Today's stock market may be a harbinger of things to come.(Dow down about 400 points)
Crude up about $10.00 a barrel. This is ominous.
It begins to seem that there is not enough crude being produced to supply the demand. Even a slight shortfall can ( and will )cause wild speculation and ever increasing prices.
The air transport business is about to be ruined. The price of flying must go up and few of us will be able to afford to fly. Gasoline and diesel are likely to go through the roof. Think like $8.oo or $10.00 a gallon (pretty soon). The auto industry will take a terrible blow. Our wonderful Boeing Co. will have trouble selling aircraft. Prices of food and goods will skyrocket as the dollar sinks even further in value.
In short - The US and maybe the world will sink into a terrible depression and I cannot see how we or they will ever recover.
Blame? Lets put lots of it on our congress.Their inaction over the last 10 or 15 years is unbelievable. Right now oil is the problem. The solution stares us in the face. You and I know what should have been done. Now it may be too late.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Republican or Democrat
I have never been a Democrat. Now I must wonder if I am a Republican. Both parties are behaving like idiots. Uppermost in my mind : The energy problem
( soon to be a crisis ).
There are about ten easy steps to be taken that will solve the problem. I will list a few of them (You all know them unless you are a congressman)
1) Remove all the restrictions on drilling for our oil. This includes the East Coast and the West coast as well as Alaska. The shale oil and tar sands should be developed at once. The environmental impact of this is very small. The petroleum industry has new methods for clean drilling.
2)Get started at once building more nuclear power plants. We have 108 of them at present and they are old but reliable. We could use 100 more. Modern designed plants will be more efficiet and even safer.
3)Shoot the enviromentalist. ( Just kidding ). What I really mean is, the wild eyed ones that are obstructist should be ignored.
There are many more things that need to be done but the above have a wonderful
simplicity and a huge advantage. They would cost the Government nothing. Private industry would gladly do it all at their own expense. We, the struggling public would benefit with lowered gasoline prices.
Unforunately, these measures would take time, years and years. Why didn't we get started ten years ago ? Ask your congressman.
( soon to be a crisis ).
There are about ten easy steps to be taken that will solve the problem. I will list a few of them (You all know them unless you are a congressman)
1) Remove all the restrictions on drilling for our oil. This includes the East Coast and the West coast as well as Alaska. The shale oil and tar sands should be developed at once. The environmental impact of this is very small. The petroleum industry has new methods for clean drilling.
2)Get started at once building more nuclear power plants. We have 108 of them at present and they are old but reliable. We could use 100 more. Modern designed plants will be more efficiet and even safer.
3)Shoot the enviromentalist. ( Just kidding ). What I really mean is, the wild eyed ones that are obstructist should be ignored.
There are many more things that need to be done but the above have a wonderful
simplicity and a huge advantage. They would cost the Government nothing. Private industry would gladly do it all at their own expense. We, the struggling public would benefit with lowered gasoline prices.
Unforunately, these measures would take time, years and years. Why didn't we get started ten years ago ? Ask your congressman.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Papayas (again)
Quasimoto was doing very well until the other day. Five well formed young ones and what looks like another fifty on the way. I discovered a group of ants crawling about and puncturing
the babies. They then oozed white stuff which the ants were harvesting and carrying away.
We have instituted a 24 hour watch but they are sneaky and slip by from time to time. Now I have sprayed Quasi ( My affectionate name for the tree ) with anti ant spray. Success for the
moment.
Of all the colonial hymenopterous insects, the formicidae are my least favorite. There are many different types, most of them swarming about our modest garden. We have enormous black ants with the annoying habit of crawling onto ones arm or leg.Nasty fire ants also like to get on ones body and they pack a nasty sting. I remember , as a child, that big red ants were prevalent. We see very few of them in this area. The ones after the papayas are black and medium sized. I don't suppose there is any way to eliminate them.
the babies. They then oozed white stuff which the ants were harvesting and carrying away.
We have instituted a 24 hour watch but they are sneaky and slip by from time to time. Now I have sprayed Quasi ( My affectionate name for the tree ) with anti ant spray. Success for the
moment.
Of all the colonial hymenopterous insects, the formicidae are my least favorite. There are many different types, most of them swarming about our modest garden. We have enormous black ants with the annoying habit of crawling onto ones arm or leg.Nasty fire ants also like to get on ones body and they pack a nasty sting. I remember , as a child, that big red ants were prevalent. We see very few of them in this area. The ones after the papayas are black and medium sized. I don't suppose there is any way to eliminate them.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Papaya
Two years ago daughter Kathy presented me with a tiny papaya tree. She was aware of my failed efforts from previous years and so ( bless her ) she gave me this miserable specimen, root bound and bent over. I called it Quasimoto and stuck it unceremoniously into the ground.
