Lars used to ask that when he was little. “What the world is that?” “What the world are you doing?”
Cute.
Today, I wax philosophical. Or maybe I’m just wondering about stuff.
While listening to Slacker Radio on my Storm (salaam to whoever put that app together…Lawd), I heard “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” by Marvin Gaye.
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east”
Indeed. And not just in an ecological sense. This morning I ponder things, at random of course, as is my wont:
- What the world are people doing when they talk poison and hurt those they supposedly love?
- Why are we bailing out/fresh-starting/overhauling the auto and banking industries, but not public education?
- Why do we tend to blame others for what we’ve become?
- Why is marijuana illegal, but alcohol isn’t?
- How and when did empathy fall out of favor in our culture?
- Tell me, where is fancy bred? In the heart, or in the head? (“Shall we roll on?” Heh.)
Pick one or two and weigh in, if you get the hankerin’. No judgment passed here in Finkville, promise. Well, except maybe by me.
KIDDING 
Have a dandy Tuesday. I’m off to the school house, with Jake riding shotgun. Yee-haw!
#2 is an easy one: As far as the majority of those in power in our govt. over the years are concerned, there’s no $$ to be made by doing that (or as we say in the biz world: ROI-return on investment).
Shows how blind they really are, doesn’t it BoomR? Go for the Veruca Salt fix (I want it NOW), and the future will somehow take care of itself.
Wow…two Willy Wonka references in one post!
Number four is answered by taking into account how good William Randolf Hearst was with his anti-Marijuana campaign. Get the wrong facts across, they become real in the eyes of people, and it somehow sticks eighty years later. In addition, some of the blame can be put on the pharmaceutical industry. I know at least one person who uses it, not because they’re addicted but because they’re in constant pain due to the cancer treatments they’re going through. Seriously, if we legalize Marijuana and Gay Marriage, we can at least start making a dent in the recession.
Yep, and add to it the preposterous non-argument that alcohol somehow impairs you less while driving than any other substance, and we’re all messed up. I guess senseless paradoxes are inevitable when humans are involved in a decision-making process, but some of our laws and government programs give whole new meaning to the word “cockamamie.”
Why trade in your (more than likely) paid-off vehicle into the Cash for Clunkers program so that you can just go into major debt on the next vehicle you purchases?
Does paying 140-200 billion dollars to one developing nation in the east seem a fair deal in the efforts of encouraging them to sign up for a global climate agreement?
And my 10-year-old Ranger (yep, paid off) probably wouldn’t even qualify.
Check out what Scott Harris (of Bill Harris Chevy here in Ashland) said in a recent T-G article:
“It’s not a cash-for-clunkers program; it’s a cash-for-guzzlers program,” he said. “And the problem is somebody has a 2000-whatever that doesn’t run real well and gets 13 miles per gallon, but that car has a combined 20 miles per gallon, so it doesn’t qualify.”
Harris said the government mistakenly made some cars ineligible. He is concerned that by the time the problem is fixed, the government will run out of cash for clunker money.
Another problem is cars have to be insured and registered for the past 12 months. Harris doesn’t understand this provision and thinks it should be removed.
“Who cares if the car has insurance, is titled or registered? If it’s getting it off the ground and moving it, then hallelujah, but that’s not the case, there is a ton of criteria to meet,” he said.
Scott Donley (of Donley Ford) said the rules document for the C4C proggy is 137 pages long. Whatever. Could we just make it a little MORE confusing and red-tapey? Sheesh.
Red tape is right. You should totally watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWs12ccbOiE&feature=player_embedded
Well, that was a good laugh. Prime example of right-wing-nut fear mongering by the right’s favorite cheerleaders over at Fox. Considering that both the Fox parent company (News Corp) and CNBC/NBC’s parent company (GM) have now made it very clear that they get veto rights at ivory tower-level on what does & does not get talked about on their stations, I wouldn’t believe much of what I see on ANY TV station any more…
(and if you don’t know what I’m talking about):
http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/08/04/the-morning-after-olbermann-oreilly-feud-back-on-if-it-was-ever-off/
Did you go to cars.gov? I did & can’t even find the link that he was talking about. No WONDER the hostess-with-the-mostess was so adamant about not trying it at home: IT’S A FAKE!!
The way that brunette bimbo was talking, anyone who hits the site is gonna get infected by an octopus of spyware/malware & such. I almost peed myself laughing at her. How can smart people even take these folks seriously??!!
PS…typo. GM = GE (General Electric) I should know better that if I rant, I should at least spell-check..
Jax still ranting I see long time no talk. Well I made it out to arizona things are good started work Last Friday meetings meetings meetings. I will telk about number 2 Well education is not important to the government except when they want to tell us all how to do or jobs and then wonder why things are so bad now maybe we should step back a few years and teach respect again and not worry so much about test scores. Oh well we do not make the governemnt money so it will never change. hope to hear from you soon later Jax
Mathman!!! So good to see you here, pal! Also great to hear you’re teaching again. Gimme a shout on email so I can get your new addy. Congrats on the job!!