No go, Sunoco

The sticker

This has got to be the lamest attempt at goodwill and free advertising that I've seen in some time from an oil company.

Have you seen the above sticker? I've seen a few of them on vehicles in the Philly area, but they are all over taxi cabs. It's a contest where, if you put this sticker on your vehicle, you can win gas from Sunoco, if you're seen by one of Sunoco's spotters. The grand prize is 5,000 gallons of gas. Quick confession - I grabbed two for our cars, brought them home, read the back, thought about it for a second, then laughed at my gullibility.

In short, Sunoco can wipe its collective ass with these if they think I'm putting them on our cars. It's bad enough we get prison pounded at the pump every time we fill up; but our cars aren't going to serve as Big Oil billboards. Besides, if I put one of these on my car, it's less room for stickers telling Big Oil and their Republican buddies to fuck off.

Philly gets something right

Philly is finally getting it in gear with its recycling program, and I couldn't be happier! The city is finally picking up "1" & "2" plastics. It isn't great, but it's a start.

How frustrating is it that I'm trying to go green in a number of different ways, but, up until July 10, I lived in a major American city that did not pick up plastic for recycling?

It's progress, and I'll take it. Now, how about 3-7 plastics, Philly? Get going!

No Brotherly Love Olympics

(Photo from the Philly Inquirer)

So, Philly's out of it. There will be no Olympics here in 2016. I never seriously thought the city had a shot, but it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?

Upon further reflection, though, I can count many more reasons why the city should not be awarded the games than why it should.

Yes, Philly has a wonderful history. The Center City revitalization is awesome, and it's only going to get bigger and better. There's no shortage of passionate sports fans in this entire region (and I'm even including boorish Philly fans here). The city's sports stadiums are brand-spanking new, with easy access to major interstates. I've lived here for only a short time, but I love this city.

But, there's plenty of downside to a Philly Olympic bid, too. We arguably have the most corrupt mayor in the nation (and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat typing this!).

The crime is high and doesn't show signs of abating (I read yesterday that per capita we have a higher murder rate than New York. New York!). One day a few weeks ago, there were five murders in the city in one day.

The highways are a complete disgrace. Without even discussing much-needed I-95 repairs or the trecherous Roosevelt Blvd., how about the Schuylkill Expressway, a wholly inadequate artery for a major U.S. city? Just imagine people trying to get into the city for Olympic events on this monstrosity. Not a big deal, you say? Well, how else would people get into the city from the suburbs during this world-class event? They wouldn't.

To make matters worse, the city long ago threw its hands in the air about I-76 and said, in so many words, "There's nothing more we can do. Take mass transit if you don't like it." Too bad the city and state don't support mass transit nearly as well as it should, either. Will the Schuylkill Valley Metro ever be built? Sure, when I'm tending goal for the Edmonton Oilers.

And where would the Olympic Village be built?

In short, I'm sure these issues and more weighed heavily on the minds of the USOC when considering Philadelphia, regardless of what they say publicly.

Maybe in the 2030s Philly will have a shot, when Mayor Street is a distant, albeit painful memory. I'd love to see Philly showcased for all of the world to see, but it will have to wait.

More Inconvenient stuff to mull over

You may be asking yourself, "Will RJ ever shut up about that Al Gore movie?" The answer is no. I think it's one of the most important documentaries ever made, and I hope it has a lasting impact; it's already had a powerful one, but I'm optimistic this film "has legs" and will continue to generate much-needed debate on global warming.

The above interview aired on The Guardian/the British Channel 4, and it is pretty enlightening. In it, Gore mentions energy-saving light bulbs, which I have previously blogged about. Go to that story Here.

An Inconvenient Truth is already the fourth highest grossing documentary of all time, right behind Fahrenheit 9/11, March of the Penguins and Bowling for Columbine. Wow, Michael Moore is in the top three, twice. That's gotta piss off a lot of conservatives, so that's a bonus. Anyway, as of July 19, the film has grossed $17,398,935 - pretty impressive for a film that's not in major release.

Entertainment Weekly recently did a pretty good story on Gore. Get it Here or click on the picture.

People's minds seem to be changing, and from some unlikely sources, too. Check these:

Roger Friedman of Fox News has said, "It doesn't matter whether you're Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, your mind will be changed in a nanosecond."

Even Bill O'Lielly, a man I totally despise, had this to say: "You outta listen to Al Gore about this global warming. The world is getting warm." Wow, and he didn't even lie in that sentence!

My favorite quote about the movie comes from Roger Ebert, and this ought to move you - he's been reviewing movies for nearly four decades. In his review, he writes, "In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to."

Roger, Roger.

This Film is Not Yet Rated: See it!

When we went to see Who Killed the Electric Car? the other night, we saw a number of good movie trailers, and this one stood out. The movie's called This Film is Not Yet Rated, and it deals with the Motion Picture Association of America, and how this somewhat mysterious organization rates movies across America with its controversial ratings system.

More accurately, it deals with how a few select people are imposing their morality on the rest of the country. And that just about always fucking pisses me off. And here, I separate from my traditionally Democratic Party roots - the MPAA was headed for years by Jack Valenti, a special assistant to President Johnson. When Valenti resigned in 2004, he was replaced by Dan Glickman, agriculture secretary under President Clinton.

Anyway, the movie should be an interesting one. As usual, I'll bring you a review after I see it.

Another reason to love Crate&Barrel

I already loved Crate&Barrel, but now I have one more reason. We have been getting a large number of their famous white boxes delivered to our condo, because it's one of the places we are registered for our wedding.

Today, we received a box, and when I opened it, a little slip was at the bottom. It reads:



Bravo, Crate&Barrel. You not only have great items and a great store, but you are working to lessen your environmental impact. I'll get behind a store like that any day.

This brings me to my next point - a new feature on RJ's Journey, Green Gets My Green. I'm starting a list of companies down the right side of my blog that I discover are working to become greener. I'll provide the links, and hopefully you provide the clicks. The biggest incentive we can give companies to become more environmentally friendly is by giving green companies our business. Let's do the right thing by rewarding companies that do the right thing.

