Would This Ever Work?

I was thinking this morning about the fact the world oil
supply is quite high right now and yet we're getting
badly gouged (at least by our standards) at the pump.

One of the main reasons the price is high is because
of speculation. And that speculation is largely based
on concerns over unrest in the Middle East.

Which makes me wonder...if the price of gas is really
disconnected from the actual tug of supply and demand,
then does it even matter how much oil is produced
here? Won't it just go on the world market along with everybody else's and sell for the amount commodities traders say it should?

I will be the first to admit I don't really understand
all the ins and outs of commodities. But I wanted to
pose a question...if our government passed a law that no
oil from a Middle Eastern country could be sold here,
wouldn't that free us from this insane situation where
a riot in Yemen dictates whether or not I can afford
to go camping or not?

And another benefit would be the fact Europe would have
much lower gas prices because the Arabs would have lost
the huge American market.

Any thoughts?


http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/research/crude-oil/where-the-us-gets-its-oil-from/

This Couple Has a Pre-existing Condition...

...at least as far as health insurance companies are concerned.

It's called aging. Health insurance companies really don't want
anything to do with people over the age of 40 who selfishly
insist on growing older. Older people might pay some premiums
but they also insist on costing the health insurance companies
money. When you get old, no insurance companies will compete for
your business. You're just a walking, talking liability as far
as they're concerned and that's just no good for the bottom line.

Wait a minute, didn't I hear something about a great new
Republican plan that will hand folks a voucher, pat them on
the head and send them into the wilderness looking for any
company that might take them as a client?


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/28/gop-freshmen-backlash-house-budget-vote_n_855083.html

Bush's Party, Obama's Hangover

Now I know we're not supposed to look back in history. We're
supposed to pretend Obama came into office with a nice, clean
balanced budget and proceeded to mess everything up.

Well, I'm not gonna do that. The president isn't perfect
but he acted quickly to keep GM in business and the
rest of the economy from sliding off a cliff.

This article explains what a giant money hole he inherited
when he took office and how hard he's worked to keep
the country afloat.


http://www.salon.com/news/budget_showdown/index.html?story=/tech/htww/2011/04/27/the_big_obama_spending_lie

So, In What Universe Does This Statement Make Even the Tiniest Iota of Sense?

Here's what RNC Chairman Reince Preibus had to say after
President Obama presented his long form birth certificate:

"As I’ve repeatedly stated, this issue is a distraction. Our economy is strained from out of control deficits, debt, and unsustainable entitlements. The President ought to spend his time getting serious about repairing our economy, working with Republicans and focusing on the long term sustainability of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Unfortunately his campaign politics and talk about birth certificates is distracting him from our number one priority – our economy."

Gold or Goodness

A lot of the conservatives who want to drastically cut
funding for the poor and elderly are Ayn Rand devotees.

Paul Ryan has said Rand is "the reason I got involved in public service".

I don't know what Ryan's religious beliefs are. But I
do find it odd that many Republicans simultaneously
worship Rand and a Jewish carpenter who introduced a
philosophy that encourages people to help each other
and values nothing more than self-sacrifice.

Easter is the day Christians everywhere celebrate not
only the resurrection of Christ but also the sacrifice
He made that put Him in that position.

If Ayn Rand was alive today, she would still be
telling the world how much contempt she has for Jesus
and everything He stood for.

Maybe you Christian conservatives need to pick a side.
Ayn Rand celebrated your gold. Jesus celebrated your goodness.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2014850914_gerson24.html

Quick Spins

Here are reviews of three cds I recently purchased:

Ray Davies "See My Friends": Ray does new versions of
old songs with non-Kinks. There's some really nice
stuff on here, including "Better Things" with Bruce,
"Waterloo Sunset" with Jackson Browne and a wonderful
cut with Lucinda Williams called "Long Way From Home".
I don't remember ever hearing the original version
that came out in 1970. If you think Mr. Davies is one
of the all-time great rock songwriters (like I do)you
should check this compilation out.

Foo Fighters "Wasting Light": I'm not near as taken
with it as I was their previous album but it still
has its moments. The guitars are really fierce this
time around.

Joe Bonamassa "Dust Bowl": I'm starting to get into
the blues more and I'm very impressed with this guy.
He understands how important the basic structure of
the music is but at the same time isn't afraid to
shake it up. I predict he's going to have a huge
career.

Here's the title cut from "Dust Bowl". Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JCzjz6zkH4&feature=related

Look What Gay Marriage Has Done To New Hampshire

How will the straight people there ever recover?


