Why do we need to drill offshore?

Why do we need to drill offshore when 31 of the 50 states already produce oil? Our National Seashore is under protection for a reason. I thought the idea of becoming more GREEN is to look for more alternative fuel and energy sources. I do not want to hear someone tell me again that the technology is too new and un-researched because that would be a LIE. Research into solar, steam, water, wind, air, and bio-fuels has been ongoing for over a hundred years for some and others for more than twenty years. If you truly looked at the polution to the waters where offshore drilling occurs, such as the Gulf of Mexico, you would know that we would be headed for disaster. Not only would our migratory birds, turtles, and crabs be effected, but our fish, oyster, clam, and mussels would also take a blow from our digging offshore. Polution is a very real problem. Even Alaska, Lousiana, and other offshore drilling sites report some form of damage to the natural environment, but they think it is minimal enough to not cause major concern. I have a problem with that. As the levels of Mercury are rising in our fish and more and more shellfish are becoming contaminated, it will only be a matter of time, no matter how distant in the future, before our food supply is so tainted with polutants that we will have a serious problem on our hands. I am very passionate about using alternatives to oil and I know that if we can start weaning ourselves off of oil as a major source of energy and start using more GREEN alternatives that the U.S. will make a major impression upon the world that if we can change, so can any other country. I believe it is worth it to our children both now and in the future to start changing over to more GREENER methods of energy and, in turn, help to slow down the current damage already unfolding in our atmosphere, our waters, our land, and our world. If all you can think about is the here and now, then I feel sorry for you and your children and your children's children, for it is their future that we are destroying.

Thoughts from a "Reality Based" Supporter

"If the campaign has nothing to hide....why are they hiding so much?"





The lack of original thought process by Sarah Palin is mind boggling and very worrisome to me. The repeating of talking points over and over when asked the same question is an interview style that seems full of ignorance and disdain for the interviewer. Katie was as nice as she could be but it's still apparent she lacks confidence in the Gov. from Alaska. This is likely due to the fact that she hasn't had a real interview (including her own) where she answered any REAL questions with original answers that could show the ability to formulate her own opinion.

The Karl Rove Plan:

While Palin is doing the best she can to learned the canned answers from the McCain campaign, Karl Rove has a different plan. Karl Rove is a genius. He may be an EVIL genius, but an evil genius is still a genius.

Karl Rove has plans and then backup plans. His plan to keep Palin giving softball interviews and still coming up with ignorant responses is just that, a plan. He is lowering the American public's expectations of Sarah Palin. He is doing so in hopes that she comes out in the debates and does a really fine job. Karl Rove's plan may work. This would lead to the thinking, "Wow, she's not as stupid as she appears to be" to take hold of the American public.

Karl Rove's backup plan is being seen this week. He is preempting the possibility of postponing the debate with Mr. Obama on Sept. 26th, 2008. He did this in hopes that Obama would give in and they could use the VP debate slot and give Palin extra time to do her homework. While this backup plan appears to be backfiring, the main plan is still in effect.

The debates:

The debates are upon us and soon we will learn what kind of men & woman Obama, Biden, Palin & McCain really are. I am satisfied with the moderators and feel we can learn a lot. Jim Lehrer, Tom Brokaw, Bob Schieffer and Gwen Ifill (VP debate) are all excellent and fair moderators. I do not believe this will be an issue this year. The lack of follow-up may still be.

It will be interesting to see how each moderator handles the follow up issue. We all know that the lack of follow up has taken us down a dark road in the past with Iraq and even the Sarah Palin pick itself. Will these moderators make the tough choice of being TOUGH? I doubt it. We will likely see the same old cherry picking of questions and lingering responses that plagued the last 3 election cycle debates. Sure there's a timer...but it won't be used.

I certainly hope that each moderator makes appropriate follow up questions and calls each candidate out if they don't answer the question. Don't let them get away with talking points! This goes for Obama/Biden as well! I want real answers from real people about real issues.

The "I get to meet Obama" Update:

My wife, my mother and myself will be volunteering at the Obama/Biden rally in Greensboro, NC this weekend. I will have the greatest honor of meeting Mr. Obama and shaking his hand. I look forward to this and hope to see any of you NC readers there!

The event is free to the public on a first come/first serve basis so BE THERE EARLY!

236 E. Washington Street - In front of the J. Douglas Gaylon Depot
Greensboro, NC
Saturday, September 27th
Gates Open: 10:00 a.m.
Program Begins: 12:15 p.m.

Parking Information:
Attendees are recommended to park in City of Greensboro parking garages which are free on Saturdays and are located at:

Greene Street at Washington Street
Davie Street at Market Street
Bellmeade Street at Greene Street
N. Church Street between Friendly and East Lindsay

Street Closures:
Event participants should enter through gates off of Elm Street. Streets will be closed surrounding the Depot starting Friday, September 27th, at 6:00 p.m. Additional street closures will begin Saturday morning, September 27th, at 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., and will affect the blocks of:

Davie and McGee
Davie and Washington
Davie Street to Market
Washington Street from Davie to Lyndell Street
Church Street from Washington to Market
Lyndell Street to Market
Hughes from Church to Lyndell

Closures should affect traffic patterns from 6:00 am Saturday September 27th, through 3:00 p.m. Traffic may be congested in the area through 6:00 p.m.

King Paulson and President Bush

The quote below is history making and shows conservatives for what they truly are, de-regulators with such large egos that they feel they will never mess up and can always "get one over" on their customers. Well guess what? Now that translates to the entire American people.

This is a sad time for America and it's currently elected administration. Even while America is hurting the economics of the Bush administration are looking for less oversight and regulation even while calling for more oversight and regulation. Do not be fooled. McCain will bring forth the SAME policies as Bush, keep the SAME tax cuts as Bush, appoint a SIMILAR de-regulator like Lindsay "America is in a mental recession and are a nation of whiners" Graham who keeps with the same policies of Mr. Paulson.

We need a free market with regulation. PERIOD. None of this "Just let them have it and the market will work itself out" bullsh*t. People are corrupt. People need oversight. We must not sign our life away WITHOUT OVERSIGHT! Period! Don't believe me? Check out what Paulson's legislation said below. I don't care what you conservatives say. This is PROOF that socialism (larger Government for the people, BY the people) MUST be involved in capitalism. PERIOD.

This says it all:
__________________________________________
Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson is about to crown himself King of the USA and the Bush Administration and the Congress are aiding and abetting the execution of this bloodless coup d' état over the hapless American people by giving Paulson unlimited and total singular personal power to make economic policy and execute it without any democratic input or oversight from the Congress or even the right of the people to challenge his actions or seek redress for the taxpayers through the Courts!

The days of the Republic are almost over and yet many Americans still cling to the illusion that their President, the Congress, and the democratic institutions created to protect them are functioning correctly even as the Government moves to use taxpayer funds to bail out the thieves in the banking industry. So that we are clear about just one implication of this legislation and the powers Paulson has taken to himself, Paulson has served notice to his banker buddies around the world that your tax dollars are also available to buy the toxic debt of floundering foreign banks as well as fraudulent debts accumulated on the balance sheets of the toppling pyramid of US banks and insurance companies!

From the legislation:

"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

In the future Paulson or whoever takes over his post in the new administration will be able to use taxpayer money to do whatever he chooses, whenever he chooses and Congress will have no say in the matter. Mike Whitney gets into the jaw-dropping details of the impending legislation and how it describes very clearly an end to the US Republic as we have known it.

Those who want to put a stop to this bailout and the transfer of power over the economy from long-standing democratic institutions to one man go to Vote No To the Bailout, read, register and get too work. I don't think it is to strong a statement to say the future of every US taxpayer hangs in the balance and the window for your action is closing fast.

These are dark times. While you were sleeping the cockroaches were busy about their work, rummaging through the US Constitution, and putting the finishing touches on a scheme to assert absolute power over the nation's financial markets and the country's economic future.

Industry representative Henry Paulson has submitted legislation to congress that will finally end the pretense that Bush controls anything more than reading the lines from a 4' by 6' teleprompter situated just inches from his lifeless pupils. Paulson is in charge now, and the coronation is set for sometime early next week. He rose to power in a stealthily-executed Bankster's Coup in which he, and his coterie of dodgy friends, declared martial law on the US economy while elevating himself to supreme leader.

"All Hail Caesar!" The days of the republic are over.

Section 8 of the proposed legislation says it all (A necessary REPEAT):

"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

Right; "non-reviewable" supremacy.

Congress, of course, is more than eager to abdicate whatever little authority they have left. They're infinitely grateful for their purely ceremonial role, the equivalent of Caligula's horse, albeit, with considerably less dignity. Has even one senator spoken out against this madness, which--according to informal internet polls--is resoundingly rejected by the voters? Does it concern the members of congress at all, that the present financial crisis was brought on by the proliferation and sale of trillions of dollars of mortgage-banked garbage which were fraudulently represented as Triple A rated bonds by the very same people who now claim to need unprecedented and dictatorial powers to fix the problem? Or are they more worried that the steady torrent of contributions which flows from Wall Street to congressional campaign coffers will be inconveniently disrupted if they fail to ratify this latest assault on democratic governance? The House of Representatives is one big steaming dungheap that should be leveled and turned into an amusement park instead of a taxpayer-funded knocking shop. What a pathetic collection of cowards and scumbags.

Bloomberg News:

"The Bush administration sought unchecked power from Congress to buy $700 billion in bad mortgage investments from financial companies in what would be an unprecedented government intrusion into the markets. Through his plan, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson aims to avert a credit freeze that would bring the financial system and the world's largest economy to a standstill. The bill would prevent courts from reviewing actions taken under its authority.

by Moonwolf September 22, 2008 at 02:30 pm
-----------------------------------------------------------
Couldn't have said it better myself, Moonwolf.

What can YOU do? Contact your congressman! I did and so can you!

Click this link to find your congressman's contact information.
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

How did we get here?

Redwing's recent troubles and the culmination of long running financial collapses have got me pondering, "How did we get here?" As you read, please do some pondering of your own. Do you agree? Do you think I'm off base? How do we fix this? What's my role?

Are we kidding ourselves when we think that the world is a better place today than it was 100 years ago? Have we really made progress? I mean the kind of progress that REALLY matters! Sure, science and invention has brought us the automobile and airplanes, electricity and plumbing, the Internet and blogs, and the list goes on. But are we better off? Has this put an end to racism? Has it made our lives simpler? Are we having more fun?

I love technology and all the wonders that come with it, but now I wonder if it has come with too high a cost. This post is not about technology or modern wonders. Have we lost focus on what living is all about. This post is about: have we changed the racist, bigoted, selfish, ignorant, callous, covetous, apathetic nature of being human?

Regardless if you're religious, spiritual, or agnostic, I remember stories adults used to tell when I was a kid, and of stories I've read from ages past, there used to be a sense that people cared for each other. I grew up in poverty; was the minority in a 90% black neighborhood; was the only non-black kid in my class. I was reared to respect my elders and look out for my neighbor. I know that other kids were taught similarly. There were squabbles, fights, and riots in my neighborhood; it wasn't Eden by any means. But at the end of the day, we knew what was right and usually learned from it.

These days it seems everybody is looking for ways to ridicule people who are visually different. They are looking for ways to make a billion bucks. And they don't care who it hurts. Actually, it seems that sometimes it's better if they've stepped on someone to get there. Why does someone have to be subjected to such ignorance and denigration just because they support a black presidential candidate? Why are so many companies allowed to make tons of money off other people but, when they can't balance their own check book the government has to bail them out?

If I'm not making my point, I'll make it simple: what happened to our sense of responsibility? Why don't we look out for our neighbor? If we knew we could rely on each other in hard times, we wouldn't have worry about... anything else. Everybody does their part to make society better.

I don't have The Answer, but I do think this is one of the ways to get there.

A Sad Night in Tennessee

WARNING: This blog entry is graphic in nature; please read with caution!!!

Sevierville anyone?

Finally, I've made it back to the mainland of North Carolina and away from the hickville they call Pigeon Forge & Sevierville (Gatlinburg was great!), Tennessee. Our largest mistake for our vacation was that we went on Muscle Car week. I'm not sure if that was the official title of the week long redneckapalooza but it sure made for some exciting moments.

Dr. Jekyll, so nice, so sweet...

My wife and I had a great time during the day, visiting museums, shopping for baby stuff, visiting an awesome aquarium and even going through a mirror maze that we solved entirely too quickly. What a blast! The people were nice, the weather was perfect and everything was going our way! That is until day turned to night and we were stuck on a 3 mile stretch of road between Gatlinburg and Sevierville with bumper to bumper traffic filled with muscle cars, drinking WHILE driving and confederate flags as big as the trucks carrying them. A redneck's dream! An Obama supporter's nightmare.

Mr. Hyde, so rude, so scary, so ignorant...

My wife and I had gone to a nice Murder Mystery dinner show that had it's moments, but was overall a letdown when compared to The Egg & I restaurant show in Las Vegas. We had taken a shortcut there that bypassed all the traffic lights but decided to take the long way so we could see all the activity going on in Pigeon Forge on a Saturday night. That would soon turn into the mistake of the evening and could have been much worse had my wife not been driving.

The Right Lane:

As we were putting along at a nice 0.5mph pace a small truck with the exhaust pipes moved from the rear to inside the bed (to run diesel and resemble an 18 wheeler) flew past us and all of a sudden what looked like a Bojangles 32oz tea smashed against our window scaring the crap out of us. They were moving fast but we both swore it looked like a mullet-ridden man was leaning out the window and giving us the finger. We both chalked it up to the drinking WHILE driving that I mentioned earlier and kept putting along listening to music and talking about the less than stellar performance from the Murder Mystery dinner cast earlier. It was no less than five minutes later that we heard muffled yelling outside the driver's side window. We both turned and saw a couple of men yelling at us from their truck. My wife rolled down the window and believe me, we both regretted it immediately. "F*ck Obama! F*ck Obama! F*ck that Muslim n*gger!" I'm not sure if that's the exact context but it's the same words and darn close. We were both in shock and and didn't know what to say. Thankfully, the traffic moved on and so did the truck. Stunned, we just sat there for a few seconds and finally moved on, in silence. It was then that it came to me. I realized that we had become targets because I have an Obama '08 sticker on my car. Surely that wasn't it, was it? Maybe they were yelling at the people next to us? Maybe this was a one time thing coming from young punk kids who had not yet learned how to consume alcohol in appropriate quantities? I sure hoped so.

My wife and I sat in silence for the next few minutes while we went through light after light of traffic. She was scared to get in the left lane (which was obviously moving faster) because she didn't want to catch up to the hate filled confederate kids. To be honest, I didn't want her to either. I prayed that the same person would stay behind us for the entire trip home and hoped we would not be bothered again. Sadly, the worst was yet to come.

The Middle Lane, The WRONG Lane:

With my wife and I both nervous and scared we hesitated to get into the middle lane to the left of us, but could no longer see the vehicles that had been a burden to us. She moved to the middle looking in all mirrors and very clearly scared. I, myself, had become VERY aware of my surroundings and had begun to notice every single police car I could find. Unfortunately, they were far and few between. The middle lane, while moving at a steadier pace, was still slow and agonizing as our terrible experience made every second seem like an eternity. I'm positive we were both praying to ourselves and our unborn child who has still yet to learn what a nasty world we live in. Then it happened...

It happened so fast all we could do was stare in shock and fear. A truck whose entire back window had been covered with a confederate flag and proudly displaying it's 2 bumper stickers, "Sportsmen for Dole" and "Sportsmen for McCain" screeched its tires, whipped out from behind us and then back in front of us and then slammed on the brakes. A middle aged man wearing flannel and jeans jumped out of the car and ran towards us. He then stopped, grabbed his crotch and yelled at what I considered the top of his lungs, "F*CK OBAMA! F*CK OBAMA!" He went from his crotch to giving us the finger and back to his crotch again. "F*CK OBAMA! F*CK OBAMA!" Then something strange happened as we looked around for a friendly face or a police officer. Other people were rolling down their windows around us...but not to tell the obvious drunk to get back in his car. No...they were...surely not... they were cheering? CHEERING? Some of them in this brief 45 seconds actually chimed in on his chant, "F*CK OBAMA! F*CK OBAMA!" After what had to be the longest 45 seconds to a minute of our life, the man ran back to his car, got in, and sped off.

I was looking all around us now, ready to fight if I had to. Looking in all directions to make sure nobody was coming at us from another angle or from another car. I saw windows rolling back up with frightening grins and happy smiles. I even saw an old couple, who seemed as scared as we were shrug their shoulders and drive on. What were we supposed to do? Getting out of there was the best plan we could come up with. We forced our way back to the right and got off on a side street and fumbled our way back to home base, confused, hurt, scared and reeling from the worst thing that's ever happened in our lifetime.

I went to the front desk of our vacation resort after insisting to my scared wife that she would be okay in the room by herself. I asked if there was something I could do. I was told to "take the Obama sticker off my car." I asked if the police could do something. She asked if we remembered the license plate numbers. I didn't. Stupid. Very stupid of me. I wasn't even thinking about that and didn't even glance at the license plate. She said again, "If I were you I would take that Obama sticker off. People don't like him much around here." "REALLY!?!" "Ya think?" I could have smacked her right then, but knew it would make me no better than the ignorant rednecks I had already dealt with. I walked out angry, confused and feeling like I there was nothing I can do.

A Sad Conclusion:

I can never pretend to know what African Americans have gone through in the many years of rednecks like "Bojangles Billy Bob" or the "Sportsmen for McCain & Dole" tormenting their spirit, their drive and their willingness to ever trust again. I don't pretend to know what it was like. But I know something similar. I certainly got a dose of the worst medicine in my life. I will never forget this. My wife will never forget this. If I can help it, everyone I know and love will NEVER FORGET THIS.

I am still displaying my "Obama '08" bumper sticker, proudly. It is likely I will never take it off even if the "Sportsmen" get their way in November. My life has changed. My wife's life has changed. Our unborn child's life has changed. It's not good and it will never be the same again.

No matter who wins...this ignorance MUST STOP. This hatred MUST STOP. This racism and sexism MUST STOP NOW.

Vacation time! Not for Sarah though.

Vacation is near but not for Sarah Palin, I fear.

I leave you with this final thought,
They want me to be quiet but instead I fought,
She says Why does everybody keep pickin' on me,
But how would she react to the governments overseas?

Nobody knows, but everyone cares
Should we just trust her or perhaps be scared?
No interviews, no talk shows but plenty of fuss,
According to her the Media has thrown her under the bus.

If that were true then the bus moves ahead
To every single person the media did spread
Because all politicians come under the same light
But the conservative media must not be too bright.

They keep saying "The media is unfair!"
Yet the media is reacting with its NORMAL flair
Because all politicians are scrutinized the same.
The republicans just want someone to blame.

You can take a chance and vote based on fate.
Not me my friends...I'm with Obama O'Eight.

I'm off on vacation everyone! Have a great week!

$300K for an outfit? OUTRAGEOUS!

I go to my Yahoo and what do I see, but Cindy McCain staring back at me...in a complete wardrobe worth an estimated $300K+? Why? If McCain/Palin want to convince me they are going to cut back on expenses, balance a budget, cut taxes, etc., etc., then they need to convince me on their own home front. Show me a real role model. I even have beefs with my own party when it comes to spending, but not nearly as bad as this! It is outrageous that she wore an outfit totaling more than most people's income and this was just one wardrobe pick. I understand some jewelry was figured into the price, but the designer outfit and jewelry for Laura Bush was around $4400 which is a more modest price. I know that people in politics have an image to uphold, but I would feel better about a person who just knows how to dress well without spending an arm and a leg to get the same designer looks. I see it done on Style TV's various shows all the time. I am sure some of it is posturing and some of it is just plain politics, but either way it is still too much. I know some of you will challenge me on this and that it is okay. If Obama's wife wore as expensive of an outfit as McCain's wife did, I did not hear any hoopla about it.