My latest love: Podcasting

I am not a stranger to owning an iPod. In fact, I'm on my 5th one - I've owned every generation, I think. My latest model is the 60 GB iPod Video. I couldn't be happier with it. I owned the very first iPod, which, looking back at it now from about 4 years ago, looks ancient compared to the new ones.



Anyway, I'm a little late to the game, but the latest thing I love about my iPod is Podcasting. What is that, you might ask? (And I would ask, how's that cave you've been livin' in?) Anyway, it's downloading audio and video shows from iTunes (the world-renowned software that accompanies an iPod), almost all of them for free. It's fantastic! It now competes with my much loved Sirius Satellite Radio for my attention in the car. Even more exciting is that starting this fall, my long commute to KU will feel a lot shorter with so much material to listen to.

Early favorite Podcasts include a compliment of Slate programs, five different NPRs, VH-1's Best Week Ever, four different features from the New York Times, several from ESPN, and I even subscribe to several Podcasts from my beloved Edmonton Oilers, which include all press conferences. Righteous!

In short, Podcasting is my new addiction. And, of course, I love the video Podcasts. The picture is clear as a bell on my iPod video, too. It's like having mini TV shows at your fingertips, without the commercials. I'm loading up the iPod for our two weeks in Mexico. I may be about halfway to filling up my 60 GB in another week with all of my music, coupled with lots of videos and Podcasts.

Microsoft may have Windows, and with it an enduring legacy, but Apple will always have the iPod. Microsoft wins that matchup on many fronts, but not in hipness and coolness. Steven Jobs not only saved Apple, but he couldn't have done it without the many brilliant minds in Apple's R&D labs who gave the world the iPod; the company shipped just over 8 million iPods in the last quarter alone. Wow. Try as he might, Bill Gates has yet to even scratch the surface in the war for mini-music players, which are quickly becoming mini-media players. Apple dominates the MP-3 player segment with over 70 percent market share. Sounds like Windows-type domination to me.

If you are looking for an MP-3 player, look no further than the bitten fruit. Other companies have players that may cost a bit less and have a few more accessories, like FM radio, but who the hell cares about FM radio? That's deader than a Michael Jackson daycare. In the end, iPod outperforms them all anyway - the proof is in the market share.

In the portable media player universe, iGod.

President Ford is discharged

I read today the President Ford is at home and resting after a brief stay at Vail Valley Medical Center, in Colorado, which is good news. I've always had a special admiration for him for how he led the country after Nixon's resignation.

At first, my heart leapt a little when I saw the headline that Ford, 93, had been released from the hospital. I had flashbacks to my Nan earlier this summer; when they released her, it was because there was nothing more they could do, and they sent her home where she wanted to spend her final days.

But, with Ford, it looks like it was a false alarm, and that's good. He's been in better health, but it looks as if he may become our oldest living president of all time on November 12 of this year, passing Ronald Reagan.

Ford is on my mind because I'm reading a very good book about his presidency, 31 Days. If I ever finish it, I will write a review of it and give you my thoughts. I've been working on it for months - I've just been so busy with other stuff, I'm waay behind on my book reading this year. But, I'll catch up at some point. My early thought on the book is that it's outstanding - I recommend it highly.

Who Killed the Electric Car interview, Part I

My review of Who Killed the Electric Car? will be posted either late tonight or tomorrow, but in the meantime, here's a pretty good primer - an interview with the director of the movie, brought to you by a really cool Website, YouTube. The interview is rather long, so I had to do this in three parts. It's worth a watch, even if you've seen the movie, because this story affects us all.

Who Killed the Electric Car interview, Part 2

Here is Part II of the interview of the movie's director.

Who Killed the Electric Car interview, Part 3

And the final part. Let me know your thoughts.

Yea, yea - it's rubber, metal & plastic, but I missed owning a car

Last August, I stopped owning a car for the first time in almost 18 years. We didn't miss the extra bills, but we missed the flexibility that owning two cars gave us. Well, with Vandra's job moving far enough away where walking isn't an option, coupled with my taking a job over an hour away, we needed a second vehicle.

An old friend of mine (and my second boss ever) helped us out after one phone call. Ronnie sells cars for a living now, since his days at Shoprite have come to a merciful end. I told him I needed three things - 1. A Honda or a Toyota, 2. An automatic, and 3. A four-door car. Well, Ronnie didn't disappoint. The fruits of his labor are pictured above - found at an auto auction.

We picked her up this Saturday, a '98 Toyota Camry. The miles are a bit high, but it's obvious it was taken care of. The inside, after a good cleaning, is in great shape, and it runs very well - new brakes, tires, the works. So, I'm crossing my fingers that it lasts us for a while, but since we always keep up with routine maintenance, we're hoping for the best.

Oh, and how long did you think it would take for me to, ahem, personalize the car? The answer...

Not long at all, of course. These were actually in the mail before we even picked up the car, and they arrived yesterday.

Now I'm getting ready for political season. I not only miss the convenience of having a car, but the personal touches that you put into your own little four-wheeled universe.

Like this!

Yea baby, that's more like it!

Met a man from THE beach today

Just when I think I'm having an insanely busy day and my life is so hectic and stressful, something happens to me that makes me feel like a selfish, self-centered fool.

Today, I went to the Philadelphia Parking Authority to get a parking permit for my new car. (A Toyota Camry, pictures in a bit.) I'm standing in line and I hear a guy complaining in a good-natured way about the PPA giving him an undeserved $125 parking ticket. When the lady asks him for his license plate number, he tells her POW something (the plate above isn't his!) and she asks him, "Were you a prisoner of war?" and he replies, "You got it - you're looking at a veteran of Omaha Beach." This perked my ears up, since I enjoy reading and learning about World War II so much.

I saw he was ready to leave, so I hurried up with my paper work, and rode the elevator down with him. As we stepped into the elevator, it was just the two of us, and I extended my hand, telling him, "It's not every day I get to meet a veteran from Omaha Beach." He shook it and began telling me a few tidbits from his experiences during WWII.

