hard for them to succeed.”
A New Hampshire reporter asked Mr. Obama whether he regretted the remark, made at a rally on Sunday that “we ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged, and to which we now have spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.”
“Even as I said it,” Mr. Obama said Monday, “I realized I had misspoken.”
Well, he may be smoother and smarter than John Kerry, but his sympathies obviously lie in the same general ball park. This man is not fit to lead. This man is no "Commander-in-Chief."
Birds of a Feather
The Communists of the Soviet Union believed in a powerful central government and government control of business. Democrats are socialists who believe in big government and federal controls on business.
Democrats were soft on Communism and the Arms Race that eventually defeated it.
Radical Islam is not interested in the law or the truth. It is only interested in its agenda. Democrats manipulate the truth and make a mockery of the law through liberal activist judges, because it furthers their agenda.
Democrats promote the appeasement of Radical Islam and are soft on the War on Terror.
The Democrats demonstrate an amazing consistency when it comes to siding with the enemies of America. The more things change, the more Democrats remain the same.
The Communists of the Soviet Union believed in a powerful central government and government control of business. Democrats are socialists who believe in big government and federal controls on business.
Democrats were soft on Communism and the Arms Race that eventually defeated it.
Radical Islam is not interested in the law or the truth. It is only interested in its agenda. Democrats manipulate the truth and make a mockery of the law through liberal activist judges, because it furthers their agenda.
Democrats promote the appeasement of Radical Islam and are soft on the War on Terror.
The Democrats demonstrate an amazing consistency when it comes to siding with the enemies of America. The more things change, the more Democrats remain the same.
Ungrateful Cats
Three days have I driven to my relatives home and delivered warm water to her thirsty barn cats, replacing the water that had frozen in their pan. I've made sure their food bowls runneth over.
And the thanks I get? They have treated me as if I was diseased. ...Not so much as a friendly purr.
Well now we are under a snow emergency with high winds and over a foot of snow on the way.
Yea, I shall not travel through the valley of the shadow of an icy death.
The cats are on their own.
Three days have I driven to my relatives home and delivered warm water to her thirsty barn cats, replacing the water that had frozen in their pan. I've made sure their food bowls runneth over.
And the thanks I get? They have treated me as if I was diseased. ...Not so much as a friendly purr.
Well now we are under a snow emergency with high winds and over a foot of snow on the way.
Yea, I shall not travel through the valley of the shadow of an icy death.
The cats are on their own.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Hugonomics
CARACAS, Venezuela - Meat cuts vanished from Venezuelan supermarkets this week, leaving only unsavory bits like chicken feet, while costly artificial sweeteners have increasingly replaced sugar, and many staples sell far above government-fixed prices.
President Hugo Chavez's administration blames the food supply problems on unscrupulous speculators, but industry officials say government price controls that strangle profits are responsible.
Shortages have sporadically appeared with items from milk to coffee since early 2003, when Chavez began regulating prices for 400 basic products as a way to counter inflation and protect the poor.
Yet inflation has soared to an accumulated 78 percent in the last four years in an economy awash in petrodollars, and food prices have increased particularly swiftly, creating a widening discrepancy between official prices and the true cost of getting goods to market in Venezuela.
All those petrodollars and nothing but chicken feet on the dining room table. Socialists! Chavez must have studied Economics 101 in Havana.
CARACAS, Venezuela - Meat cuts vanished from Venezuelan supermarkets this week, leaving only unsavory bits like chicken feet, while costly artificial sweeteners have increasingly replaced sugar, and many staples sell far above government-fixed prices.
President Hugo Chavez's administration blames the food supply problems on unscrupulous speculators, but industry officials say government price controls that strangle profits are responsible.
Shortages have sporadically appeared with items from milk to coffee since early 2003, when Chavez began regulating prices for 400 basic products as a way to counter inflation and protect the poor.
Yet inflation has soared to an accumulated 78 percent in the last four years in an economy awash in petrodollars, and food prices have increased particularly swiftly, creating a widening discrepancy between official prices and the true cost of getting goods to market in Venezuela.
All those petrodollars and nothing but chicken feet on the dining room table. Socialists! Chavez must have studied Economics 101 in Havana.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Trusted With Cats
Generally, my personal gravitas is on a par with "Uncle Billy" in It's a Wonderful Life. I am the Dan Quayle of my family. I'm the guy in the corner. The after-thought. After I'm dead for... Oh, about ten minutes - the people I love most will have to scratch their heads a bit and really concentrate to remember me.
But I'm trusted with cats.
A member of my family is going to Florida and has given me the responsibility to care for her barn cats. Oh, this person has a son and daughter who dwell just as close to her home as I do... But she has chosen me to feed and water her cats.
