In a case in Tampa, it was discovered that alleged drug smugglers not only bought their cocaine from undercover agents, the FBI installed remote kill switches that would immobilize their cars so State troopers could search the vehicles .  One wonders why we even bother with trials.

On December 9th, The United States agreed on compensation for NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia and damage to US offices done by stone-throwing Chinese protesters.  The United States agreed to pay $28 million for damage done to China's embassy in Belgrade.  China, meanwhile, agreed to pay $2.87 million for damage done by angry demonstrators who attacked US Embassy.  The United States already had agreed to pay $4.5 million in compensation to the Chinese injured and the families of those killed.  I don't understand, we'll give you 28 million for your embassy if you give us 2.8 million for ours?  Sounds more like a commission.  And $1.5 million per casualty seems excessive from a country where workers earn $75 dollars a month.  Considering the Clinton campaign contributions that came from China, and a bombing that was nothing more than a cover for a Presidential indiscretion, China had it coming.  Not counting the cost of the bombs, that one mistake cost taxpayers 33 million.  Compared to the comedy material the $40 million Starr investigation provided, Ken Starr was a much better value

On March 17th we will celebrate the annual Parading O' the Stereotypes, also known as St. Patrick's Day.  We will all revel in Irish traditions like drunkenness, unencumbered by political correctness.  Don't get too rambunctious, or we'll send the Patty Wagon for ye.  The traditional meal of the day, corned beef and cabbage has no roots in Ireland; It comes from the 1913 comic strip "Bringing up Father."  The hero of the strip, an Irish Immigrant named Jiggs, would sneak out of his wife's dinner parties to indulge his appetite for the delicacy.

Bill Clinton proposed a ten dollar tax credit to people who file taxes electronicaly.  Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said the idea is to encourage more people to file returns via either the internet or the telephone to improve efficiency at the IRS.  I don't want to make the IRS more efficient, I want to burden them with as much paperwork as possible.  When I file, I prophylacticly add schedules and forms that are not required, just to make them work harder.  As far as filing electronically, I get nervous knowing that my hard drive will be linked to IRS computers, even if it's for only a millisecond.

Bill Clinton has announced a 5 billion "New Markets" initiative that will help inner cities and needy rural areas compete with foreign markets for industry. Unfortunately, nothing will ever happen until we can get American  workers to work for 25 cents an hour.  Unimpeded by this reality, House speaker Dennis Hastert has agreed to work with the president on another futile program.  The goddess named "Misfortune" must constantly be appeased by throwing money into the volcano of bureaucracy.

March 8, 2000

All the big-party presidential candidates are outspoken advocates of decency in Hollywood.  Well, as of Super Wednesday, it looks as though the major candidates are going to be Bush and Gore; amusingly, the same two things that garner a motion picture an R rating.

Ralph Nader announced his intention to run for president with the Green Party, and according to CNN is the only announced third party candidate.  Ironically, Ralph Nader is the man most singularly responsible for the demise of the VW Micro-Bus and Beetle, the #1 and #2 transportation choices of environmentalists.

During the SuperBowl, fans were impressed to see Christopher Reeves get up out of his wheelchair, and appear quite agile, thanks to computer animation.  Probably the most interested in the computer stunt was Democratic candidate Al Gore, who found new hope for his stiff image.

Hillary Rodham Clinton made official speculations that she was running for office.  A leap of faith, considering her resume.  There was her failed attempt to socialize one sixth of the United States economy, which we were lucky to skate away from with only a cost of 13 million dollars spent on research.  I would rather she had spent the money on pairs of shoes however.  A well dressed first lady would have been far more impressive than a thirteen hundred page lump of solid waste that was her Health Care Initiatve.  Then there was her Master Piece, "It Takes a Village."  Later learned to have been ghost written.  The only part Madam Hillary actually wrote was the tittle, which turned out to be stolen.  Finally in her position as First Lady, she needed an intern to fulfill all the required duties of that position.