"We had 225 soldiers when we stormed the beach," he said. "Four hours later, we had 23." Unbelievable and believable, all in the same sentence.

"I caught some shrapnel at the Siegfried Line, and when I woke up, I was in a German POW camp," he continued. "When I got out of the camp, I weighed 90 pounds." Wow.

I looked at him and said, "It may not mean much coming from me, but thanks." Typical of his generation, he said, "Well, we were just doing our jobs. I never asked for anything for 50 years, but when I got sick I went to the VA hospital and they paid for everything."

At a loss for words, I told him, "As well they should."

He then brought me over to his car and showed me his license plate like the one at top. I told him, "It's people like you that make America great."

He thanked me and we went our separate ways.

And the whole experience made me think of how insignificant and stupid my problems are, and I had a tooth drilled for two hours today, so it wasn't the best of days. But, you know what? I don't have problems. I have luck - luck that I was born into a country with men like the man I met today at the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

Two Websites you probably don't know about

I have to give a special shout out to my friend Mandy, who told me about these two very cool Websites yesterday. Much thanks, karayoke queen!

Anyway, on to the sites, and when you have 20 minutes, you've just got to check these two out - I guarantee you'll be back.

The first site, tabblo, will virtually revolutionize the way you share your pictures with friends and family. There really isn't a whole lot you can't do with your pictures on this site. You can lay your photos out; reshape them; "present" a group of photos in any way you like with various backgrounds, captions, borders, etc.; and what's more, when you are finished laying out your photos and are ready to share, you can even have prints made of the layout you come up with. And the prices for that are very competitive and reasonable.

Tabblo does so much more for you once you start playing around and experimenting with the site - I only know the above stuff thanks to a quick tutorial from Mandy. However, at first glace, it almost looks like free Adobe programs on the Web - a mix of the old PageMaker, along with elements of InDesign, and to a lesser extent, Photoshop.

I'm impressed, to say the least, and I can't wait to get started on tabblo. My prediction - this site will become one of the next big things on the Web. It doesn't matter to me if it doesn't, but I love it and will be a heavy user down the road, especially with our wedding and honeymoon pictures that we will have to share after we get back from Mexico.

The next cool site is called Rollyo. A funny name, a cool logo, but best of all, a very cool and user friendly search engine.

A quick explanation of Rollyo is this - you can customize your Web searches. For example, say you do lots of searches on global warming, and you always check 20 particular sites. You can save those 20 sites, and the next time you do a global warming search, start with those 20 and move on. I'm probably not doing the site justice, but if you do a great deal of searching on the Web, this site is definitely worth checking out and it could save you a lot of time.

For my money, Google will always be the best overall search engine out there (and hundreds of millions agree), but sometimes you get the phone book when you are looking for something. So, if you frequently do the same search for school or work, then Rollyo will save you lots of time.

These two sites must be visited and explored to be appreciated; my words do not do them justice. Enjoy - I know I will, especially Tabblo.

Feline felon suspected in glove thefts

Normally, I don't just copy/paste cool stories I run across on the Internet, but today I have to make an exception. I laughed out loud at this story, and it's kind of cool, especially if you have a cat or know someone who has one. They really are a mystery, and quite funny at times. Enjoy the story, from the Associated Press. ...


Willy, a 1-year-old cat is photographed Thursday, July 20, 2006, with a display of several pairs of garden gloves that he took from unknown yards in his neighborhood in Pelham, N.Y. Willy has brought home nine pairs of gloves and five singles over several weeks laying them on his owners' front or back porches. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

PELHAM, N.Y. --A pink-and-white gardening glove was missing Thursday morning from Jeannine Goche's front porch. But there was absolutely no mystery about who had taken it. Willy, the cat who loves gloves, had struck again.

"It has to be him," said Goche, an attorney. "I've heard about him."

As if the gardeners of Pelham don't have enough to worry about, with the rocky soil and the slugs and the big trees casting too much shade, a feline felon has been sneaking into their back yards and carrying off gardening gloves.

Goche's flower-patterned number may soon take its place on the clothesline that's strung across the front fence at Willy's home, which he shares with Jennifer and Dan Pifer, their 19-month-old son Hudson and a mutt named Peanut Chew.

Above the line is a sign that says, in words and pictures, "Our cat is a glove snatcher. Please take these if yours."

On Thursday morning, nine pairs of gardening gloves and five singles were strung up, nicely framed by the Pifers' flourishing tomato and basil plants. Willy, looking innocent, was playing with a beetle under the Subaru in the driveway and occasionally dashing after Hudson.

"This all started about the time people began working in their gardens, I guess March or April," Jennifer Pifer said. "Willy would just show up with a glove, or we'd see them on the front steps. I guess it's better than if he was bringing home dead birds."

A friend, Claudia Bonci, said she was in the Pifers' kitchen recently and had noticed a single gardening glove on the sidewalk.

"Jennifer was telling me all about how Willy was bringing home all these gloves, and there was a small pile of them outside the door, and then here comes the cat with a glove in its mouth, proud as could be, like he was giving me a gift."

Some of the gloves really are gift-worthy.

"A lot of these looked brand new," said Pifer. "Some of them are really nice."

She doesn't know how far afield Willy goes to find a glove, but she has learned it takes him two trips to bring home a matched pair.

Willy, born to a stray last spring and taken in by the Pifers as a newborn, stays out some nights but seems to assemble his collection in daytime raids.

"Mostly it happens on weekends, I guess when people are out gardening," Pifer said. "Can't you just imagine people saying, `The gloves were right here, where'd they go?'"

John Cassone, who lives and gardens across the street, said he isn't missing any gloves. He uses "the big, heavy leather kind" and figures Willy, a wiry type, isn't strong enough to drag them away.

Guess again: There's a pair of the big, heavy leather kind among Willy's trophies.

Willy couldn't care less about the gloves after they're captured. On Thursday he could not be enticed into a grab-the-glove game.

