Another day, another ten cent increase on gasoline. My, oh my, how the fun just keeps on coming. Such a sorry state this situation has become.
In my many conversations with people day to day as I work, I find this to be just about the number one topic of conversation.
Gasoline, liquid platinum it is becoming.
I have people tell me they are giving up food to be able to meet their gas expense. People are telling me they are cutting out one meal a day to meet gasoline needs. Cutbacks on frivolities in life is one thing, but when you have to start cutting back on food, that tells me this has gone on long enough.
$120 a barrel for oil today seems extreme, but think if we had a hurricane even hint at going thru the gulf with prices already this high.
Then what?
No doubt the rich oil baron running this nation from DC would continue to take it in stride and act like he never heard rumors regarding gas prices going up to over $4 a gallon.
Does he truly believe we are all that freaking naive?
As we head into mid spring, what comes next?
Oh, yeah, summer vacations, right?
Another excuse to raise prices yet again!
Last Saturday evening my wife and I went out with friends for some r and r. It was amazing at how few cars we saw on the highway in our 23 mile drive.
Yeah, people are cutting back on driving as well. Lord knows my wife and I have had to, because I'm not giving up food so I can make the rich bastard oil industry folks even more billions in profit.
The oil industry is destroying the economic structure of our economy and there is nothing being done to stop it at present.
I can only hope the time is coming when we as a nation finally come together, put our feet together and take a solid stand and vote the rich out of Washington and put new and fresh people in there who will do something to end this madness we have had to endure for the past seven years.
When the time comes and people can no longer afford to drive anywhere, what will the slick capitalistic money mongering oil folks do then?
My biggest question about all of this is why wasn't something done years ago when this all started getting out of hand?
The answer is so obvious is bites one on the ass.
Ever hear the one about the Texas oil man who.....
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Is True Change Coming?
Last Friday afternoon, the little midwestern town I work in played host to Chelsea Clinton who made an appearance on behalf of her mother Hillary's presidential bid. Considering our little hamlet hasn't had a presidential campaign visit since 1940, this was by no means a small event.
A very nice crowd gathered in one of our city's parks, by no means our best park, but a nice one, and Chelsea delivered her speech and answered questions for a period of one hour standing on the park's gazebo. This young woman impressed me with her knowledge, her ease at answering a barrage of questions, and she was a great ambassador for her mother's presidential campaign.
Considering I live in a predominantly Republican county, I was worried that maybe someone in the crowd would attempt harrassing her, but much to my delight, the crowd was kind, responsive, and applauded several times as Chelsea spoke of the shortcomings of the past nearly eight years of the George W Bush administration. Her answers hit home, brought many cheers of agreement, and again, many rounds of applause.
At the end of her presentation, Chelsea spent at least another half hour, meeting and greeting people one on one, and having countless pictures taken with people in attendance. She was most gracious and attentive to all who took a few moments to meet with her.
When you listen to someone who speaks knowledgably and someone who takes the time to totally answer a wide variety of questions, you have to admire them if they know what they are speaking about, and trust me, this young lady indeed knows what she's talking about. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her hold a political office in the not too distant future.
Our nation is in trouble right now, mere words can't begin to describe all we are facing at the present time, and I won't go into it right now because it is such a depressing state we are in. And that word depressing, well, it reminds me so much of the word "depression." I can remember growing up and hearing folks talk about The Great Depression and how they hoped we never saw another one. I can't help remembering those words each day as I watch and listen to the daily news. We're facing such hard times right now, and it doesn't appear that the present administration in Washington is doing much to help it out.
I can only hope when people do go to the polls this year they don't forget these things and tend to be party blind. Our nation can't face another four years of where we are right now and where we are heading. We need a change, and we need it now. It is my earnest hope that it is precisely that they think about when they cast their votes this year.
I took the time last Saturday morning to absentee vote in our state's upcoming primary election. I carried those thoughts with me Saturday morning and I kept them in mind when I cast my votes. I can only hope others follow suit.
I also hope that true change is right around the corner before it's too late.
Please, vote like your life depends on it, because truly, IT DOES!!
PLEASE, VOTE!!!
A very nice crowd gathered in one of our city's parks, by no means our best park, but a nice one, and Chelsea delivered her speech and answered questions for a period of one hour standing on the park's gazebo. This young woman impressed me with her knowledge, her ease at answering a barrage of questions, and she was a great ambassador for her mother's presidential campaign.
Considering I live in a predominantly Republican county, I was worried that maybe someone in the crowd would attempt harrassing her, but much to my delight, the crowd was kind, responsive, and applauded several times as Chelsea spoke of the shortcomings of the past nearly eight years of the George W Bush administration. Her answers hit home, brought many cheers of agreement, and again, many rounds of applause.
At the end of her presentation, Chelsea spent at least another half hour, meeting and greeting people one on one, and having countless pictures taken with people in attendance. She was most gracious and attentive to all who took a few moments to meet with her.
When you listen to someone who speaks knowledgably and someone who takes the time to totally answer a wide variety of questions, you have to admire them if they know what they are speaking about, and trust me, this young lady indeed knows what she's talking about. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her hold a political office in the not too distant future.
Our nation is in trouble right now, mere words can't begin to describe all we are facing at the present time, and I won't go into it right now because it is such a depressing state we are in. And that word depressing, well, it reminds me so much of the word "depression." I can remember growing up and hearing folks talk about The Great Depression and how they hoped we never saw another one. I can't help remembering those words each day as I watch and listen to the daily news. We're facing such hard times right now, and it doesn't appear that the present administration in Washington is doing much to help it out.
