Is increased oil drilling in the US a good thing?

Oil rigs near my home in Paso Robles, CA.

My letter to conservative Bob:

The government could simply insist that most or all of the oil stays at “home.”

Something tells me the oil companies would jump at the chance even at reduced profits.

Think outside the conservative Republican box. Not every value can be measured in dollars and sense. Well, you can try to but that way is emptiness. Every time I used to hear “The guy with the most toys wins” I would get nauseated.

As you probably know, Limbaugh got a $400 Million contract. Though I don’t know if he “earned” it I think he is getting what the market will bear. I still think such sums are absurd and hurt the fabric of our society. Just like I think there oughta be a law that says people cannot tear down perfectly good million dollar homes on Mohawk Ave just to put up another, more expensive home. That is simply a waste of resources.

Yes, Americans are piggy when it comest to wasting resources. That day is over for good, Bob. Your rich buddies may not believe it. It’s too scary for them. It is happening.

I was at our city offices today talking with a young guy who is in charge of the water. Tuesday I attended a meeting. It was announced that our water bills will quadruple in the next five years with a gradual increase each year.

See, we need to bring in fresh water from Lake Naciamento in a new pipeline that wil be 45 miles long when finished. They already have 13 miles done. The planning started in 1992 when the County board had enough vision to make a deal for the lake that will take care of three nearby cities.

The point is that our water is yet another commodity like gasoline. The scarcity makes it very valuable.

Things are changing and much more quickly than even the brightest people figured on. They were lulled to sleep by greed and megalomania.

The quickly disappearing gas guzzling cars signal another big change. Walmart will not be making as much money. People will not be willing to buy things they don’t really need because they won’t be able to pick up some things in small cars. I predict that Walmart will have to start delivering a lot of stuff, at a higher cost to the consumer of course.

So the consumers will stop buying so much stuff that they probably did not need so quickly anyway. Maybe that is a good thing. Maybe it will pay a new company to make stuff that is better constructed and not made in China because the cost to ship stuff is going through the roof as well.

Did you know that Walmart’s attempt to set up in Germany failed? They bought a bunch of existing stores that were pretty far out from the cities. Europeans drive small cars due to the high gas prices. Eventually Walmart sold off all the stores and pulled up stakes completely. This article was written in 2005:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_15/b3928086_mz054.htm

I learned Tuesday night that Paso Robles issued only 6 (six!) new housing construction permits since January 2008. A couple of years ago they issued over 70 permits. SIX. It’s not just us. My friend in Spring Grove told me they had 10 permits issued. this year. That is a town that has been bursting at the seams for the past 10 years. The Spring Grove kids were 80% of the combined H.S. with Richmond.

Big home and big cars for the middle class will not be made any more. The rich will always be able to afford them. Unfortunately the money is gravitating to the top. Your high expectations of a revived middle class in the US are pipe dreams.

It is the turn of the Asian countries. We will still be here but in much modified condition. National Healtcare that simply must happen is a result of the change. Incredible inflation is just around the corner, I think.

All the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Don’t blame the messenger, please. I hope I am 100% wrong. I hope something comes along but I don’t see what it can be.

I heard a guy call into a radio station tonight. He said “The US was put here in this world. We are a blessed country.”

Oh, one other oddity. Before the city council meeting we said the Pledge. No biggie. But then a minister said a prayer. That surprised me. It must be legal? Or is it blind stubbornness? I did find ONE liberal in town the other day when I was walking the dogs (doing 1 1/2 miles every morning now and feeling very good). He is 76 years old, very spry with long hair. He taught high schools for a long time. His name is Bill.

“I figured you for a conservative,” said Bill with a wry smile.

Do you know why legislative “earmarks” suck?

I did not know what McCain meant when he said he never pursued an “earmarked” legislation. So I checked up on this interesting issue.

McCain has been opposed to earmarks for his entire career. Obama said he tried to get over $700 Million for his friends and constituents over the years. He was able to land about $240 Million. Hillary Clinton also obtained money.