It grew slowly and the first year produced blossoms which promptly fell off. Year two and it has gotten to about 7 feet ( a shrimp by papaya standards). Now it has produced many blossoms and they are all turning into papayas. I expect a bountiful harvest. Isn't that good news ?
The bad news-- I hate papayas. Never has a more tasteless fruit been produced by mother nature.
Next I will thrill my readers with the heart warming story about our beans and tomatoes.
It grew slowly and the first year produced blossoms which promptly fell off. Year two and it has gotten to about 7 feet ( a shrimp by papaya standards). Now it has produced many blossoms and they are all turning into papayas. I expect a bountiful harvest. Isn't that good news ?
The bad news-- I hate papayas. Never has a more tasteless fruit been produced by mother nature.
Next I will thrill my readers with the heart warming story about our beans and tomatoes.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Grand Opera
There are a few arias in some operas that I fund to be beautiful but they are just bits and
pieces hooked onto stupid stories. Therefore, it is safe to say that I am not an opera buff.
Jan is an opera buff. She listens to her tapes and discs while doing her chores. Not often does she have a chance to actually go to the opera and so she jumped at the chance to go last night.
Some sort of a deal allowed her to pay only $30.00 for seats that normally go for $150.00.
She came home very pleased with the experience. I was appalled at the $30.00 price
(We could have purchased a disc of the whole thing for less) and can not even imagine anyone paying the full $150.00 price.
It seems that many people have so much money that it no longer has any meaning. I often wonder what it would be like to be in that position. Thousands of dollars for a super bowl ticket.
A small fortune to hear Banana Nose (My affectionate name for Streisand), hotel rooms for thousands per night and meals costing hundreds of bucks. My worries are much simpler. $3.50 for a gallon of gas, $4.00 for a gallon of milk.
pieces hooked onto stupid stories. Therefore, it is safe to say that I am not an opera buff.
Jan is an opera buff. She listens to her tapes and discs while doing her chores. Not often does she have a chance to actually go to the opera and so she jumped at the chance to go last night.
Some sort of a deal allowed her to pay only $30.00 for seats that normally go for $150.00.
She came home very pleased with the experience. I was appalled at the $30.00 price
(We could have purchased a disc of the whole thing for less) and can not even imagine anyone paying the full $150.00 price.
It seems that many people have so much money that it no longer has any meaning. I often wonder what it would be like to be in that position. Thousands of dollars for a super bowl ticket.
A small fortune to hear Banana Nose (My affectionate name for Streisand), hotel rooms for thousands per night and meals costing hundreds of bucks. My worries are much simpler. $3.50 for a gallon of gas, $4.00 for a gallon of milk.
Friday, April 18, 2008
MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS
It seems to me that the media is making much to much about the Pope"s visit. I agree with the general coverage, he is a swell dude and much admired even by non -Catholics but---
That Popemobile is the worst looking vehicle ever designed by human hand, I would find it demeaning just to look at it, let alone ride in it.
That crazy hat that he seems to wear on ceremonial occasions is simply awful. He better stay awake while wearing it. If he happens to nod off it becomes horribly obvious. And how can he
not nod off while attending some of the events which he must attend ?
That Popemobile is the worst looking vehicle ever designed by human hand, I would find it demeaning just to look at it, let alone ride in it.
That crazy hat that he seems to wear on ceremonial occasions is simply awful. He better stay awake while wearing it. If he happens to nod off it becomes horribly obvious. And how can he
not nod off while attending some of the events which he must attend ?
Friday, April 11, 2008
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I have recently noticed that many people suddenly have very white teeth. There are many shades of white but tooth color isn't that bright reflective white. Some celebrities teeth practically glow in the dark. This confirms my suspicion that many people are idiots.
Why do people riot ? Perhaps the Haitians who seem to be starving have a pretty good excuse.
Most American riots seem strange. They often take place during the week when all good people are a t work. I must assume that the rioters are all unemployed. Sometimes their causes seem a little less than pressing. Do the recent disturbances in San Francisco seem to be of pressing concern? Do you suppose that the rioters even know where Tibet is ?
Global warming seems to have stalled during the last few years. Hmm- Do you suppose that the warming theory has been exaggerated ? My theory is that it is a self correcting situation.More warmth creates more clouds which reflect the suns rays back into space and hence cool things down.
Why do people riot ? Perhaps the Haitians who seem to be starving have a pretty good excuse.
Most American riots seem strange. They often take place during the week when all good people are a t work. I must assume that the rioters are all unemployed. Sometimes their causes seem a little less than pressing. Do the recent disturbances in San Francisco seem to be of pressing concern? Do you suppose that the rioters even know where Tibet is ?
Global warming seems to have stalled during the last few years. Hmm- Do you suppose that the warming theory has been exaggerated ? My theory is that it is a self correcting situation.More warmth creates more clouds which reflect the suns rays back into space and hence cool things down.
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