April 9, 2000

On March 23, the New England Journal of Medicine reported a case where a vegan went blind due to a vitamin B-12 deficiency.  This should serve as ample warning to any PETA members trying to get state houses to legislate against meat.   33 years old and 100% blind!  (Vegans tend to have narrow vision to begin with.)  I bet he doesn't hang out with his PETA buddies much anymore.  Kind of hard to swallow that, "Humans were meant to be vegetarians," crap when you're bumping into walls. In my mind, exchanging the lives of cows and pigs for my ability read, is a fair trade.  Incidentally, is it wrong for a blinded vegan to exploit a seeing eye dog?  Since cows aren't as smart as dogs, isn't it less cruel to eat a cow than to exploit a dog?

For the first census in the past four of my lifetime, people have become suspicious of the United States census.  The surfacing of the Census bureau compliance in the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II certainly did not help its case. In some cities, up to sixty percent of the people flat out refused to fill out the form.  On April 6, Census director Kenneth Prewitt agreed to limit the intrusiveness of the long form, by mailing it continuously to  250,000 households a month, rather than once every 10 years.  That would ensure that 30 million households will have to fill it out over ten years, rather than the 20 million that are required presently.  Not to mention keeping the office open continuously, turning temporary assignments into full time jobs.

Little Elian Gonazales looks bound for Cuba, and he probably will be an outcast the rest of his childhood.  Other Cuban boys who entertain themselves in the streets of Havana by playing cat's cradle with rat entrails will never believe his fantastic tales about Toys R Us and Disney world.  I'm sure eventually he'll even doubt some of the things he witnessed, like air conditioned buildings and cars.  The only evidence of his trip, his new puppy, will be lucky to make it past Christmas Dinner.  The State department has is hands tied here though.  If they didn't send him and his father back, parents in Cuba would start stuffing their children into inner tubes and heaving them out to sea like Frisbees®.

On the push for child safety locks on guns.. I think it would exacerbate the problems, as kids usually seem to be the only people capable of working things childproofed.  A handgun makes a lousy self-defense weapon, when you have to hand it to your kid first to get the lock off.  Not to mention, it forces you to violate federal law against giving pistols to children.

Meaningful Speech Control Legislation:   I grow so weary of hearing Liberal Urban Professionals (Lippies), claim that the Constitution was never meant to be taken seriously; that our founders left loopholes so that modern societies could re-interpret the document.  Usually the Second Amendment falls victim to this "Organic, Living, Breathing" argument.  I would suggest that our founders could never have envisioned that the First Amendment would be misinterpreted by modern civilizations, and give them a right to utter such nonsense.  Along with not having a right to yell fire in a crowded theater, I think that no person should have the right to endanger my Liberty by saying something so ignorant and uninformed.  Therefore let's re-write the First Amendment also, to get stupid remarks out of the mouths of imbeciles and make our streets safer.

May 12, 2000

On April 19, the City of Oklahoma dedicated their memorial to the victims of the worst domestic terrorist bombing in the history of the United States.  One hundred and Sixty Eight marble chairs.  Does anyone else besides me, find it strange to use chairs, as a memorial for fallen Bureaucrats?

Conspicuously absent from the gun in the now famous Elían Gonzales "rescue" photo, was a child-proofed trigger lock.  You'd think if there ever was a time and place for one, it would be on a machine gun pointed at a six year old boy.