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/22/tea-party-gay-marriage_n_852634.html

Help Her Now or Help Her Later

Texas is getting rid of family planning services as fast
as possible. A very short-sighted strategy for a state in the
middle of a financial crisis.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/opinion/21collins.html?partner=rss&emc=rss#

I Thought Elephants Were Supposed To Have Good Memories

Some people never learn.

Anybody remember when el Rushbo made a two million dollar bet
that Clinton's tax increases on the wealthy would destroy
the economy?

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/rush_limbaugh/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/04/20/limbaugh_clinton_taxes

We Can't Afford This Much War No More

I'm not crazy about Rand Paul but I will give him (and his
dad)credit for stepping up and being honest about the fact
that military spending has to be included in the budget cut
discussion.

Here's an article comparing our defense budget to China's...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-teng/the-mathematics-of-milita_b_850986.html

Just Because You Repeat It a Million Times Doesn't Make It True

Republicans don't need logic. They have mantras.

http://www.slate.com/id/2291530/

All Hat, No Cattle

First of all, let me say I don't believe Donald Trump
is truly running for president. The job is too restrictive
and he can't figure out a way to make big money on the
gig.

But he is currently polling better than the rest of the
GOP presidential loser hopefuls. Which is pretty amazing
considering what he's said in the past.

http://www.slate.com/id/2291263/

This is the Speech We Needed to Hear

The president has drawn a line in the sand...do you want to
protect the poor and middle class in this country or hand
even more money over to the millionaires and billionaires?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/opinion/14thu1.html?_r=1&hp

She Should Be Scared

It always cracks me up when Republicans propose changes
that will fundamentally make life harder for senior
citizens and then turn around and claim that Democrats
are "just trying to scare old people".

Was Paul Revere just trying to scare colonial Americans?
Are firemen just trying to scare potential burn victims
when they encourage them to run out of a burning building?

You should be scared if somebody is trying to hurt you.
And then you should respond appropriately...

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/10/war-on-the-weak.html

You Get What You Don't Pay For

We have an interesting controversy right now here in
Washington state. The University of Washington is starting
to take fewer in-state students with outstanding GPAs
and more out-of-state and out-of-country students. It's
because Washington voters voted not to raise the sales tax
last November and the school had to find the money somewhere
else. Non-resident students pay 3 times the tuition a kid
from here would pay.

So, I guess that tax money we pay IS actually used for
something valuable after all.

More Catfood, Grandma?

Okay, I have to say I'm a little puzzled by what the
Republican Party is doing right now.

Last time I checked, we still hold elections in this
country and people vote in their own self-interest.

So...the Republicans don't want anything to do with gays.
They've made little progress courting the Hispanic community.
They've completely lost the blacks. They're practically
advocating rounding up all the Muslims. I'm not sure how
they feel about Indian and Asian-Americans.

And now Paul Ryan thinks they should piss off all the
senior citizens?

Okay, he didn't come right out and say that. But anybody
who takes the time to read what he's proposing for America
in the near future will come to that same conclusion.

It will be fascinating to see if the potential GOP
presidential candidates try to separate themselves
from his plan.

As far as I can tell, this is a huge gift to Obama and
the Democrats.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52625.html

A Religion of Selfishness

When I was about ten my family took a vacation to California
and ended up getting stuck with some relatives who were in
the John Birch Society. Those were three of the most
excruciating days of my life.

Here's the story of someone who had to suffer through an
entire childhood of Ayn Rand propaganda.

http://www.salon.com/life/real_families/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2011/04/04/my_father_the_objectivist

The Top One Percent...and the Rest of Us

Tunisia, Egypt, Libya...when will WE rise up against our one percent?

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105?currentPage=all

Those Selfish, Lazy, Evil Public Servants

Scott Walker exempted cops and firefighters from his
collective bargaining purge in Wisconsin. It didn't
matter, they still came out and supported their other
union brothers and sisters.

Ohio governor John Kasich didn't even try to buy off
the cops and firefighters. He just threw them under
the bus along with everybody else.

Cops and firefighters might belong to unions but they've
been known to vote Republican. The Fraternal Order of
Police supported both George W. Bush and John McCain in
their presidential bids.

These radical GOP governors are doing a pretty good job
of turning cops and firefighters into Democrats.

I absolutely love the following quote:

Chuck Canterbury, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said his members are “shocked” by the turn of events.

“Who are these evil teachers who teach your children, these evil policemen who protect them, these evil firemen who pull them from burning buildings? When did we all become evil?” said Canterbury, whose union endorsed Bush in 2000 and 2004 and John McCain in 2008.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52359.html

This Sums Up What's Wrong With Baseball in America

I don't have anything against A-Rod. But it's pretty grotesque
he's making just slightly less than the entire Kansas City
Royals franchise.