I like to think that I pay attention to the world around me. That I have a reasonable grip on what we're facing as a nation and a world. I like to think that when I listen to stories on the news I have the maturity to distinguish fact from bias.
I like to think these things, yet this morning while driving to work I heard a story about a man from Yemen that was placed on the CIA "capture or kill" list while the US government has not publicly filed charges.
My immediate response?
"Yumpin' Yemeni!"
29 July 2010
20 July 2010
Energy Crisis
I really wanted to mow the lawn and wash my car on Saturday, but I was having an energy crisis and just couldn't manage it.
Some phrases and concepts get batted around so much that they lose not just their impact, but also their meaning. Seems like every time I turn on the TV I hear about the impending energy crisis. Well, BP just lost some 4,200,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, but gas is still $3.13 and my TV still turns on.
All my life I have been told by teachers and the media that someday we will run out of oil. Hogwash. As resources get more and more scarce, the prices increase and demand falls. So as oil becomes scarce it will become so expensive that even I might consider getting a non-gasoline powered form of transportation. Why didn't I say Prius, or Chevy Volt? Because when that time comes who knows what incredible innovations the free market will have cooked up for consumers looking for a cheaper alternative to gasoline. Personally I hope for something more in the direction of the Tesla Roadster than the Volt.
In the meantime I've been thinking about getting a tank of 107 octane for the E46 before I sell it, just to see what happens.
Some phrases and concepts get batted around so much that they lose not just their impact, but also their meaning. Seems like every time I turn on the TV I hear about the impending energy crisis. Well, BP just lost some 4,200,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, but gas is still $3.13 and my TV still turns on.
All my life I have been told by teachers and the media that someday we will run out of oil. Hogwash. As resources get more and more scarce, the prices increase and demand falls. So as oil becomes scarce it will become so expensive that even I might consider getting a non-gasoline powered form of transportation. Why didn't I say Prius, or Chevy Volt? Because when that time comes who knows what incredible innovations the free market will have cooked up for consumers looking for a cheaper alternative to gasoline. Personally I hope for something more in the direction of the Tesla Roadster than the Volt.
In the meantime I've been thinking about getting a tank of 107 octane for the E46 before I sell it, just to see what happens.
03 March 2010
Best Day Ever
A couple of weeks ago we were mulling over our lunch options when Teresa had the brilliant idea to eat at Jem 100. Jem 100 is a little ice cream parlor in Newberg, Oregon, that also sells cheeseburgers, chili dogs and the like. The bacon cheeseburger is absolutely amazing. Really.
So we went to Newberg. We feasted on our cheeseburgers and then set out on the town in search of antique stores. While we didn't find much in the way of antiques we did find a pet store with wandering tortoises and a cool toy store.
It was while we were trekking between the pet store and the toy store that Jenna declared the day to be the best ever. "Are we going to have more fun, Daddy?" Jenna asked me.
Funny how shopping in downtown Newberg could mean so much, but then, why not? We were together as a family. We got to ride in Daddy's car (always exciting for the kids). We got to eat some fun food. We saw huge wandering tortoises. Jenna and I made a racket at the toy store with some plastic tubes you whirl around.
What's not to like.
So we went to Newberg. We feasted on our cheeseburgers and then set out on the town in search of antique stores. While we didn't find much in the way of antiques we did find a pet store with wandering tortoises and a cool toy store.
It was while we were trekking between the pet store and the toy store that Jenna declared the day to be the best ever. "Are we going to have more fun, Daddy?" Jenna asked me.
Funny how shopping in downtown Newberg could mean so much, but then, why not? We were together as a family. We got to ride in Daddy's car (always exciting for the kids). We got to eat some fun food. We saw huge wandering tortoises. Jenna and I made a racket at the toy store with some plastic tubes you whirl around.
What's not to like.
02 March 2010
Happy Anniversary!
Today I celebrate seven years of amazing marriage to the love of my life, Teresa. I truly believe that we are meant to be together. We are kindred spirits. Thank you for all your love and support through the years!
Our marriage by the numbers:
Seven years
Three teenagers
Two babies
Five cars (me)
Four cars (her)
Eight moves
Four wards
Four cats
One dog
and lots and lots of pizza and love!
I love you, Teresa.
Our marriage by the numbers:
Seven years
Three teenagers
Two babies
Five cars (me)
Four cars (her)
Eight moves
Four wards
Four cats
One dog
and lots and lots of pizza and love!
I love you, Teresa.
Generation War?
I am glad I didn't face the draft during the Vietnam War. I am quite certain that I would have served my country, but it I am also certain that I would have been frightened of the prospect of killing or being killed.
My son, Elliott, is a United States Marine. He has served one tour in Iraq and is schedule to deploy to Afghanistan this year. He joined the Marines for his own reasons, but his mother and I are very proud of his willingness to serve his country. So when I read this portion of The We Declaration my head nearly exploded:
"Our Lives are Not Our Own.