Chunky Commie Ice Cream-- In April, America bid a fond adieux to Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc.  $326 million million capitalist dollars was the bloody ransom paid for the greatest social experiment since Twentieth Century Motor.  This funky ice cream brand now sits in the Unilever portfolio, alongside Skippy Peanut Butter, Helmans Mayonnaise, and Pepsodent Toothpaste.  And with the Ben and Jerry's deal, Unilever also acquired Slimfast, to insure they have you as a customer, both coming and going.
Unintentionally, founders Ben and Jerry Cohen had stumbled into the greatest marketing scheme of the eighties.  Their ice cream is nothing more than a frozen one pound candy bar.   Flavors like "Chubby Hubby" mock how truly decadent their confection is.   This would normally cause your average liberal to shiver with guilt, adding lipids to their already excessive form, while societies are starving in Africa.
Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream was the biggest vendor of guilt relief in the modern world.  Health consciousness had forbidden the kind of fat laden, cholesterol rich delight that lives in those recycled paper tubs.  But who can resist?  Instead of relieving your guilt by promising 100% of your daily vitamin requirements, Ben & Jerry offer something a little more substantial,  Social Nutrition.  Sure your clogging your arteries and gaining weight, but never mind,  We’ll help save the earth with every mouthful.  Yum, was that a saturated fat filled nut I just sank my tooth into?  Yes but don’t worry, It was a brazil nut from the South American rain forest, every one you eat saves a little bit of forest.  Sure that was a mouthful of rich Swiss Chocolate, but it came from a chocolate company that never starved infants.  Yes our cream is 100% milk fat, but that milk fat came from family farmers, and was blended with 100% pure cane sugar in a plant where everybody makes almost the same wage.
The company also became an unintentional experiment in the nature of the CEO.  Marxists like Michael Moore find humor in the fact that the CEO of IBM cannot reconfigure a hard drive. The assumption of course is that anybody can be a CEO.  Women and minorities constantly decry the "Glass Ceiling"  that prevents their ascending to the top floor offices, held back solely by their gender or race.  When Ben & Jerry decided to retire (wealthy), they went in search of a Socially responsible CEO.  Certainly a woman or minority would be preferred. but because they organize their corporate structure in a socially equitable pattern, the highest paid employee could only make five times the pay of the lowest.  The company was flooded with applications for the 60K/year position, but not one was qualified.
To great fanfare they announced in February of 1994 they had succeeded in their search for a qualified CEO.  Robert Holland, an African American, took the helm of the company for a much greater salary than the 60K advertised.  The truth is that Qualified Women and Minority CEOs can pretty much write their own ticket, as their demand for diversity in the boardroom is actually quite high.  Mr Holland was forced to resign two years later amidst rapidly plummeting stock prices.
Ben and Jerry, obviously consumed with greed then hired a white male executive from a gun manufacturer to replace him at a substantially higher salary.  Apparently  social justice only is important when your stock price is up  Ben and Jerry, now very well educated in the truth about capitalism decided to take the money and run.  God speed blessed comrades, god speed.

June 20, 2000

HAUNTED  The Clinton Administration, became probably the most paranormal administration in history when two lost hard drives full of nuclear secrets appearedbehind a copy machine, at Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory in New Mexico.  If you remember, it wasn't that long ago that subpoenaed Rose Law firm billing records appeared  shortly after the statute of limitations expired.
Only a bureaucrat would think it's a good idea to store unencrypted top secret documents on a hard drive.  Hard drives are known for their portability and their ability to be duplicated exactly within milliseconds.  At least back in the early days of espionage, we would make spies bring a little camera.
If I had some intelligence, I didn't want transmitted, I'd sure as Hades wouldn't put it onto a hard drive.  It would be stored in an enormous leather bound volume of parchment, the script would be hand lettered hieroglyphics in an obscure dialect of Latin.  It would be guarded 24 hours a day, and lit only by candlelight.  If someone wanted to steal it they would need a forklift.
 

GAS PAIN   Finger pointing galore between the oil companies, Departments of Revenue, and the EPA over who is responsible for the hike in gas prices.  I think a lot of the blame could go to George Bush Senior for supporting the wrong side in the Gulf War.  After we used the most powerful military on earth to return Kuwaiti royal golden fixtures into marble palaces, they repay us by jacking up oil prices. What better time to pull the troops out of the gulf region.  I'd bet we could get it from Saddam Hussien for about a nickel a barrel right about now.
One advantage to the $2.00 per gallon gas price is that environmentalists have shut up about using taxation to put our gasoline prices more in line with that of other industrialized nations.

TAKE THE CORRUPTION PLUNGE   Al Gore was not aware that he might have been breaking campaign finance laws because he had been drinking excessive amounts of iced tea, and was probably in the bathroom during the meeting where fundraising was discussed.  I don't know about Al Gore and Bill Clinton.  For people that are constantly striving for more control over our lives, they certainly don't seem to be able to control much of their own bodies beneath their navel.