I’ve learned a couple of things since yesterday about earmarks:

1. According to the New York Times the money does not necessarily go to line the pockets of friends and relaitves; Obama, for example, obtained $10 Million for a militrary arsenal in Rock Island, IL and a couple million for soybean disease research at the U. of Illinois. Some money went to school clubs and sports programs at Chicago Jesuit Academy. He also requested $1 Million for the U. of Chicago Medical Center to fund construction of a pavilion to make room for more patient treatment. Other hospitals in Illinois were on Obama’s list. Possibly Obama requested money to make his friends rich. I don’t know.

2. Some representatives use earmarks to help line the pockets of campaign contributors, friends and relatives or just for themselves.

3. Earmarking is not an illegal activity. There was a bill introduced by the Republicans but it never made it very far. Congress folks like to protect their own interests and I suspect the Republicans knew this in advance so introducing a bill was not a threat to their sucking more money from your pockets for who knows what reasons.

Take a look at this article:

FOX News Documentary Shows Congressmen Sent Millions in Earmarks to Their Own Families

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,361061,00.html

Once you read about earmarks it will be difficult for you to forget how our Congress folks are ripping us off pretty much all of the time.

~greg

I know someone who actually found a buyer for his house!

I have four brothers. One of them is very rich by average middle class standards. He is not CEO rich or George Romney rich or even Condi Rice rich.

Like America, he is blessed by the Lord upstairs. At least that is what some people believe (like Rev. Farwell and his ilk)

He owns a house in an expensive neighborhood. A few weeks ago he decided he wanted to sell his house because he obtained a new job that puts him in the 40% income bracket and that is before he includes his beautiful wife’s income that is so big to be unmentionable here.

So, he puts some flyers around the neighborhood saying he wants to sell his house for (a very high price). Yesterday a guy called him and said he wants to make an offer.

Is my brother blessed or not? I will let you be the judge and jury.

In other news, I noticed Barack is wearing a flag pin now. Is that hypcritical? It sure will be according to Hanratty and Laura Ingram for sure. Wait til they get their bloodthirsty fangs into that one.

Did you watch McCain’s speech last night? Jeez Luise he must be so broke he is hiring a college kid to stage his speeches.

See if you can watch his speech without laughing out loud:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7RuX4pQPLY

Look for a landslide for Obama in November. You heard it here second! The billionaire said it first in public.

greg cryns

Please define “victory in Iraq”

“A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.“
Oscar Wilde quotes

I guess there is no definition for “victory” in Iraq. You cannot find one. It has not been stated by anyone in power. It does not exist because they know it cannot happen.

Also, it seems there is a new Constitutional change: a President may invade any other country for any stupid reason even if the people think he is a total jerk for doing it. Why? Because the President controls the military. To military people the sound of WAR is an aphrodisiac.

So, the lull in Iraq causes a drumming up for an invasion of Iraq. Folks, are you ready to sacrifice your sons and daughters for that? More coffins, more wasted human life.

MADNESS

Frank gets annoyed

I have a good friend named Frank. We talk on the phone at least once a week.

Yesterday he told me this story:

He received a letter from the IRS. Inside the envelope there was an overpayment check for $14.62.

“Not much to get excited about,” said Frank. “But there was something else in the envelope. It was a letter about taking my check and investing it in government securities!”

The humor in that statement takes a second to seep in.

Did you receive your rebate check yet? I think it is supposed to be $600, right? I heard we were supposed to receive it on May 23rd. I’m still waiting. It’s fun to think about how I can spend that princely sum but I strongly doubt I will put it into an investment.

Quote: “Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.”

Quote: “When are we going to be allowed to list the government as a dependent?”

Do you realize that some tax forms ask you to check a box if you are BLIND?

Under the Freedom of Information Act, a man with a small business sent a request to the IRS asking if they had a file on him. The IRS wrote back, “There is now.”

See you next time!

greg cryns

Laura Ingram is a big bad b*tch

That headline is just to get some attention.

