a limited natural resource, won't last forever

Oil prices were up above 71 dollars a barrel today. That shouldn't be a surprise to most, but what may surprise you is that just a little over a year ago, (3/05) the price per barrel was twenty dollars cheaper. Our power bills are higher, gas bill are higher, and groceries are more expensive. The same thirty dollar stop at the local Shop-Rite gets us less than the same thirty bux did last year, (but pay no attention to the talk of inflation). The squeeze is on America, and its caused by oil, we are literally driving ourselves around in circles, spewing oil.

We are the worlds biggest oil user (/abuser), yet we somehow are able to pay less for it at the pump than other countries around the world. Parts of Germany, Italy, and the UK, all pay over five bux a gallon. Oil is a natural resource, a limited resource, one that we are wasting on driving back and forth around town.. The suburbs have been mapped out around this resource, giving most Americans a lengthy car ride to and from work and making it impossible to walk anywhere. It seems virtually impossible to live our lives without oil. It is a valuable commodity that you pump from your local BP at about three bucks a gallon, I think it sounds like a bargain.

The house of representatives has taken a fifth stab at opening up drilling ANWR, a bill that is likely to fall on deaf Senate ears. An Energy Department analysis said that ANWR's oil would have a small change on gas prices, maybe a penny a gallon, and It would only reduce our dependence on foreign oil by a couple of percentage points. Not to mention, it would take ten years from the start of drilling before we see the first barrel. These facts haven't stopped Rep. Don Young, "We should be drilling offshore, we should be drilling in the Rockies and most of all we should be drilling in the Arctic refuge." That's a bold statement from a Republican representative from Alaska, the one state that will benefit handsomely form the drilling.

The idea they are selling is, to open up drilling to reduce our dependence on imported oil, and that is a farce. There is a bigger problem here, lets try to fix that, instead of urging our government to get cheaper oil, plenty of it, at any cost to anything, or anyone, besides "me". Instead, there needs to be a push for Americans to work together to rid ourselves of the dependence on HUGE cars. Throughout the past few years everyone has been in "vehicle buying mode", and with encouragement from all directions, including our great president, who (ill say it again, because its worth never forgetting) told us all to shop after 911. All this buying, and driving has led Exxon-Mobil to record breaking profits, and now everybody is pissed off. If you own an SUV, you deserve to be paying more than four dollars a gallon, I think you deserve to pay double, c'mon high roller you can afford it. Plus you were naive if you thought that it shouldn't matter, or that its your right, or privilege to hog up the road in your monster truck, and it would be naive to think, that attitude wouldn't come with consequences. Such as ploughing through Earths natural resources, (Earth, not just America) causing a supply and demand issue.

How about some regulations placed on the use of cars in certain cities, like NYC where cars aren't necessary, and pose large health risks to their residents, many of whom, don't even own cars. Using NYC as a model, (minus all the commuters, driving alone into the city, on the phone), it would be nice to see a smaller city in America become a prototype for an alternative lifestyle, with fewer cars, boosted public transportation, and sidewalks. I understand that in the suburbs its a near impossibility, but we have to start somewhere, and more drilling and more oil, will not hold our gas prices down for very long. I believe that its time to raise gas prices, tax people more at the pump, anything to discourage these mindless parking lot circles, looking for a closer space to the entrance by the food court. Driving is out of control, you know some places dont even bother making sidewalks anymore!

The media causes the panic, they tell us gas is on the rise, then its time to freak out. What exactly is the price difference to fill the tank one week to the next (for those of you driving a car that doesn't qualify for "gas guzzler status" )? I don't know because, I do not own a car, just a bike. Unfortunately, its time to get prepared for the gas price panic, because hurricane season is upon us, and that's an easy way to pump up the hysteria.

Baghdad ER

Last night I watched the documentary, "Baghdad ER" and I cannot believe that no one is talking about it. Originally it aired Sunday night at eight o'clock on HBO, a decent time slot, right before the Sopranos.
I used the DVR to catch it, and late last night I watched, as American soldiers were brought into the ER one after the next with life changing injuries, mostly from improvised explosive device's or IED's. They filmed over a two month period, in a hospital they describe as the " Army's premier medical facility", in Iraq. It's a deceitful description to an American here at home, one that is quickly erased, as an ER doctor describes Iraq as "too dirty" to perform surgery, unless its life threatening. They follow that with graphic surgeries in this ER, mostly of amputations, and other shrapnel wounds. It also leaves the question, if our Army is occupying what was once Saddam's "elite medical center" than where are all the Iraqis being treated, and operated on.

These men and women, both Iraqi and American, are being thrust into combat zones, and we are at home bitching over gas prices. Iraqis pay five cents a gallon for gas, cheap gas, you just have to cross a battle field to get it. This war should be holding our entire focus, we have to take responsibility, I see no accountability from either side of the aisle. I do see a lot of Immigration talk. Lets make a deal with America's 10-20 million (since there is no accurate number) illegal immigrants,they can volunteer to serve this nations military, possibly in Iraq, and no questions asked, when they have fullfilled a certain amount of time, they are a citizen, otherwise, No Deal, and lets move our attention back to the war.


This month approximately 2 US service members are being killed every day over there, and because our government does not find it important to count the causalities of the Iraqis we can only imagine how may of them die every day in this war.

Our efforts have been wasted, our troops have not been as important as those little yellow bumper stickers had implied.