RATS! - Once again I am struck by a glaring example of the wealth of this nation.  We are so rich and well fed that people can obsess over nonsense.  On June 16th a group of skinny anemic PETA protesters gathered around a CBS office to protest an episode of the hit show Survivor, where a group of people try to be the last inhabitant of a deserted Island. PETA was outraged the night America was treated to footage of the cast eating rats.  I feel more sorry  for the humans than I did for the rats.  It would probably take a  more than a chance at a million dollars to get me to do that.    Rats were put onto this earth for the sole purpose of being eaten by small predators and third world residents.
In India, there are people who eat little more than rat their entire lives.  In a marvelous example of the free market at work, they charge farmers to get the rats out of the grain piles, and spend the evening grilling whole, unskinned rats over an open fire.  Of course the  wealthy American Survivors were spoiled, they just ate the rat meat.  The sweetbreads were thrown away.
How can animals have rights?  Okay, when  animals start publishing a newspaper, I won't outlaw it.  I believe that animals have the right to worship at any church they choose.  I might have a bit of a problem letting them organize freely though.
Animals have rights in the third world, they're just a little bit different: "You have the right to be dinner. Any part of your body can and will be used for said meal.  You have the right to be accompanied by a side dish.  If you do not have a side dish, one will gladly be provided for you."
 

July 13, 2000

Cough- So Chelsea Clinton was caught in a DC coffee house "smoking like a chimney."  Who would have thought that even the first daughter had been savaged by tobacco advertisers?  Hillary, the woman who wants to control our lives and let the government raise our children, is incapable of controlling her own.  I imagine there was probably quite a maelstrom on the residential floor the night that story broke.  You have to feel sorry for poor Chelsea though, for the first time she was witness to the wrath that is usually only reserved for her father.  And I would bet the White House manifest indicates one less lamp.

ADA Remembered- On July 2, the Americans with Disabilities act celebrated it's 10th anniversary.  Since it's signature, we've seen the law applied to everything from professional sports to strip clubs.  It has been abused by fat people to get first class seats at coach prices, and drunks that didn't want to get fired.  Meanwhile it has made the Federal Government appear petty and silly.  In deference to those who claim the Libertarian Revolution will never start until things get a whole lot worse, I applaud the ADA for its contributions to Liberty, Comedy and an Orwellian Society.

Fireworks and Meat- The European Vegetarian group VIVA wants an anti-meat commercial to run prior to screenings of the "Chicken Run," a clay-animated feature about a group of chickens determined to escape the dinner table.  Never before in the history of the earth has a species been so uncomfortable with their place on the food chain as the Homo Sapiens (Sapiens). Self consciousness has allowed our species to adapt to any environment, and survive any adversity.  The same gift of Nature is a curse to those who are uncomfortable with our dominance of the earth.
Two-point-five million years ago, the world entered into the last Ice Age, a time of great necessity, a spin of Darwin's roulette wheel.  The species Homo Habilis were our forefathers.  When the weather got cold, and food became scarce, they learned to make tools and hunt.  We survived not because we were able to find a cache of canned beans abandoned by other herbivores, we survived by consuming those animals less quick witted than ourselves. A couple million years later, Homo Sapiens emerged.
The North American continent was originally populated by Homo Sapiens migrating down the coast, consuming one endangered species after another.  The settling of the hemisphere was precipitated by the all-you-can-eat mammoth buffet that awaited those early pioneers.  Many creatures like the saber tooth tiger and the giant sloth never saw the Ice Age end.  It is no coincidence that every modern species has an innate fear of Man.  When the glaciers receded and the carnage ceased, only two types of beasts were left:  Humans, and animals afraid of them.
I personally have much respect for the sacrifices of my ancestors, and I refuse to dishonor them by handing over our place in the food chain.  Please enjoy your meat guiltlessly.  It is not only healthy and natural, but your birthright.  It is more than proper to celebrate Independence Day grilling meat in the back yard.  Not only are we paying tribute to those brave men that signed the Declaration of Independence, and delivered us from tyranny; we also celebrate our original founding fathers who fought an ancient war, a war of much greater consequence.

And Speaking of Darwin- According to an AP article by Anna Dolgov,  the scrap metal industry in poverty stricken Russia has started a new crime wave.  The infrastructure is often crippled by missing railroad parts and phone lines.  In fact, 544 people were electrocuted last year trying to steal high tension copper cable.  What a marvelous study of Social Darwinism: An Omnipotent Nanny State actually does breed beings incapable of surviving outside of a Totalitarian Regime.
 

August 17, 2000

Campaign News- Al Gore admits that he spends the night before an appearance with a teacher. Probably just brushing up on the spelling of potato, and his knowledge of world leaders; in case he's subjected to any of the grade school questions his Republican counterparts had to answer.