In winter, when gardening gloves are hard to find, Willy switches to his offseason prey, dirty socks, which he brings from the laundry room.

"We find them in the hallway, on the stairs," she said. "I used to think, `Oh, I must have dropped it on the way down.' But now I know better."

Despite his criminal nature, neighbors get a kick out of Willy. Cassone said the cat likes to accompany the mailman up and down the block, all the way to each front door. Willy also likes to climb trees and bat at the heads of people below.

Since Pifer grows flowers and vegetables and herbs herself, isn't she tempted to make use of the endless supply of garden gloves that arrive at her doorstep free, shipping included?

"No," she said, a bit sadly. "I do a lot of gardening but I don't use gloves."

Just who started this name calling, anyway?

So I get several comments a few weeks back on this blog from someone I don't even know that got me thinking. Of course, before I go any further, I appreciate anyone who reads my blog, and I respect everyone for his or her opinion. But, the comments went something like this: "My, we are angry, aren't we?" and also "What's with all the name calling?"

Honestly, I don't know who started all of this name calling in politics and who poisoned the atmosphere, and frankly, I don't care. But, it doesn't take sophisticated, scholarly research to reveal that there's plenty of guilty culprits on both sides.

Everywhere I look, there's a right-wing author trying to save America from us "Godless, Evil" liberals. Thank God we have people like Sean Hannity around who can truly deliver us from evil.

Then we have people like Michael Savage. Yep, all liberals are enemies.

And thank God Savage broke the news to me that my liberalism is a mental disorder. Who knew?

This one might be my favorite. Every liberal is an idiot?

This Al Franken book is definitely my favorite example from the left. And Rush really is a big fat idiot. Wait, shouldn't there be a part 2 to this book? How about Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat, divorced, hypocritical, drug abusing, impotent idiot? That would be better. A close second on my favorites list is Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them; A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.

I particularly enjoyed Franken's Lies book - nothing pisses off Bill O'Lielly more than when he's caught in a lie. However, this now happens so often, it's hardly worth noting. It's like Bush lying - we are so used to it that it hardly registers on the radar.

Say what you want about Franken, but at least his books are adequately and accurately researched vis a vis Ann Coulter.

Back to Coulter for a second - this is the woman who has alleged that Former President Bill Clinton was a rapist and that Hillary Clinton has fat legs. No on the former and who cares on the latter. But, when you look like an old scarecrow like Coulter does, it's not a good idea to criticize what others look like.

What's my point in this post? That plenty of stones are thrown on both sides. I'm merely wading into the cesspool and taking my turn. That's the name of the game in politics - throw the rock at them before they throw it at you. There are those people who say, "You should rise above it and not sink yourself down to that level." And to those I would say this - it never does any good - you're just portrayed as a wimp when you do that. If you need proof of this, 1. You haven't been paying attention to American politics in the last 30 years, and 2. See the Swiftboating of John Kerry as a refresher. He waited to respond, and the next thing you know, it stuck. Bush and Rove's lies, libel and slander about Kerry were subconsciously believed as fact by many. So there you go - fight fire with fire, or get burned at the stake.

And as for my reader's comment that I seem angry? He's spot on. I AM pissed, but instead of just sitting here and blogging, I speak with my actions - my dollar and my pen.

Gore Smear II, by an oil guy!

This could be my favorite Gore smear (or should I say, attempted smear?!?), by an oil guy.

Sterling Burnett, a man who works for an organization which takes huge amounts of money from ExxonMobile, appeared on Fox News to try to smear Al Gore a little while back. (Sorry this is a bit of an old clip, but is still relevant to the global warming discussion, and I didn't hear about it right away, because I'd rather stare at a wall than watch Fox News.) Burnett is a shameful dick. He compared Gore and his film, An Inconvenient Truth, to the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.

Notice how the segment ends just as Jeremy Symons tells the audience that Sterling is a paid, Big Oil shill.

Burnett: That’s the problem. If I thought Al Gore’s movie was as you like to say, fair and balanced, I’d say, everyone should go see it, but why go see propaganda? You don’t go see Joseph Goebbels films to see the truth about Nazi Germany. You don’t go see Al Gore films to see the truth about global warming…

Symons: Sterling is an odd one to be casting aspersions on what Al Gore’s motives are, after all the oil industry has been giving him hundreds of thousands of dollars to his organization, just like tobacco companies used to do to try undercut…

Host: That’s a whole other subject guys and we’re up against a hard break.

No, you're up against a hard, embarrassing fact, and it's disgraceful (but not surprising) that Fox would have on someone so clearly linked to Big Oil. What a transparent attempt to make a mockery out of the global warming debate. Instead, Fox simply makes a joke of its network by putting on such a circus. But, then again, we already knew Fox News was a joke. Any network that would sue Al Franken because it didn't like what the had to say about it doesn't understand free speech, America, freedom or democracy, but I digress.

Anyway, getting back to Burnett's not so sterling remarks. Nazi Germany is the most hackneyed, trite metaphor when you are out of facts (or don't have any) and you are so clearly losing any kind of debate or argument. People should stop comparing (insert topic here) to the Nazis and that horrific chapter in human history. Nothing compares - it stands alone, and using it as any kind of metaphor is childish and the mark of an amateur. Stick to what you know, Sterling, which is probably just about nothing, other than how big your paycheck is that you are getting from the oil industry to libel and slander anyone who dares stand up to it.

Gore Smear, Part I, by STOSSEL?!?

This one's pretty good - it's John Stossel trying to sound like a global warming authority on MSNBC's Scarborough Country.

Listen to Scarborough's words and hyperbole. It's a kick. He claims Gore has said, "If we don't turn things around, in 10 years the ice caps are going to melt, we are going to boil, Manhattan will be underwater," blah blah fucking blah. Gore never said that in the movie, or anywhere else, genius. It's exaggeration to try to discredit Gore, and it's hilarious. Another Al Gore "quote" along the lines of I invented the Internet.