Actually, I do enjoy listening to Laura Ingram. Once in a while she gets my dander up but usually I know that she is trying to do just that.

This week she’s been blasting Keith Olbermann. Keith can be irksome too.

But Laura said he is saying bad things about the troops. Sorry, Laura, you missed his meaning intentionally or not.

If you really believe that it is because you are so deep into Conservatism that you do not understand the language of liberals.

More later…

 

 

Old School thinking

I sent this quote to my friend about the firebombing of Dresden:

“In the post-war period estimates of the dead ran from a low of 8,200 to a high of 300,000 and have been the subject of distortion both upwards and downwards for varied ideological and nationalistic reasons and have been and still are the subject of extreme controversy.^[6][7][8]The raids continue to be included among the worst examples of civilian suffering caused by strategic bombing, and have become one of the moral causes célèbres of the Second World War.^[9]“

~Wikipedia

My friend wrote back:

“As usual there are two versions.  And even the most inflated figures pale to the death and torture that was an everyday occurrence and hallmark of our enemy.  War is not a walk in the park.”

I said,

That sounds like something an Old School general might say. We’ve got to get far away from justifying death. That’s the easy way out. In this case it is 8,000 or 300,000. I submit that even just one civilian death is far too many. Using civilians to squelch an ememy is a tactic perfected in the 20th Century.

There are two versions of Iraqi deaths. 50,000 or 500,000. How many of those were terrorists? Then the rightys come back with “Well, Saddam would have killed a lot of people too.” Uh, ok. yes, he may have. but WE did this killing and rather indiscriminately too. That is modern thinking. Bah, humbug.

Yes, war is hell. But we talk more about how to survive it than how to end it. How about the US takes the lead in getting rid of nukes forever? Why don’t I hear that from anyone in the Senate, except maybe Kucinich and, of course, to all the OS people he is a fruitcake. To me the Senate is full of fruitcakes and Kucinich is the only sane person there.

There is so much that is ugly, awful about the 20th Century, not that the previous centuries were lush gardens of paradise. But the 20th Century brought horrible new weapons of mass destruction. Yes, again, the US horded the WMVs and brought chemical weapons out of the caccoon. “Let’s make a chemical that can wipe out an entire city but keep the building intact!” Human beings actually had to plan to make those bugs. Isn’t that astounding? I think modern scientists are evil. They make these horrible things and then they try to find an antidote to smallpox. Go figure.

Can you imagine? Someone had to actually think “Ah, a flamethrower. What we need is a flamethrower!” or “The world needs a bomb that can kill 100,000 civilians in a matter of minutes.” or “What we need are better gas chambers!”  Stuff like that. It’s so OS.

Peace.

Greg

Michelle Obama may have “IT”

Michelle Obama

Michelle Malkin

I get scolded for not expressing my love of my country correctly. I lost my flag lapel pin Dr. Bob gave me a few years ago. I think I will get another one soon. Really. Why?

Because I do love my country. Very much. It’s just that I think the US and the rest of the world needs to correct its course. I am not afraid to say so and as loudly as possible. I want the good the US does (and there is plenty of that) to shine and not to be tarnished by the Ugly American tags. We are not perfect but we do shine enough, just enough. Like Mozart and Michaelangelo.

I saw an email today about one Michelle Malkin talking about how proud she is to be an American. I don’t know Michelle Malkin. Is she black? She says she is a woman “of color”. Filipino? It does not matter except that I learned she is a “conservative journalist.”

I’m sorry but I can’t shake the thought of a conservative woman of color from my mind. It just seems wrong.

Has Malkin ever seen American life through the eyes of a black woman? I ask that question with respect. People do not choose their ethnic background.

Malkin is more than just conservative, though. She is far right wing. There is a difference. You know that, right?

Malkin is famous for calling out ABC news for telling their reporters not to wear the American Flag pins or red, white and blue ribbons. My initial reaction is “right on, Michelle!” but on further thought it may be better for our journalists to try to see the situation without bias.