More- A friend of mine who works for Ameritech recently prepared a Doubletree Inn for an Al Gore stay. The Gore campaign required 37 hard telephone lines to be installed for a one night visit. So many lines had to be laid, that fire doors were left propped open for a full week in advance, and the cables had to be duct taped to the carpet; violating even the most conservative fire codes.
One can only imagine the cost, probably picked up by taxpayers. I could see perhaps if this was a Presidential visit, but this was the VICE President. The standard two room lines would suffice for either of the two calls that might come through: Either there is a tie in the Senate we need your vote; or Mr. Clinton has been hit with a lamp, come back to Washington and take the oath.

Ironic stance of the month:-  The FCC is pushing to expand licensing of low power radio stations; and one of the most vocal critics is National Public Radio. How dare they, after all the grief Bill Gates took from the same network with accusations of stifling competition. In his defense, Sir William Gates never once tried to destroy competition through government regulation. The word "public"  became synonymous with "government" long ago. Lately, it is becoming synonymous with "monopoly."

We've always suspected.- For years, everyone joked about the masculine appearance of the East German women athletes. Even a beer company made commercials, using overweight middle aged men in women's swimsuits to play the East German women's swim team. Leftward journalists laughed off any accusation of hormonal manipulation as conspiratorial. Medical experimentation is the realm of Right Wing Fascists, and would never occur in the Workers Paradise.
Just recently, a Berlin court convicted Manfred Ewald and Manfred Hoeppner of giving steroids to East German female athletes, under the guise of vitamins, throughout the seventies and eighties. Apparently 142 women were given male hormones, one of them in such quantity as to require a complete sex change.
The Olympics have strict rules against doping, and has equated it with cheating. They are supposed to be a competition of pure human achievement, of human beings stretching the limits of their physical selves.  I think technology should be welcomed into the games, for without it, man has pretty much reached his limit.
The achievements of the human mind surpassed the limits of the body long ago.
No matter how fast a runner is, a one minute mile is impossible. (I don’t even think a two minute mile is achievable.) In our cars however, a one minute mile is commonplace. In fact some cars can do a half minute mile. A javelin’s distance is measured in meters, but we have missiles that traveled all the way to the moon. World track records are measured in millionths of a second. A record that minuscule does not even exist without modern timepieces. We are marking non-technological achievements, that owe their very existence to technology. Olympic athletes use video recording and computer imaging. Bicycles and shoes, are made of space age composites, designed on super computers, and tested in wind tunnels.
Strangely though, when an athlete takes an advantage through pharmaceutical science, he is forced to resign in disgrace. I think if we’re already going to use technology, we should involve bio-tech. Why not let scientists develop super-athletes through the use of growth hormones. Even start from the womb with genetic manipulation. Imagine what a runner you could create if you could splice giraffe genes into a human embryo. Think how fast a dolphin/human hybrid could swim. I predict there will be tests in the future to insure generic purity of athletes.
A truly modern Olympiad would also involve motor-sports. As long as we're breaking running records, why not go for the land speed record at the same time. Let American Indy race cars go up against European Gran Prix. Invite monster trucks from all over the world to compete in a World Championship Crush-off. (I think America would be undefeated in a monster truck competition.) The snooty Olympics committee would forbid such a show, but damn their whiny euro-attitudes. You want Capitalist American Dollars, you take Capitalist American Sports. Up next, drag-racing and surfing, the California Biathlon!

Incidentally- If we can have women’s volleyball, why can’t we have men’s synchronized swimming?
 

September 14, 2000

November is the time we all gather with our families for a day, and dwell om being thankful. I usually reiterate my gratitude for being born in a place that is truly the most prosperous in any history or geography. America is home to the fattest poor people on earth.
We have conquered starvation. There are more stray animals roaming the streets here, than anywhere else in the industrialized world. Right now, there aren't many strays wandering around places like North Korea, Cuba, or Nigeria. In fact, I doubt there are too many pets left. In this country we are so well fed, that people will pay a dollar extra for a dozen eggs if the chicken was treated nicely.
We should all be thankful that we didn't grow up in  Europe; where people spend dinnertime eating parts of animals Americans use for pet food and fertilizer, wash it down with a couple gallons of wine and a carton of cigarettes, praying that the combination of lung cancer and socialized medicine might mercifully shorten their miserable little lives.
We should be grateful to those early settlers, the Pilgrims, who after starving through two winters, abandoned their original notion of community property, and for the first time on record proved to the world that free market capitalism holds the key to prosperity.