In Scarborough's Country, this kind of shit may be acceptable when you are out to discredit someone, but in the rest of the country, bullshit detectors go off everywhere, unless you are a card carrying member of the radical religious right.

The best part about this clip is how Scarborough gets bitch slapped on his own show by Tyson Slocum. At least someone has something intelligent to say in Scarborough Country.

Stossel should go back to 20/20 and expose more defective child seats. He doesn't have a coherent, intelligent thing to say in this piece, not one shred of scientific proof, and notice we don't get one actual name of the scientists "who he spoke to."

Stossel goes on to call us "the cleanest country in the world." Hilarious. As we belch out more greenhouse gases than any other country on Earth? Where in the hell does he believe the smog comes from in LA, fog machines on movie sets? Bravo, John. And, as usual, the obligatory comment about people sounding the alarm bell on global warming "hating capitalism." Whatever. Why am I wasting my time on this?

And Scarborough? Keep miring in obscurity, douche bag. You're about as popular as cancer, and your stellar ratings prove it. I wonder how MSNBC, an up-and-coming network, could have a no-talent like Scarborough when it has coherent, likable guys like Tucker Carlson and Keith Olberman? Yes, you read that right - I like Carlson. I don't always agree with him, but I like the guy and respect his opinions. I've enjoyed Carlson since his Crossfire days on CNN.

Hannity's global warming lies & misrepresentations

If you've seen An Inconvenient Truth (I have, three times, so I know what's in the movie), you know that Hannity is taking loads of information and quotes out of context when you watch the above clip.

Gore was spot on in the movie - the right will come at the global warming people with accusations, insults, dies and distortions. Hannity is just the beginning. Oh, and in the clip, Hannity mentions Gore's assertion that the Bush/Cheney White House has lied and distorted about global warming. That's a fact, jackass. 60 Minutes did a report on Phil Cooney, who used to work for the American Petroleum Institute before going to work for the Bush White House. While working for this administration, as chief of staff for White House Council on Environmental Quality, Cooney edited reports on global warming, cutting out whole sections. He has no scientific background, and no education on the environment whatsoever. He's a lawyer. Not long after Cooney's editing was made public (Oh, that damn press, eh, Cheney?!?), he quit, and was hired by ExxonMobile the next fucking day. I've blogged about this extensively Here, and also in my An Inconvenient Truth movie review Here.

You read, you decide. Just don't let Sean Hannity's wind-blown political rhetoric from the Republican News Channel decide for you.

We have a new Miss Universe. Anyone in the galaxy care?

So a new Miss Universe has been crowned. They still hold these contests? Who cares?!? Just a thought. I mean, congrats to Miss Puerto Rico, but c'mon, these shows aren't what they used to be for a reason - no one cares. Miss America - can anyone name her? Do they still televise it? Probably not, and if they do, it's pretty hard to find on the dial.

Decreasing our bill, & our burden to the environment

Okay, to illustrate how much of a dork I can be, I've spent the last few days replacing all of the conventional light bulbs in our condo with energy saving bulbs. Not the best time to be doing it before our wedding, I know, but I assured Vandra that it's absolutely the right thing to do, plus we will save money in the long run.

It's all about lessening our environmental impact - a project that I'm attacking with zeal. I'm constantly trying to figure out more ways that we could be helping reduce our pollution and wastefulness, in addition to using less natural resources, and I've blogged about a few - refusing plastic bags in supermarkets/convenience stores when we don't need them, writing letters to companies urging them to not issue sales receipts longer than my arm (I wrote over e-mail, fellow wise asses, so I'm not wasting paper writing to save paper), frequenting environmentally friendly companies, etc. Our light bulb change is just the latest thing, but it won't be the last.

As if you needed further proof of my dorkiness, I actually like them! They light up differently than your standard, you-don't-even-notice-them bulbs. Flip the switch and they start off dim, and then they gradually brighten up. This is an awesome thing to have in a bathroom bulb. We have a four-globe set in both of our bathrooms, and when we put in these energy saving globes...

...I loved it! Nothing beats goin' to the bathroom in the middle of the night and being greeted with a dim light that slowly gets brighter, allowing your eyes to adjust. Righteous! As you can see above, energy saving bulbs are available in just about any size and shape. (The above, a candleabra, is for a small lamp. Our bathroom globes have the wider socket.) Inside these frosted bulbs are the spiral bulbs pictured at the beginning of this piece.

I put these in our hallway.

And these frosted indoor floods are now in our kitchen.

My advice? Do it! It will save you money in the long run, and will, most importantly, use much less energy, too.

Here are a few cool facts about energy saving bulbs:

To replace a conventional 60 watt bulb, all you need is a 14 watt energy saver for the same brightness.

These bulbs use far less energy than regular bulbs - they average a seven-year lifespan. Some brands, like the GM one at the top, guarantee the bulb for five years. Simply save the receipt and UPC from the package, and if it burns out in less than five years, GE will replace it for free. Sweet.

Since you will use so much less energy, you could leave a bulb on to keep your home more secure... for less dough.

These energy savin' bulbs produce very little heat, so you'll save in another way in the summer - using less air to keep the place cool when the lights are on. Double savings = double coolness (pun intended).

The average home has 20 sockets. If you replaced half with 60 watt equivalents (14-16 watt) and the other half with 100 watt equivalents (about 23 watts, give or take, depending on brand), you could save up to $900 over the life of the bulbs, again, depending on the brand you choose.

And lastly, I read somewhere (don't know if this one is true, but it seems plausible) that if every home in America decided to switch to energy saving bulbs (and that's a lot of switchin' and savin'), enough energy could be saved to provide energy to 8 million homes every year.

One last bonus - since I got on the bulb craze, it's made me more aware of our energy usage. I can't tell you how many times in the last week I've caught myself leaving a light or TV on when I'm not in the room. So, energy awareness can translate into more savings, too.

If you haven't already, get on board the energy savin' train. There's a first class seat ready for you.

MacT is back. Phew!

