Pay attention. There's a quiz at the end.

Sorry I haven't been able to blog about it (cos I'm sure you all care), but I suppose you all heard about the major oil companies being brought before Congress for hearings. And I'm sure some may actually appreciate the government doing something about high gas prices, not enough being invested in alternative energy sources, oil companies making too much money, etc., because "it's all their fault." (Can't believe I typed that with a straight face.)

Now whether or not you place full blame on those big bad oil companies for the mess with oil prices, you have to admit that THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS IT'S SCARY.

Think about this: our government, in our "free and democratic society," our blessed republic, is harassing PRIVATE companies about what they are doing with their "excessive profits," going so far as to accuse them of not using their "excessive profits" well enough by investing more in alternative energy. These are private citizens for crapping out loud! It's their money! Where in the Constitution does it say that Congress has the right to do this?

But I love what one of the oil execs said when questioned about why his company hadn't invested more in non-oil energy. He said, basically, "Um...we're an oil company. Why the hell would we want to do that?"

Seriously. It's like asking McDonald's to invest in Burger King, and then being confused and offended that they don't want to.

But even if our government had the right to question a company's use of their own excessive profits, what makes us think that the oil companies' profits actually are excessive? If you take the time to look at the numbers, you would realize that their profit margins are actually right in line with other industries, if not on the low end.

Here's an interesting statistic. Of the price you pay at the pump, 15% of it is taxes that go to our government. But, only 4% is profit for the oil company. So if 4% is excessive, then 15% is just ridiculous. Maybe the oil companies should hold their own hearings with Congress and ask what they have been doing with all the money we've been giving them, cos we actually have the right to hold our government accountable, because IT'S OUR MONEY.

Nevermind the fact that our government is simultaneously telling the oil companies that they need to produce more, and also that they are not allowed to drill here in the US.

"Oh, but that would be harmful to the environment! Remember how much that nasty ol' Trans-Alaskan Pipeline decimated the precious caribou population?"

...Um, actually, the pipeline isn't harming them at all. In reality, they really like it cos it's nice and warm. They even sleep and mate near it.

And speaking of alternative energy, why not more nuclear? I mean, people are always saying we need to be more progressive like the Europeans. Do we realize that the majority of the energy in countries like France and Sweden is nuclear? Why not us?

Ok, now for that quiz. It's pretty simple. Just one question:

Why the hell is it in style for men to leave the bottom button of their suit jackets unbuttoned? I mean, for my suits anyway, they look much better when all buttons are buttoned. Anybody have an answer for this? It's been confounding me for some time.

Reason #32

Alright, I'm back. Sorry about not updating like I said, but evenings actually turned out to be eventful in St. Louis. The others in training were pretty cool, and we ended up at least going out for dinner every night.

The company treated us very well. I mentioned the airfare, hotel, and food. But then there was the free limo to take us anywhere in town on Wednesday night.

And it was a Hummer limo.

So training went well, and so has my first week of work. I'm pretty sore, though, from all the setting up and whatnot.

But now something else. UCC is advertising something called Vote Out Poverty. Now, I think the intentions here are fantastic. Poverty sucks, and we need to do something about it. It's good that awareness is being raised by things like this. But I have also been informed that this isn't just a liberal or conservative thing, but is bipartisan or whatever.

*ahem*

Really. So tell me exactly how many conservatives you know, or even libertarians and such, who choose to overcome poverty by voting it out, no doubt for certain government programs and raised taxes and whatnot.

Here's how a conservative would vote out poverty: vote for people that will stop taking our money. And I sincerely doubt that that will be the method this initiative will advocate.

And this goes back to a discussion that I've had too often. Just because Republicans don't want to use government to eradicate poverty it doesn't mean that we don't want it eradicated. Cos honestly, I see "voting out poverty" as the lazy (and more expensive) approach.

But again, at least we're talking about it and not just ignoring it.

Live from St. Louis

Greetings, all. In case you haven't been keeping up, I am currently out in St. Louis for the week for my new job training. Just arrived today. Swank AV is covering a lot of stuff, including the flight and hotel, as well as transportation to and from training, and money for dinner every day, which is sweet. There's a bbq place right next to the hotel. It doesn't look too impressive, but it's probly pretty good at least. I also found one less than 2 mi. away. It's nice cos if I wanna go anywhere not right around the hotel, I need a cab, so it wouldn't be too terribly expensive. Unfortunately, downtown is like 16 mi. away, so I won't be hanging out there too much, I'm afraid.