Members of Earth First! are  upset over the cult growing around Tree Sitter Julia "Butterfly" Hill.  They don't like the scenario she is currently promoting, that she staged the protest as a solo effort. Apparently, there were many people who built the platform, hauled in supplies, and barricaded access to the tree.   Most notably upset were the groups of men who were assigned the task of carrying away buckets full of excrement.  Isn't that the way it always goes, those responsible for the infrastructure are never given credit?

Several legislators are rallying around the Canadian idea of forcing larger warnings on packs of cigarettes. I guess that nearsighted people have been coming down with cancer at an alarming rate, as the present warnings aren't large enough.  No research is planned to find if the notion had any provable positive health results in our pink neighbor to the north. But never let facts and statistics get in the way of a perfectly good theory.
Some of the warnings suggested for the cigarette packs include graphic pictures of tumors, mouth cancer, and receding, bleeding gums. I like the idea, and think we should apply it to other areas.  How about pictures of Waco burning on the cover of tax forms? Include the warning, "Your tax money may be used to incinerate innocent people!"  Or on the cover of the census form, WWII vintage pictures of Japanese citizens behind barbed wire, "Information gathered by this Department may someday be used for racial profiling and ethnic cleansing."  Or how about pictures of Anne Frank on gun registration forms?

Government scientist Wen Ho Lee is released from prison, after nine months of solitary incarceration for espionage. He plead guilty to a computer download, thus averting a lengthy trial and mental breakdown. Another observer might accuse the feds of torturing a confession out of him.  The fact that there was absolutely no evidence against him, did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of federal prosecutors intent on pinning a leak on anyone.  It now seems that the only evidence against him, was that he was an Asian in a sensitive area. Turns out, he wasn't even from China, but Taiwan.  For those readers who might be government prosecutors, I would like to mention that Taiwan was a renegade province  of China, has declared independence from them, and is considered their enemy.  I'm sure all his Japanese co-workers blew a sigh of relief, the day the marshals escorted Lee out of the facility.
I think the biggest proof he wasn't responsible, was the fact that sensitive information still wandered around the facility while he was locked up. In fact, the Chinese probably didn't even need to hire a spy.  The blueprints for the W-88 warheads, were probably left along side a mint, on a pillow, in the White House Lincoln bedroom.
 

October 12, 2000

While watching Its a wonderful life for probably at least the 120th time, it occurred to me, what might have happened if Clarence the Angel worked his magic, and FDR had never been born.  The entire movie would have been irrelevant, as there would not have been any bank examiners wondering what happened to the missing 8000 dollars.  The Building and Loan's future would have been solely tied to George Bailey's reputation, which clearly was never an issue with the depositors.

Recently the Attorney General of Florida filed suit against the Psychic Readers Network because they were not using "real" Psychics. Apparently homeless women were recruited to read off of scripts and keep customers on the phone as long as possible. I fear that my friend over at 1-900-GIRL might not be exactly as she represented herself either. I'm shocked; shocked.  Most injured by the suit will once again be the people on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.
I cannot fathom that in the year 2000, people have to be protected from "Psychics." The standard proof, is that anyone who can predict the future has no need to talk on the phone for 4.99 per minute. "Okay, I'm getting a reading here, you're single, female, overweight, live in a trailer, never graduated high school, and don't know if your loser boyfriend really loves you..."
"Wow, you must be a Psychic!"
"No, I've just been working here long enough to see the pattern."
The Attorney Generals Office reached a settlement, with Access Resource Services of Fort Lauderdale, which operates the former Psychic Readers Network. allowing people to work as telephone Psychics, as long as they signed a vow of clairvoyance.
This is the second in a series from the Florida Attorney General. The first, being the very famous Publishers Clearinghouse Suit, which protected people stupid enough to believe they were winners, and just had to order a couple magazines to collect 10 million dollars.

Al Gore towards the end of the campaign grew a credibility problem.  He made wild claims like inventing the internet, being the topic of "Love Story," and raising 10000 chickens.  He was also a Military Journalist in Viet Nam.  That could explain why Americans stateside actually believed we were winning that war.