In the recent email Malkin supposedly posted an article (unverified) about how she felt proud of America. The intention of the article is to jab at Michelle Obama’s husband, of course.

In the email statement, Malkin says she’s been to more than one naturalization ceremony. Is that a job for her? How many have you been to? I’ve never seen one though I am sure they are inspirational.

I think Michele Barack would say the same about a naturalization ceremony.

What is it about this election that finds the talking heads jabbering about Barack Obama’s wife? This is reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy back in 1960. I think her presence helped push Jack into the winning column.

Like Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Barack is highly educated and intelligent (the two adjectives do not necessarily merge), confident and beautiful (again).

The right wing is blowing Michelle Barack’s comments up because their gunbelts are shy of ammunition this year.

Never mind that her statements are taken from the context of her life as a black woman in America. You don’t have to be a poor black woman to feel the pain of a two hundred years of dire hatred.

We have Condi and Malkin who provide the exceptions that prove the rule. If they represent African Americans in the US why is Obama getting 80% of the black vote? Do you think Condi would get 80% of their votes?

The right wing rants about Obama’s minister and his use of the word “bitter.” They need a new writer. The script is stale and a loser.

Let’s talk about economics and Iraq and global warming and about the type of change that really shakes the world. Stash the nonsense, politico boys and girls.

That’s the opinion of greg cryns. Worth what you paid for it.

Have you had enough of both the Democrats AND the Republicans?

Isn’t it time we tell them both to take a hike? Do we really have a ONE Party system anyway? Follow the money, folks.

The latest BS about whether Florida and Michigan totally disrespects the voters.

The bigwigs with the cigars made the rule about not entering the primaries early. That was the first mistake. See, they never figured on the possibility that the race would be so tight.

It was the Florida and Michigan DEM bigwigs who decided to get in early, I assume. What were they thinking? Did they not foresee the possible huge problem? NO, they either didn’t see it or, more likelythey didn’t care. Remember, these are the same slimebags who will do anything to keep the Libertarian Party from gettting on the ballot. They challenge the Libertarian petitions all the time. Did you know the bar is way higher for the 3rd parites to get on the ballot? WHY? Because these are slimeballs we are dealing with.

The authority figures dropped the ball once again. The rule should never have been made. That was the first way they disrespected the voters in those states. They should at least have waved the DEM voters off, taken out big ads that their votes may be worthless, that their visit to the poll was a could be waste of their time.

Did they do that? I don’t think so. More disrespect.

Bog, the election is NOT about the Parites. It is way too sacred to be left in the hands of the Parties.

It must be about the voters. Do the bigwigs care if the voters have to go TWICE to the polls. NO.

What should they do now? Stick their cigars where the sun don’t shine so the electorate can thumb your noses at them. Why cares what THEY do. These wolves in lambs clothing.

Let it go to the convention for the superdelegates to decide. That is the RULE, right? Follow the fucking ugly stupid rules. Isn’t that what the Republicans teach us?

Isn’t that what the Ten Commandments and the Constitution are all about? Follew the rules and you will be SAVED. You may get drawn and quartered, but you will be saved.

You want Hillary to win, don’t you? It is very apparent. That is what Rush Limbo wants. He figures she would be easier to beat in the fall.

He is correct. An Obama win will swam the Rep efforts.

Kerry made the right analysis in my opinion. Hillary is taking all of the state THAT WILL VOTE DOMOCRAT ANYWAY. Obama took states that NEVER VOTED DEM IN THE PAST. The Dem Party needs Obama. Hillary is for a revote. Reopening the voting is to her advantage. I don’t think that Obama was  on the ballot earlier.

Obama played by the rules. Now he might get screwed by the rules. Bad stuff for the electorate.

Having said that, I do not think the Dem powers-that-be (whoever they may be, maybe the bankers?) willo not allow the Super delegates to control who gets nominated. They may want to but they will be prevented. How that is done I don’t know. But I know they can make it happen because they also know that the Dem Party could crack if it is allowed to happen.