Watch Baghdad ER, and perhaps it will light a fire under your feet. because...

no one has to die tomorroW.

Judith Miller Warned about 9/11

It has been reported that Judith Miller* was warned, by, (surprise surprise) an "unamed source" from the White House, about the September 11th attacks, a couple of months before they happened. The entire story is said to be released by AlterNet sometime tomorrow, but so far Raw Story
is quoting Miller as saying,
"It was going to be a large, well-coordinated attack".
She also said, she thinks that,
"everybody knew that an attack was coming,everyone who followed this".
This makes me wonder who "everybody" is, I didnt know. I guess we would have to know what she means by,"this".

BOTTOM LINE

If Judith Miller was warned of an attack that was to happen IN America sometime before July 4th, then Bush knew, and where was he? At his ranch, all summer long, fishing perhaps. Not warning, or ACTING on information, he was sitting back, relaxing, on vacation.




*For those who do not remember, or cant place the name, Judith Miller was employed by the New York Times, and refused to name her source in the CIA leak investigation into the outing of covert agent, Valerie Plame. She would not reveal her source, and chose prison for 85 days instead. At the end of those 85 days miller received a phone call and a letter from her source, Scooter Libby, a member of PNAC, and Dick Cheneys Chief of Staff. He was allowing her to testify, and so she did, and he was indicted.

how will america survive 2.5 more years?

The president spoke yesterday, and all afternoon the major news networks were bringing me up to date about our current immigration CRISIS. According to a self proclaimed "right wing" blog, only 11% of people polled, those who actually watched him speak, said that he did a "great job" while 70% say his speech was "a flop". Guess they didnt poll his "base".
I think right left and in between, can agree there is no crisis, just man made panic, over an issue raised for purely tactical reasons. I know, I saw the marches, and Ive heard all about immigration, from the outrage to the outrageous, it all makes me suspicious. Suddenly at 29% approval ratings, Immigration is top of the charts.

The biggest threat to the American economy isn't the housing bubble that's bursting, or the oil prices that are about to climb for the annual "summertime/hurricane season" hike, no, no no, its the MEXICANS, and those pesky porous borders. Lets just push the illegal war that has killed 2,450 American troops aside.(Even though they were thrust into harms way for no reason other than our president and his pals personal financial gains.)
The illegal war has cost Americans a lot of money that we don't have. The war that cost loss of life for reasons that are still not clearly defined. Forget about all that and lets all make every effort to get an immigration bill passed, TODAY!

The issue of illegal immigrants is not pressing. The media has always been putty in the neocons hands, this is no different. Rove needn't be an architect, just a sheep herder. Immigration was a non issue, laws, that were never enforced, laws that virtually every restaurant in America breaks, when it employs an illegal immigrant, paying them small wages, (a wage that is something like minimum wage, unlivable, and shameful). The controversy that there appears to be, has been designed to lead our focus elsewhere, place our attention anywhere but at the White House, or at George Bush.

Our national debt is increasing at about 1.93 billion dollars every day. Our nation is in debt 8.3 trillion dollars, (in debt to who, is a larger issue than immigration as well), but today is the day to start throwing money at immigration, this is questionable. Think about immigration, the issue brings chaos. That's all. Build a wall at the Mexican border? While you have your 6000 troops ready to nab Mexicans just trying to make a buck, have we forgotten all those Middle Easterners that Canada houses, with "no questions asked", What about Americas northern border?

Shortly after September 11th when the issue of securing our borders came up, it meant Canada's border. No longer, Americans are in line with the current agenda, arguing over the border, means arguing about Mexico. Canada is not a problem for anyone anymore, you have to wonder then, if it ever really was a threat to our security, their loss of interest would seem like it wasn't. But like so many other inconsistencies throughout this administration, they are just never to be spoken about again. POOF!
More important to our nations well being is the war we are ignoring.
Nearly 18,000 US soldiers have been wounded in the illegal war in Iraq, while there have been 2,450 soldiers that have given their lives for this war. Iraqis are killed every day too, in their homes, by intruders, alongside our American soldiers dieing,they are so far from their homes and families. George Bush, and his neoconservative agenda has brought America death, distrust, destruction, and hostility , they have given a new generation fuel for their hatred of Americans, while Bushco has brought themselves profit.
71% of us don't see much positive, and with only a 29% approval rating, one would have expected even a small rebellion,by now, but no, we stand frozen, in awe. BushCo can maintain their course, while the 71% step aside, because the Mainstream Media tells them too. "Theres nothing more to report".

Bushco continues to make decisions for America, even though the majority of Americans do not trust our President, or his staff. This administration does not care about telling the truth, or getting caught lying, or about whether your child gets left behind or not, as long as their own are well provided for. The members of the White House, and our Supreme Court, and Senate are rich, they have much more than the "Average American" that they pretend to be. They attempt to put our well being ahead of their own,but It takes a real special person to handle such power, without becoming corrupted by it, unfortunatly,Washington is short on such greatness.

They pass laws, and tax breaks, and designate their own pay raises, and we allow them to, because while they are violating our rights, we are wrapped up in shit. We have thinned out our culture, there are car payments and credit card bills, no time to think,we have to talk on the phone, everywhere. We are complacent, and they know it. They created the vice in which we live. The heat has been turned up on the "standard of living".

Look at the news and ask yourself why.

Why immigration today?