Yesterday, my Edmonton Oilers announced the most important signing of their offseason - that of Head Coach Craig MacTavish, to a four-year contract extension. He absolutely deserves it. Yes, I cursed him a bit last season, but what passionate fan doesn't do that at certain times during an 82-game season? Bottom line is that MacT is one of the great young coaching minds in the league, and he deserves every dime the Oilers are paying him. Stability is a critical key to success in today's NHL, and I'm delighted the Oil will be guided by a steady hand for the next four years.

Our bridal party is complete!

Well, this morning, the bridal party was completed - all of my brothers will be joining us for the wedding in Cabo San Lucas. It wouldn't have been the same had they not all been there, so I'm happy it's working out. Three weeks from tomorrow is the big day, and we leave for Cabo 2 weeks from Monday. We are literally counting the days!

Ken may be Layed to rest, but some propaganda won't die

I learned a long time ago to simply ignore (or try my best to) most of the idiotic Internet rumors that show up in my Inbox from time to time, because a vast majority of them contains lies, half truths and outright bullshit. However, I got one a few weeks back from someone I respect and admire - a Republican in my family - about Enron. With the passing of former CEO Ken Lay, I figured it was apropos enough to write about.

The e-mail forward was a ham-handed attempt to deflect attention away from the fact that Lay was a Bush chum and HUGE political benefactor before the fall of Enron, after which Bush all of a sudden bumped his head, developed amnesia, and couldn't remember if he even knew Lay.

To be clear, Enron (along with Lay and other Enron execs) contributed millions to both political parties, but it's pretty clear where most of the cash went. Let me spell it out for you: G-O-P.

A simple half hour of research revealed some pretty interesting findings about Enron's giving before the company collapsed.

In 2001, right up until the company collapsed in December of that year, Enron contributed nearly $173,000 to candidates and parties, almost 90 percent to Republicans. From the 1989-90 election cycle to November 2001, Enron made nearly $5.8 million in campaign contributions, 73 percent of which went to Republicans. Oops.

Then-candidate Bush raised nearly $114,000 in Political Action Committee and individual contributions from Enron in 1999-2000, making the company one of his biggest donors. Enron also donated $100,000 to the Bush/Cheney inaugural gala in January 2001, a contribution that was matched by then-Enron CEO Kenneth Lay and his wife. The Lays contributed a total of almost $883,000 to candidates and parties between 1989 and November 2001, of which 90 percent went to Republicans.

Lay was a longtime friend of the Bushes and was one of the president's top contributors during the 2000 presidential election and Bush's two gubernatorial campaigns. Lay was listed by the Bush/Cheney campaign as a Pioneer who raised at least $100,000 for the 2000 election, reportedly was one of the president's closest advisors between Jan '01 and Enron's fall late that year.

Anyone other than me remember Lay meeting with VP Dick Cheney in the White House to discuss energy policy? When the press wanted to know what topics were discussed, it was private. In so many words, the public and press were told, "None of your business."

I also clearly remember in November 2001, the economic stimulus package that was rammed through Congress, which included a whole buffet of tax breaks for big business, including oil and gas interests.

Yes, the Democrats controlled the Senate at the time, but the GOP had a better PR effort, and the Dems didn't want to be portrayed as pussies, so they simply passed whatever was proposed. After all, in December of that year, VP Dick Cheney accused dissenters leading up to the vote on the Patriot Act of "siding with the terrorists," if they didn't vote for the bill. So, remember the political and social climate of the time. In so many words, it was pass something, do something, show people we are busy doing something to secure American and to keep people safe.

Anyway, big business, realizing the political climate and the public's eagerness to see Congress do something, unleashed an army of lobbyists on Washington to have some favors paid back. Take a look at these figures:

$1.4 billion for IBM; $833 million for General Motors; $2 billion for Ford Motor Co.; $671 million for General Electric; $572 million for Chevron/Texaco; $254 million for energy giant Enron. Oops again.

And I don't feel like it, but do the research on which party gets the lion's share of campaign contributions from the above corporations, and tell me how ya make out. I don't even need to look - you'd find Republicans awash in campaign cash. And those are favors that need to be repaid when these candidates (and president) reach office. ...


Bush and Lay at an economic conference in January 2001, shortly before Bush took office.

I've blogged about it before, but during the phony energy crisis in California, Enron completely and totally manipulated the energy market, creating a shortfall when there was none. Bush did not lift one fingernail to intervene, not wanting to help out Democratic Governor Gray Davis. If it weren't for Enron, and to a much lesser extent, Bush not helping out Californians by capping energy costs during the crisis, there would be no Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But, who gave a shit about Californians getting screwed? It was Bush's chance to help his buddies (Enron), and fuck a Democratic governor. Bush succeeded on both counts.

To be clear, Enron did contribute to Democrats, too. That would be called covering your bases, which any smart corporation will do with the campaign finance laws as they exist now. That way, whoever gets elected, the company will be owed favors. But, Enron (along with Lay and other Enron executives) clearly wished for Republicans to win every damn race, since the GOP is so much friendlier to oil and gas interests.

Rest in hell, Mr. Lay. Even better, to the recycle bin those bullshit anti-Democrat e-mails go. It's easy to try to rewrite history when no one paid attention at the time during things like the Enron collapse, etc. But, I did and do pay attention.

Oh, and I didn't just invent the figures in this story. Many were pulled from these sources: The Orlando Weekly, Mother Jones Blog, opensecrets.org and the Federal Election Commission. And the research didn't take long.

Your never forget your first, eh, W?

As the saying goes, you never forget your first, and I know I'll never forget President Bush's first veto, when the president denied federal funding for stem cell research. My feelings upon reading the news ranged from outrage, disgust, sadness, confusion and back to outrage again.

This religious-driven decision is just another signpost on the road to religious extremism ruling and ruining this country. Not only does the president veto the bill, but he has a ceremony (above) with snowflake families, that is, families who have had a child born from a transplanted embryo. So, not only does he stick his finger in the eyes of people who could really be helped (and maybe in some cases, even saved) by signing a stem cell bill into law, but he gives the radical religious right another tongue bath by having these families appear with him at the announcement.