They entire sick political system needs a wake up call. It is sick and you know it. You think you can put a finger in the dam to stop it? You need to let THEM know you’ve had it up to HERE and you won’t take it any more.

greg cryns

Behind the veil of military recruitment

This morning I found a clipping from today’s news paper on my desk.

It was from my dear wife. Written on the clipping is “FYI - check this
out.”

I did and I must tell you it was one of my best decisions ever.

I Googled the short article. Here it is:

From The San Luis Obispo Tribune
3/5/08
Paso Robles

A forum on the war in Iraq is set for today at Paso Robles High School. The event will include perspectives for and against the war and will feature a variety of speakers and filmmakers.The program will begin at 8 a. m. and start anew every 90 minutes during theschool day in Bearcat Hall.

Filmmakers Peter Dudar and Sally Marr will show a short version of their film,”Arlington West,” which includes inter-view with soldiers on theirway to and from Iraq.

A panel of U. S. Army and Marine representatives will be on hand, as well as amember of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Here is a clip about Arlington West (I don’t think it is in themovie):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY7HtW2btqs

Go to this site to buy this important video. You won’t regret it.

http://www.arlingtonwestfilm.com/index.php

(Picture) Filmmaker Sally talks with recruiter Sgt. Guzman

A Recruiter was asked about the college tuition lure: “If someone told you this would pay your way through college with the GI Bill, you would be lucky if it did.”

He said there are conditions attached to the GI Bill, like you better not commit adultery. That is a Marine rule (not sure about the Army). Adultery could get you a court martial. Isn’t that amazing? Apparently it is ok, though, for soldiers to rape female soldiers like Suzanne Swift. I think the army generals read too much Old Testament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=Pndd94E2_WQ

(Picture) Augustine, an ex-Marine medic is currently fighting a legal battle to declare himself a “Conscientious Objector” (middle) chats with teachers..

A Recruiter was asked if he would go back. He said he re-upped and was called when his wife was 9 months pregnant. That tells me he loves his Country more than he loves his wife. Gee, could he be brainwashed?

Erika served 4.5 years, 2 of those in Iraq. She said she would like to go back to Iraq as a citizen because less than 1/2 percent of Americans have ever been in Iraq. That makes me wonder. If the US attacked a country where many US citizens had visited, would the people allow a megalomaniac president to start a war against that country? Just asking.

A former soldier on the panel said he was told by his superiors when he got to Iraq “If anything moves, you fire at it. ” and “always finish the job.(of killin)” Of course, you think he is lying. That could not possibly happen.

All of the ex-soldiers said that seeing children blown to bits is not a rare thing. Erika said that many Iraqi people work on the army base in Baghdad. She called the base HUGE. But she was told by one o0f the an Iraqi heavy equipment operator on the base is happy to work there because getting a job outside the base is extremely difficult. Hmmmm, it’s beginning to sound like America but the point, of course, is that the American presence has not done too much to improve their lives other than allowing some women take off their burghas. Whoop-de-dooo!

Filmmaker Peter peeks out from his kneeling position during the meeting.

Ethnicity in the Army: Army Times magazine said Hispanic recruits are increasing, Afro-American recruits are decreasing. Interesting? Any ideas why?

Recruiter Sgt Guzman said, “Recruiting is like counseling.”: He said he tells a lot the young people who want to sign up that they are not cut out for joining. I asked him what percentage he turned away. He said “2 out of 7″. (smile) He also said the Army’s quota for him is 3 per month signed on. I don’t know. does that seem low to you for about 1/4 of the state of California?

I was happy to hear the recruiters talk. I do empathize with them even though their brainwashing is so evident. They obviously are our Gladiators and that is ok. If you know all of the facts about signing up for the military, facts like you may die in combat, then I am ok with your decision. I feel sorry for your decision and I think you are probably too young to make such a decision because if you were a few years older I can guarantee the likelihood of signing up would be about ZERO. Doesn’t that make you wonder if you should be risking your l life for people who will not risk their life for you?

Just don’t fib to the recruits, please.