Once again, the debate on Global warming resurfaces, despite that here in Chicago we just finished the coldest summer on record. And there's no question which side the major media is on, despite their claims of "Neutrality." I actually believe that Truth lives midway between Rush Limbaugh and NPR, and I visit there often. At least Rush admits he's a Republican, I've never heard Peter Jennings even admit he is Canadian.
And even if global "warming" is occurring they cannot prove that: A.)It is man made, or B.) It is detrimental.  Both of those points are supported only by religious faith.
What are we going to do if it is occurring?  The Kyoto treaty is a good model of what the government might have in mind.  It calls for freezing  energy usage to 1990 levels.  (only in this country, third world nations can still use unlimited resources, but I don't want to fillet that socialist red herring right now.)  When supply dwindles, the price increases.  This will cause inflation, and poverty.  Some people on the economic borderline will most certainly die from cold or heatstroke.  Poverty and death.
What will we do if I am right?  Nothing.  Just continue living our lives uninterrupted.
Is it because I lean toward the Right Wing media? No, I lean toward freedom.  I lean toward a better quality of life; and living it how I see fit, without religious mystics calling me sinful.  Is there a vested interest from Big Oil in maintaining the status quo?  Perhaps.  But that interest is mine too.  Less disposable income means lower Comedy Club attendance, means day job for the drunkard.
Is there a vested interest in regulating carbon consumption? Absolutely.  More government regulation, means more government jobs, means bigger power base for those in the Ruling Class.  Liberals love the idea, because they hate capitalism, and know fossil fuels are essential for its existence.  Why they hate it, I don't know; but I doubt Ralph Nader would be worth 4 million in a Social Utopia.
What will happen if it is not occurring, but they can convince people otherwise and we sign the Kyoto treaty?  Same result, poverty and death, but for absolutely no reason.
What will happen if I am wrong but we do nothing? I believe that we will have to turn the thermostat down a little to keep our homes comfortable (cheaper in winter, more expensive in summer.)  They predict global cataclysm.  But seeing as their side has been unable to predict temperature vs. CO2 levels, I don't put much credence in their prophetic abilities. And the fact that human life spans are increasing worldwide seems to run afoul of the dire predictions.  Perhaps we should make Climatologists sign a "Vow of Clairvoyance."

On October 9, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader was a guest on  Chicago talk radio station WLS, with host Jay Marvin. I couldn't stand listening to his recycled Marxism  a moment longer and picked up the phone.  I was far too angry to conduct a rational debate with the candidate from the Party aligned with the color of Envy; however, it was enormously cathartic to publicly say to his face, what we all say behind his back.  The following is a transcript of our conversation (to the best of my recollection.) (NOTE: I don't know if this is appropriate for reflections either, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to brag.)
 

TIM SLAGLE: Mr. Nader, since you are a proponent of Universal Health Care, have you ever considered Universal Legal Care, to provide access to lawyers for all Americans?  Right now everybody has access to a doctor, but access to attorneys is only available for the rich.  The prison system is full of minorities because poor people cannot afford the same attorneys as white people.

RALPH NADER:  Well right now we have public defenders and legal assistance networks, which are there to assist lower income individuals in paying for attorneys.

TIM SLAGLE: Yes, but wouldn't it make more sense to nationalize the bar association, and allow the government to regulate how much attorneys can make? We could limit settlements, provide affordable legal assistance for every American; and use the surplus to fund health care, and programs for poor children.

RALPH NADER: Well, I think our caller is being a little sarcastic.

TIM SLAGLE: Oh, no Mr. Nader, I'm dead serious.  Right now government has been corrupted by millionaire attorneys.  I'm sick and tired of rich attorneys telling doctors how much money they can make.  How much are you worth Mr. Nader?

(silence)

TIM SLAGLE: Come on, Mr. Nader how much are you worth? Four Million I understand.

JAY MARVIN: Yeah, but Mr. Nader is not an attorney.

TIM SLAGLE: No?

JAY MARVIN: Your not an attorney, right Mr. Nader

RALPH NADER: (sheepishly) yes I am.

JAY MARVIN: What?

RALPH NADER: Yes. I am an attorney

TIM SLAGLE: Got you there Jay.

JAY MARVIN: Yeah but you're not a practicing attorney...

TIM SLAGLE: well, I stand corrected.

at this point, my line is disconnected