We are being conscripted to fight the wars of the plunderers, serving their ambitions and settling their scores. Many leaders care more about the illusion of victory, despite the costs, than about living in peace. We are told by our leaders that the 'war on terror' will last our entire lives, and perhaps that of our children. We are asked to breed children to fight this war which we did not start and which offers no prospect of peace or compromise."
Shame on the authors for spreading such filth. We have no draft. We have a voluntary military and these men and women are defending the interests of the greatest nation on the planet. If you don't believe that's true then GET THE HELL OUT! You are free to move to France with the other wussies.
I'm trying to imagine the method our government uses to ask people to procreate in order to build this nation's military. The ridiculousness of this statement is mind boggling. It is true that we did not start the war on terror. Those who brought the terror to US soil started the fight. The fight may never end in the sense that there is little prospect of compromise. Remember that peace has many definitions. During the cold war the Russians wanted peace. Of course peace to the Russians meant world-wide communism. Not exactly the kind of peace Americans were striving for.
The journey to adulthood is the pain of coming to terms with responsibility. Our lives are our own in as much as we accept that responsibility.
My son, Elliott, is a United States Marine. He has served one tour in Iraq and is schedule to deploy to Afghanistan this year. He joined the Marines for his own reasons, but his mother and I are very proud of his willingness to serve his country. So when I read this portion of The We Declaration my head nearly exploded:
"Our Lives are Not Our Own.
We are being conscripted to fight the wars of the plunderers, serving their ambitions and settling their scores. Many leaders care more about the illusion of victory, despite the costs, than about living in peace. We are told by our leaders that the 'war on terror' will last our entire lives, and perhaps that of our children. We are asked to breed children to fight this war which we did not start and which offers no prospect of peace or compromise."
Shame on the authors for spreading such filth. We have no draft. We have a voluntary military and these men and women are defending the interests of the greatest nation on the planet. If you don't believe that's true then GET THE HELL OUT! You are free to move to France with the other wussies.
I'm trying to imagine the method our government uses to ask people to procreate in order to build this nation's military. The ridiculousness of this statement is mind boggling. It is true that we did not start the war on terror. Those who brought the terror to US soil started the fight. The fight may never end in the sense that there is little prospect of compromise. Remember that peace has many definitions. During the cold war the Russians wanted peace. Of course peace to the Russians meant world-wide communism. Not exactly the kind of peace Americans were striving for.
The journey to adulthood is the pain of coming to terms with responsibility. Our lives are our own in as much as we accept that responsibility.
26 February 2010
Generation We('re Not Gonna Take It)
The We Declaration needs a bibliography or at least some footnotes, because this following passage made my head spin and was clearly not written by or about the hundreds of high school kids that pack into the local Taco Bell at lunchtime:
"Our Health has Collapsed.
We are suffering an epidemic of chronic, preventable diseases of abuse and neglect. We are being poisoned by the food we are fed and the drugs we are prescribed. Media, education, and government all brainwash us into thinking poisons are good for us. As a consequence, we are on the path to be the sickest generation in history. As children, we have the diseased arteries of the elderly. One in three of us will develop diabetes, more than half of us will become obese, and half of us will get cancer. Our lifespan is expected to be less than our parents."
Wow. I think they need to cite a published study or two.
The line about obesity pretty much sums it up. How can the We Generation possibly be held responsible for their own actions? Or are parents, teachers and school administrators forcing 2-liter Mountain Dews on them between classes? Here's your European History textbook and your Red Bull IV.
We have known from the beginning of time what is and is not poison for our bodies. Sadly the more poisonous it is, the better it tastes! Believe me, if cauliflower and tofu tasted like pepperoni pizza I'd be all over it. Hence the need for personal willpower and personal responsibility. That doesn't excuse parental responsibility when it comes to chubby toddlers. But if you're are old enough to make a formal declaration then you're old enough to make decisions about what you eat.
"Our Health has Collapsed.
We are suffering an epidemic of chronic, preventable diseases of abuse and neglect. We are being poisoned by the food we are fed and the drugs we are prescribed. Media, education, and government all brainwash us into thinking poisons are good for us. As a consequence, we are on the path to be the sickest generation in history. As children, we have the diseased arteries of the elderly. One in three of us will develop diabetes, more than half of us will become obese, and half of us will get cancer. Our lifespan is expected to be less than our parents."
Wow. I think they need to cite a published study or two.
The line about obesity pretty much sums it up. How can the We Generation possibly be held responsible for their own actions? Or are parents, teachers and school administrators forcing 2-liter Mountain Dews on them between classes? Here's your European History textbook and your Red Bull IV.
We have known from the beginning of time what is and is not poison for our bodies. Sadly the more poisonous it is, the better it tastes! Believe me, if cauliflower and tofu tasted like pepperoni pizza I'd be all over it. Hence the need for personal willpower and personal responsibility. That doesn't excuse parental responsibility when it comes to chubby toddlers. But if you're are old enough to make a formal declaration then you're old enough to make decisions about what you eat.
25 February 2010
What We Are
This is an excellent explanation of the type of government we have in the United States.
Hint: we are not a democracy!
Hint: we are not a democracy!
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