Ironically, I'm really not that big a fan of cats. (No, really!) And yet, I am the kitty-care-giver. I am the pussy-provider. I am the only person standing between these cats and certain death. I control their water. I am in possession of their food. Their 9 lives are in my hands. Will they survive my guardianship, or will they be found frozen and strewn across the yard... stiff and frosty?
And what about those medical experiments I've been formulating in my spare time? If I neglect my research opportunities will I be able to face myself in the mirror?
What shall I do?
My nephews are celebrated. My nieces are admired. My brother earns praise and my sister garners affection. My mother is self-sacrificing and my father is venerable.
I'm trusted with cats.
Generally, my personal gravitas is on a par with "Uncle Billy" in It's a Wonderful Life. I am the Dan Quayle of my family. I'm the guy in the corner. The after-thought. After I'm dead for... Oh, about ten minutes - the people I love most will have to scratch their heads a bit and really concentrate to remember me.
But I'm trusted with cats.
A member of my family is going to Florida and has given me the responsibility to care for her barn cats. Oh, this person has a son and daughter who dwell just as close to her home as I do... But she has chosen me to feed and water her cats.
Ironically, I'm really not that big a fan of cats. (No, really!) And yet, I am the kitty-care-giver. I am the pussy-provider. I am the only person standing between these cats and certain death. I control their water. I am in possession of their food. Their 9 lives are in my hands. Will they survive my guardianship, or will they be found frozen and strewn across the yard... stiff and frosty?
And what about those medical experiments I've been formulating in my spare time? If I neglect my research opportunities will I be able to face myself in the mirror?
What shall I do?
My nephews are celebrated. My nieces are admired. My brother earns praise and my sister garners affection. My mother is self-sacrificing and my father is venerable.
I'm trusted with cats.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
This is Rich
I cannot remember a colder February in Indiana - so I'm really enjoying this:
Whether or not the Earth is getting warmer, things are getting hot for George Taylor, the state climatologist in Oregon. He does not believe that human activities are the primary cause of global warming.
"Most of the climate changes we have seen up until now have been a result of natural variations," Taylor asserts.
Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski wants to do what many progressive, enlightened leaders support doing to a dissenter — shut him up or fire him.
The governor said Taylor’s contradictions interfere with the state’s stated goals to reduce greenhouse gases. Yes, and in a world of progressive enlightenment, there is no room for dissent.
In Delaware, a number of folks are unhappy with David Legates. Like Mr. Taylor, he is the state climatologist and, like his Oregon colleague, he believes human activities are not to blame for global warming. And, as in Oregon, a lot of people want to shut him up too.
Then there is Virginia resident S. Fred Singer, who is the professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Virginia. With Dennis Avery, Professor Singer has authored a book, "Unstoppable Global Warming – Every 1,500 Years." The Earth is in one of its natural cycles, the two authors say. Since the advent of recorded history, the Earth has experienced both warming and cooling cycles, many of which occurred before the industrial age, they note.
Some pundits claim that to dissent, even in a time of war, is patriotic and courageous. So, isn’t dissenting on a scientific opinion also courageous and patriotic? Shouldn’t the dissenting scientists be listened to and not fired?
Besides, shouldn’t the global warming supporters be a tad humble in their views since the nation is currently experiencing record-breaking freezing temperatures?
I cannot remember a colder February in Indiana - so I'm really enjoying this:
Whether or not the Earth is getting warmer, things are getting hot for George Taylor, the state climatologist in Oregon. He does not believe that human activities are the primary cause of global warming.
"Most of the climate changes we have seen up until now have been a result of natural variations," Taylor asserts.
Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski wants to do what many progressive, enlightened leaders support doing to a dissenter — shut him up or fire him.
The governor said Taylor’s contradictions interfere with the state’s stated goals to reduce greenhouse gases. Yes, and in a world of progressive enlightenment, there is no room for dissent.
In Delaware, a number of folks are unhappy with David Legates. Like Mr. Taylor, he is the state climatologist and, like his Oregon colleague, he believes human activities are not to blame for global warming. And, as in Oregon, a lot of people want to shut him up too.
Then there is Virginia resident S. Fred Singer, who is the professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Virginia. With Dennis Avery, Professor Singer has authored a book, "Unstoppable Global Warming – Every 1,500 Years." The Earth is in one of its natural cycles, the two authors say. Since the advent of recorded history, the Earth has experienced both warming and cooling cycles, many of which occurred before the industrial age, they note.
Some pundits claim that to dissent, even in a time of war, is patriotic and courageous. So, isn’t dissenting on a scientific opinion also courageous and patriotic? Shouldn’t the dissenting scientists be listened to and not fired?
Besides, shouldn’t the global warming supporters be a tad humble in their views since the nation is currently experiencing record-breaking freezing temperatures?
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