Another downside would be that I forgot my phone charger, and my battery is at about 1/4. So I won't have it on very much, except maybe once a day to check for voice mail. So if you want to get a hold of me, you should e-mail me or call my hotel @ 636-861-8300, rm. 400.

Training starts tomorrow. More updates to follow, since I'll probably just be hanging out in my room a lot. Maybe I shoulda rented a car. Oh, well.

Not so pure anymore

Well, it looks like global warming alarmists have a new scapegoat: the very spirit of competetive sport.

I'm sure that China appreciates the break from the bad press.

Enjoy the Unknown

Good news. I gots a new job.

Not only that, it's one in my field.

I accepted a Technician position with Swank Audio Visuals. And I promise that they're quite reputable. They do in-house a/v services for hotels. I'll be working at the Sheriton up in Sharonville. I start Mon. the 28th.

But not before I go through training the 21-25th.....in St. Louis!!! (Can you say ribs?)

So I am excited. Here I am almost 2 years out of college, and I'm about to start a career. It's quite an interesting feeling. It's one of the few long-term things I've ever undertaken. Other than marriage, most things in my life, like other jobs and college, were only things for a few years, if that. Growing up is weird. I'm still figuring it out.

And now I will continue what seems to have been made a tradition: the drinking of a double bock in celebration of a new job. I had the Samuel Adams version when I found out about my present job. But tonight, it's the Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppel Bock. It was brewed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the repealing of prohibition (which was yesterday to be exact). And it's a bit of an emancipation for myself. Whereas that was freedom from lack of beer (legally anyway), I have freedom from the lack of a good job. How deliciously appropriate.

Cheers!

And Amen.

Standing tall and stuff.

People, I'm tired.

I'm tired of all of the fear and scare tactics being used by so many in our government and news media. They tell us that we're all in danger and anyone who disagrees is ostracized and ignored, at best. Those of us who think that we're being lied to are just some "lunatic fringe." And now, based on lies, we are asked to make sacrifices; to change our very lives as we know them. Even the government is taking costly actions for this purpose, and they affect us all. But we are assured that these are necessary sacrifices and that we will be safer, so it's worth it. But again, if we refuse to give in, there are consequences.

I guess they assume that because enough important people say it and if they ignore and don't tell us about dissenting opinion, we will also believe it.

I am, of course, talking about the theory of man-made global warming.

Seems like some people detest these fear tactics in the area of terrorism and national security (which are pretty well proven to be major concerns), but they're suddenly ok with them when talking about man-made global warming (which is still a theory - and not a very good one).

I was reading this article: A Really Inconvenient Truth

I had to stop part-way through cos it was pissing me off.

For those who don't want to read the whole thing (though you should - and so should I), here are a couple highlights.

Remember that "consensus" of 200 scientists who concluded that "changes in the atmosphere, the oceans and glaciers and ice caps now show unequivocally that the world is warming due to human activities"? I'm sure you do, as it was widely publicized. Well, I'll bet you never heard of the 400 scientists who disagree.

Thats right. So, how is it that 200 scientists think one way, and 400 think another way, and yet the thoughts of the 200 (the minority) are considered to be the consensus? That is sheer idiocy.

Don't believe me? Read the report.

An here's another bit from the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change entitled Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate.

What's really sad is the treatment that very reputable scientists are receiving. Many are “'denied tenure, shut out of scientific conferences and rejected by academic journals because no matter how scrupulous their research,' their conclusions contradicted the truth espoused by the climate change pharisees (National Post, March 10)."

Another interesting tidbit:

"One Canadian survey of 51,000 earth scientists and engineers by the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), released last week, showed that 68 percent disagreed with the statement that 'the debate on the scientific causes of recent climate change is settled.'”

Looks like Canada's good for something after all.

So don't believe the hype. Educate and think for yourself.

Is it football yet?

Good news for the Buckeye Nation.

O-H

Vigilanteism has never been so delicious.

So you may be saying to yourself, "Self, I have a problem with bums and drug dealers hanging around near my bar, and I have a bbq smoker. What do I do now?"

Well, maybe you could do what this guy did.

I have a new hero.

Speaking of Algore...

ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease

If this is true, then I have a 10-year countdown of my own.

And I think that's being a little generous.





Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe