A New Beginning in the US!

Congratulations to Barack Obama and the rest of our country. A change is gonna come! Now we can 'reel in the years' of Bush mismanagement and move forward!

More Dylan Politics...

Well, I'm off to yet another party....but, this one actually pertains to us directly, a despidida, or a farewell party for our family, as well as two others in the community. Lots of drink, cabayo bayo, music, and dancing. Should be a lot of fun! A 'blow out' of sorts....I should be plenty thirsty.

So...if you are thirsty, grab a cold one and read this latest story on Dylan and his seeming endorsement of Barack Obama. Enjoy!

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Bob Dylan endorses Barack Obama. Read it here.


Fascinating......Dylan painting masterpieces and endorsing the first black presidential candidate. A long ways from him singing 'When the Ship Comes In' in the early sixties, preceding Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I have a Dream' speech. Maybe Mr. Dylan will see that dream come true....

Young Hillary

Another School Massacre

Well, here we go again.....Another senseless school massacre in the United States. This time the assassin bought his gun, legally, a mere 2 weeks ago. It's like a kid in the candy shop....simple as that. When is enough going to be enough!?

Prepare for the cycle......First, we'll go through the grieving process, asking the 'hows' and 'whys'. Next, it will spin into 'the mind of a killer' and other sensationalist aspects that sell newspapers. (I see 60 minutes has already begun the story.) Afterwards, a brief political debate will ensue, as the lobbies on both sides scrum, with the gun lobby prevailing, reminding Americans that liberal communists want to take guns away, in order to impose an Orwellian, godless state. And, finally, it will return to business as usual in the U.S. of A......until the next massacre.

God Bless America!

Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Bob Dylan, 1962

Obama-mania!

I really hope this guy is our next prez. What a breath of fresh air he will be!

Power To The People....

So, Let Me Get This Straight

In the world of television, tt's okay to show homicide, autopsies, depict rape, abductions, and war, but it's not okay to show a passing glance of a nude woman's caboose?

Apparently, this is what ABC found out recently, as they were ordered to pay out the....... ahem, you know what. What priorities! I'm so glad the FCC is looking out for the well-being of our precious children!

Universal Health Care

Why don't we have it?

Really?! Why is America the only nation in the Western world without universal health care for its citizens? Why is our infant mortality rate higher than that of Nicaragua? Why is our life expectancy lower than Cuba's?

These are just some of the points raised by Michael Moore in his recent film, Sicko, which examines the health care crisis in America. And when I say crisis, I cannot stress the word nearly enough.

1. I know, I know, you say universal health care is 'socialism'.... Perhaps....
But how about our police force, our firefighters, libraries, postal service?? I think most would agree that our firefighters' valiant efforts during 9/11 were not impeded by some 'socialistic plague' of indifference caused by a lack of capitalistic drive. The same can be said about this nation's police force. While less than perfect, our police force performs remarkably. Our nation's libraries operate as a not-for-profit service that all Americans are eligible to enjoy.

So, if we agree that free public safety and reading are 'understood rights' of Americans, why not healthcare?

2. It costs too much. We are already paying too much. As premiums rise, services have dwindled. People are now 'too young', 'too fat', 'too old', and 'not sick enough' to obtain treatment for conditions and maladies. Legal loopholes are sought, pre-existing conditions scrutinized by teams of medical experts, employed by the insurance companies, with the sole purpose of establishing denial quotas. Often times, these tactics are utilized in a war of attrition that paralyzes the insured, until it is 'too late', when early treatment could've prevented worsening outcomes.

How can countries like France, United Kingdom, and Canada all afford healthcare, and we cannot? Why can't we eliminate the overhead of insurance claims, designer drug 'marketing', billing departments, etc?

3. The ethical question. It's as simple as this. The American health care system is run for profit, not health. The systems in Western Europe and Canada are run for health, not profit. Our priorities are reversed. Thankfully, our police and firefighters don't operate under a 'for profit' basis.

Can you imagine a society in which you have a house fire, and instead of immediately calling '911' for the proper help, you first fret over whether your 'firefighter insurance' will cover the expenses of the trucks, hydrants, manpower, and resources used to combat the blaze. Then, in the end, you may be retroactively billed thousands of dollars because of a 'pre-existing condition' within the foundation of your house, determined by a team of 'building specialists', contracted by your 'friendly' insurance company. All the while, you have paid premiums in a timely manner for this 'safeguard' against catastrophe.

Somehow, our 'socialist' government has gotten it right with the police and firefighters.....now, it is time for Americans to enjoy government health care. The person that offers the best answer to this question will inevitably get my vote in 2008........even if that means Hillary.

As always, your comments are encouraged....
see Michael Moore's health care proposal here.

Who Killed The Electric Car?

It's a shame. It really is. My worst fears were confirmed last night. The U.S. car industry and oil companies don't want to offer alternatives to gasoline driven automobiles. The evidence is there for everyone to see. If you don't believe me, watch Who Killed the Electric Car? and see for yourself.

This brilliant documentary frames the issue from the perspective of progressive California lawmakers enacting 'zero emission' legislation in the mid-1990s, at which time, Saturn and other automakers began unveiling electric cars; sleek, fast, and efficient, touted by Hollywood, engineers, and greens, as the answer to oil dependency. So, 10 years later, there are no electric cars on the road. What happened?

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I saw enough evidence to suggest that the fix was on. Keep in mind, I loathe Michael Moore and all that he represents. I think he's a fat hack, and serves little purpose other than an object of parody (although, in fairness, I haven't seen Sicko yet). So, I go into these 'conspiracy' documentaries with a healthy bit of skepticism. I understand the limitations, the ease of manipulation through this medium, etc... That said, the evidence is overwhelming. A couple of highlights.

-Big knock against electric car is that it only gets 80 miles per charge, more or less. So, a GM scientist comes up with a battery that can go 300 miles per charge. The result......the auto industry asks him not to do major magazine stories about it, effectively censuring him, and then promptly sells the patent to Chevron. I wonder what they've done to advance this technology lately?

-After the leases ran out(there was no option to buy), the companies colluded together, collecting all of the vehicles, without giving 'customers' the option to re-up the lease or buy the cars outright. In fact, GM, among others, promptly destroyed perfectly functional 'green' vehicles for no known reason. After promising that the parts would be recycled on other gasoline-driven vehicles, there is evidence that all of the cars were taken to a desert proving ground in Mesa, Arizona to be demolished. Why?

-Instead of further committing to technology that actually works, albeit with a some kinks (like any other new technology....we didn't quit cell phone advancement because the first 'flip phones' battery life was low), the auto industry cited 'lack of interest' and is now pursuing (with the help of your federally funded tax dollars) hydrogen fuel-cell technology that is only about 20-30 years away. Moreover, a prototype auto currently costs over $1 million to produce and an infrastructure of hydrogen 'filling stations' will be needed before the first cars can ever be sold. Lord knows how much those will end up costing Americans. Talk about a red herring!!! How many years' profit will Chevron and company be able to eek out before Uncle Sam puts on his proper green attire? I'm guessing quite awhile. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the hydrogen cars actually emit more greenhouse gases than current automobiles.

Indeed, electric cars have been around a long time, even outnumbering gas driven cars 100 years ago. So, why not return to this technology to wean the United States off of foreign oil that is costing us so dearly in nearly every strata of society? In case you have forgotten, the United States is responsible for 46% of global oil consumption annually.....Just a thought....

Why, oh why, oh why?!

Well, here we go again....Another Columbine. Another school massacre to remind all of us that we have a gun problem in America. I know, I know, people kill people, not guns.....I know the argument. If you keep law-abiding citizens from owning guns, we're all defenseless victims to the real criminals that obtain them illegally anyway. Alas, the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms......Essentially, that is the argument for the pro-firearms folks....Well, you gotta start somewhere.

How come Great Britain, with 53 million inhabitants, registered only 46 gun-related homicides last year, while New York City, with 8 million, accounted for 579? Folks, something is amiss. So, what do we do? I think a good place to start would be to simply follow the model of a country that has low violence rates due to firearms...simple as that. Perhaps our cultural brothers across the pond have it right? Who knows? It's worth a shot (pardon the pun). Let's limit firearms to recreational use, distributed by clubs and hunting associations. Over time, perhaps we can begin reigning in the guns that are already out there. I know this is 'pie in the sky', but we have to do something. This is crazy!

As for the right to 'bear arms'. Any politician that uses this Constitutional 'crutch', should note that it was written in the context of citizens' leverage against the tyranny of government. In 2007, we have much more important issues to focus on then whether Washington is going to get medieval on its' inhabitants. Besides, it isn't 1789. Aside from a few deluded militiamen in Montana, an armed insurrection is highly unlikely anytime soon. Who wants a modern-day Shays' Rebellion? This 'right' was guaranteed in a time in history when oppressive monarchies and fledgling democracies were taking root in the Western world. In this context, the balance of power and insurance against abuse of power was procured through the ominous threat of armed insurrection. Like I said folks, the 18th century is history.

So, where do we go from here? I'd like to hear what you have to say......