President Nixon, a man who truly knew what it was like to be hated, once said, "Always remember, others may hate you. Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself."

I bring that quote up, because I hate the president and Karl Rove for what they are doing to this country, most of it in the name of religion. It sickens me every day. And I don't give a shit about people saying, "Hate's a pretty strong word," or "Wow, you shouldn't hate anybody." No, you shouldn't hate anyone, and I try not to, but for these two deserve that dishonor. I don't care about being politically correct in most instances, and this blog is the very embodiment of that belief.

All that's left for the religious zealots to accomplish in this country is to outlaw abortion, and that day isn't too far off, I'm afraid. I used to often tell people, prior to the 2000 and 2004 elections - "If Bush wins, he will reshape the Supreme Court for decades." Well, he has, and now these red states are reaping what they have sown. To digress for a quick second, I wonder if Louisana, post-Katrina, would still buy into all of Bush's bullshit during the '04 campaign and help him to the presidency? (Bush carried Louisana by a wide margin.) I think not.

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job!"

Anyway, the encouraging thing about the stem cell vote in Congress is that many Republicans joined ranks with Democrats to have it passed so the president could veto it in the first place. The public wants this passed, but the radicals on the right don't.

For once, the Democrats may even have a backbone on this one. Said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi after the president's veto:

By using the first veto of his presidency to strike down this vital legislation, President Bush has shown us once again, that the extremists in his party come before progress...The public is fed up with the agenda of the Republican leadership and its clear lack of concern about the challenges facing ordinary Americans...Democrats in the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of this bill. Ninety-eight percent in the Senate and ninety-three percent in the House; if only we had more Democrats in Congress to vote for the override. Our resolve is absolute. We have fought this battle for years and we will continue to fight. We will not give up, even in the face of extremist, anti-progress opposition...Republicans in Congress will have two choices: vote with the 72% of Americans who want to see this bill pass, or rubber stamp President Bush's out-of-touch agenda yet again.

The rubber stamp happened - the veto override vote fell short by four votes. Hopefully, come November, some prominent Republicans will be out of Congress...



...like Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA). It's going to be an uphill battle for Bob Casey Jr. though here in Pennsylvania - Dick's got a lot of money for attack ads and lies, nearly twice what Casey has.

These religious hypocrites all talk about the sanctity of life, until the War in Iraq or capital punishment comes up. Then, it's a different story.

Thousands are dead in Iraq, and for what? A giant fucking lie.

And capital punishment? That's humans merely playing God. One one hand, you have Bill Frist embarrassing himself by misdiagnosing Terri Schiavo on national television , saying nature should take its course and that her brain was still functioning (the autopsy proved Frist absolutely false). I'll never forget political opportunists like President Bush, his brother Jeb, Frist, and Santorum trying to use the whole unfortunate Schiavo incident for political gain.

However, most of these Republicans have no moral conscience about bombing and killing thousands of innocent Iraqis, OR advocating capital punishment, which, in some cases kills innocent people. The first thing I hear from advocates of capital punishment when I bring this up is "What about all of my tax dollars to keep these people in prison for years?" That's just morality with a price tag. But, I digress.

I hope and pray (yes, pray! God is not a Republican) that the time will soon come when Democrats can take back control of at least one body in Congress to stem the tide of Republican shit that we are awash in.

And I hope the first thing they do is approve federal funding for stem cell research, by a veto-proof margin.

Too good not to pass on

I got this in an e-mail forward this morning. I don't even know if it's real or not, but it's too good to not pass on. The point is, even if it's Photoshopped, you can still conceive of the President doing something like this.

Actually, the above forward sent me down memory lane. A few years ago, Bush flew to Iraq for a surprise Thanksgiving visit. The worst photo-op president in history was a bit embarrassed when it was revealed...



...that the turkey he was holding in the photo was fake. Total humiliation? No, but it underscores the fact that he wanted to be portrayed as the self-described "Wartime President" entertaining the troops during Thanksgiving. What a sham.

Still think I'm exaggerating about Bush's photo-op flops? Here's a few more great examples...



This one leaves me speechless. Washington, Jefferson, TR, Lincoln and... and... Bush?!? This photo leaves me breathless with laughter whenever I look at it.

Okay, the real reason I'm on the photo-op kick this morning, is Bush's address yesterday to the NAACP. A quick trip down memory lane: In 2004, Bush became the first sitting U.S. president since Herbert Hoover (also a Republican) to decline an invitation to address the NAACP. His comments at the time included the remark that his relationship with the current leadership of the organization was "nonexistent," while whining about "the names they've called me." I never realized a president could have such a thin skin.

But, I have to give Bush some credit. It takes a pretty big set of balls to appear before the civil rights organization after comments like that. Anyway, out he went yesterday, and it's safe to say the speech could have gone better. On to the photos...



"Look! Over here! I'm with my black Secretary of State! Guess where we are going?" This was taken yesterday morning. You can almost read the body language here - he's making sure he gets the press's attention with that stupid, stupid wave he always does before embarking on Marine One. Rice was headed to the Middle East to deal with the building crisis between Israel and Lebanon, while Bush's busy day included his speech to the NAACP.



Jessie Jackson (whom I'm no huge fan of) sits enthralled with other members of the audience during Bush's address yesterday to the NAACP. Big deal, and not an unexpected reaction, right?
Well, the photographer panned left, and look who was sitting in the audience?



I'm glad Condi could take the time out of her schedule to help solve the Mid-East crisis to hear Bush speak. People are getting slaughtered in the Middle East by the minute, and the whole area is on the brink of war, but that would not take priority over a Karl Rove photo op. Priorities are evidentally not the strong suit of this administration.

Can we sink these sayings like the Titanic?

Okay, quick rant... I do a great deal of reading and writing - it's simply what I do and what my degrees are in. As a result, I have certain peeves about our language. Do us all a favor, readers, and ditch these sayings/metaphors/phrases, if you want to remain de rigeur.