I can only hope when people do go to the polls this year they don't forget these things and tend to be party blind. Our nation can't face another four years of where we are right now and where we are heading. We need a change, and we need it now. It is my earnest hope that it is precisely that they think about when they cast their votes this year.
I took the time last Saturday morning to absentee vote in our state's upcoming primary election. I carried those thoughts with me Saturday morning and I kept them in mind when I cast my votes. I can only hope others follow suit.
I also hope that true change is right around the corner before it's too late.
Please, vote like your life depends on it, because truly, IT DOES!!
PLEASE, VOTE!!!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
For Granted
That which seems intangible,
Although it is very real,
Is easy to set off to the side
And ignore.
However,
Damage can happen and weaken
The structure
And create irreparable
Fissures.
You no longer walk alone
But you walk now
Without me.
Although it is very real,
Is easy to set off to the side
And ignore.
However,
Damage can happen and weaken
The structure
And create irreparable
Fissures.
You no longer walk alone
But you walk now
Without me.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hmmmmm....
Is it just me or is our nation simply accepting the fact that we are being royally screwed out of our dollars just so the fat cat oil companies can attempt to drive our nation into the worst depression in all recorded history?
Just what are we truly accomplishing in Iraq other than watching our soldiers die?
If we quit spending money on manufactured goods just so we can afford gas in our cars, and if manufacturing jobs dwindle away because of this and if these people end up out of work, how in the world will anyone be able to afford to do anything anymore?
When people tell me they are cutting back on groceries and turning down their thermostats just so they can afford gasoline and to heat their homes, isn't there something totally wrong with this picture?
If we can afford billions on foreign aid why can't we spend that same money right here on domestic aid?
If our nation is so fed up with the leaders in Washington how come so many get re-elected every 2, 4 and 6 years?
Hopefully, with a clear choice being presented to us this year for the first time in nearly eight years, quite possibly we have a chance to start our nation on the right road to healing.
Just what are we truly accomplishing in Iraq other than watching our soldiers die?
If we quit spending money on manufactured goods just so we can afford gas in our cars, and if manufacturing jobs dwindle away because of this and if these people end up out of work, how in the world will anyone be able to afford to do anything anymore?
When people tell me they are cutting back on groceries and turning down their thermostats just so they can afford gasoline and to heat their homes, isn't there something totally wrong with this picture?
If we can afford billions on foreign aid why can't we spend that same money right here on domestic aid?
If our nation is so fed up with the leaders in Washington how come so many get re-elected every 2, 4 and 6 years?
Hopefully, with a clear choice being presented to us this year for the first time in nearly eight years, quite possibly we have a chance to start our nation on the right road to healing.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
The Best Of Intentions
I sometimes wonder about human nature and the mutated forms it takes. I know we're all individuals and I know we all react differently to things, but sometimes irrationality speaks so very, very loudly and reveals so much about who we REALLY are.
Case in point: Two people who have worked closely together and have become quite good friends are suddenly at odds because one of them brings to the attention of the other one that they have been acting strangely for a few weeks and that the strange behavior has them concerned that there might possibly be something causing a change in attitude and also might be causing them to not understand the simplest of things.
The one who brings this to the attention of the other does it out of genuine concern.
In less than one hour, a relationship is damaged beyond repair because the one who was notified takes strange offense at being told they might be having problems which could be anything from a blood clot or a tumor in the brain to possibly an early onset of dementia.
So the person with the good intentions is now treated like they have the Bubonic Plague and they have turned an additonal friend against the informer simply because the informer was worried about the well being of the other.
No, I'm not making this up. This entire stupid scenario is actually going on right now.
Go figure.
Personally, if someone thought that much of me that they would take the time and concern to talk to me about it I would be forever grateful to them and I would admire them for their courage to have taken the step of a true friend and to have let me know.
Apparently this isn't always the case in the course of human nature.
I do have a feeling, however, that the informer will probably NEVER make mention of any thing else they notice might be wrong in the other one's life.
Who the hell could blame them?
Obviously the friendship must not have been that good of a friendship to begin with, at least on one side that is.
I wonder how the sorehead could feel that way when the good intentioned friend helped them get their job?
Again, go figure!!
Some people never catch up in the human race, huh?
Case in point: Two people who have worked closely together and have become quite good friends are suddenly at odds because one of them brings to the attention of the other one that they have been acting strangely for a few weeks and that the strange behavior has them concerned that there might possibly be something causing a change in attitude and also might be causing them to not understand the simplest of things.
The one who brings this to the attention of the other does it out of genuine concern.
In less than one hour, a relationship is damaged beyond repair because the one who was notified takes strange offense at being told they might be having problems which could be anything from a blood clot or a tumor in the brain to possibly an early onset of dementia.
So the person with the good intentions is now treated like they have the Bubonic Plague and they have turned an additonal friend against the informer simply because the informer was worried about the well being of the other.
No, I'm not making this up. This entire stupid scenario is actually going on right now.
Go figure.
Personally, if someone thought that much of me that they would take the time and concern to talk to me about it I would be forever grateful to them and I would admire them for their courage to have taken the step of a true friend and to have let me know.
Apparently this isn't always the case in the course of human nature.
I do have a feeling, however, that the informer will probably NEVER make mention of any thing else they notice might be wrong in the other one's life.
Who the hell could blame them?
Obviously the friendship must not have been that good of a friendship to begin with, at least on one side that is.
I wonder how the sorehead could feel that way when the good intentioned friend helped them get their job?
Again, go figure!!
Some people never catch up in the human race, huh?
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