Not so much

Throw _______ under the bus

Any reference to the Titanic

It's not the heat, it's the humidity

That's hot (It's not, and I cannot stand Paris Hilton)

Having said that...

At the end of the day...

If I had a dime/dollar for every time...

When discussing flying, stop it already with the "you're more likely to die in a car than in an airplane" stats. No shit, Sherlock. But I'M driving the car, and in theory, I'd have a little more control over a car than I will in a plane I'm riding in. Plus, if you get in just about any sort of accident with a plane, you're dicked. I've been in a number of car accidents, and here I am, still ranting.

We can put a man on the moon, but we can't _____________. The first moon landing happened 37 years and one day ago. Let's leave the moon references where they belong - on the moon, with our abandoned equipment up there.

Okay, I'm outta gas, but the above abuses of our language are really starting to annoy me. And I'll save all of you wise asses the trouble of typing me e-mail using any of the above, now that you know it annoys me. It'll just give me delete key a good workout.

Oh, one more - I almost forgot, but I guess I was just saving the best for last. Can we stop it with the Nazis and Nazi Germany references, already? There's few personality traits worse than being unoriginal. A cliche becomes trite for a reason - overuse! Sterling Burnett needs to learn this - I'll cover that in the next post.

Meth labs hit close to home

This past spring, the methamphetamine problem started to affect me personally. For those of you not familar with the Meth problem (all 2 of ya) and how it relates to Claratin, here's a quick tutorial.

In March, a new federal law was passed that places restrictions on purchases of products containing pseudoephedrine, which is the magical ingredient that makes my head feel a whole lot better when allergies are in the mood to torment me. It is now illegal to purchase more than 7.5 grams of pseudoephedrine in a 30 day period through the mail, and you can only buy one 10-count box of Claratin-D per day at any given store. (Similar restrictions are in place for any over-the-counter medicine which contains pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed.) And the Internet isn't the answer, either. Drugstore.com is required by federal regulations to report suspicious purchases to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The reason for the new regulations? Pseudoephedrine is one of the ingredients for making methamphetamine, so the government is trying to stop these labs from churning out this deadly drug to millions. Apparently, the government figures making the lives of tens of millions of allergy sufferers more difficult (and more expensive) is the way to go to crack down on meth labs.

Bullshit.

It's annoyed me for a while, but the other day, with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees in Philadelphia, I headed to CVS to purchase another box of Claratin-D while nursing an allergy induced sinus headache.

Going back to the pharmacy, I immediately became pissed when the smug cashier said, "I need to see some I.D." Some people just love to tell you can't have something. Whatever. So now, whenever I buy a box of Claratin, I have to sign some stupid log book that no one probably checks anyway.

So I'm supposed to believe that THIS is the answer to the meth problem? Inconveniencing me, and taking more money out of my pocket?

Again, it's bullshit.

First, a bit more on meth labs. Check out what meth can do to people. ...


Beautiful, huh?

What's worse, not only are the junkies like the one above a drain on society in so many ways, but the meth labs pose dangers to others as well. Motels, mobile homes (there's a surprise) and apartments are often converted to meth labs - in bathtubs or kitchens. I don't know the ABCs of making meth, nor do I ever want to, but one thing is certain - these labs can and often do blow sky high. Take a look. ...

Your typical garden variety apartment building, with a meth lab cookin' inside, until it fall down and go boom. ...

It's gonna need a paint job and a shitload of screen doors.

So, as you can see, it's a pretty big problem, and I applaud the DEA for combating what I'm sure is an uphill battle. But, limiting me to one box of Claratin-D per day probably isn't going to solve much. In fact, it's like putting a Band-Aid on an amputation.

You might ask yourself, why am I bitching about only being able to buy one box per day? Glad you asked.

Originally, like many over-the-counter drugs (if you can still call Claratin that), Claratin-D began as a prescription. When it was a prescription, I paid my copay and got 30 pills, which lasted me anywhere from a month to two months. I don't take it every day; just when I feel the nasty effects of allergies, which I have year 'round.

Then, the makers of Claratin, Schering-Plough, decided to cash in on their admittedly great invention by taking Claratin and Claratin-D over the counter. Awesome, I thought - no more copays, and I might even be able to save some dough when it goes on sale.

And that was cool, for a while. If it went on sale, I stocked up a bit to save some money. The 15-count boxes (which are no longer offered for sale, so far as I know), were around $20-22, so if it went on sale, I bought a few extra boxes to save some money. It sucked somewhat, because SP was getting richer off of my allergies, but whatever - the stuff flat-out works.

Then, the 15-count box went away. So, then I had to go the more expensive option - buying 10 count boxes. But, there were still sales, so I still had a chance to save. Now, one box per day, and often I can only get two five-count boxes, because drug stores often don't have the 10s.

So, I'm takin' a prison pounding because of junkies.

So, fat-fuck Rush Limbaugh can score thousands of Oxycotin with no consequences, claiming prejudice because of his political views.

So, again, fat-fuck Rush can again skit the law by bringin' home Viagra, without a legal prescription, for his limp johnson from the Dominican Republic, with again, no consequences. His lame comeback? He bought them in the Clinton Library gift shop. Oh, the bloated intolerant one is so pithy!

So, I can go out and buy a case of beer and drive a car, possibly killing myself or other people, and I can get as much beer as I want down the street at the beer distributor, but I can't buy a month's supply of Clarain-D?

So, I can go buy a handgun (on the spot in many states), which is a little more lethal than my Claratin-D, but I have to sign a log book to get allergy medication?

I can buy as many cartons of cigarettes I want, and they are a known carcinogen, but not two boxes of Claratin?

So, the government isn't even clever enough to catch people who enter the country and who want to only learn how to fly planes not land them, but I can't buy a month's supply of Claratin-D?

I live in the museum district of Philadelphia, and I could walk in any 10-block direction, if I were so inclined, and could almost definitely come back with just about any drug I wanted, in significant quantity, and if I had enough cash. But, my local drugstore just a few blocks away will sell me only one box of Claratin-D per day, at inflated prices, no less.

What's wrong with this picture?