Forget Global waming. . .

What about Global Stopping?

Have you heard this? Forget Global Warming people - the Earth is stopping; its rotation is slowing! I can't believe I'm on this before Al Gore. This is real. Check out:

http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae695.cfm

Physicists have known this for years and there is actual science behind their findings. Where is the outrage? Where is the government intervention to stop this? The days are getting longer. Every 18 months or so we have to add a leap second to planetary time to keep the day consistent with atomic clocks. I'm sure mankind's (and woman's too) evil doings are behind this crisis and it just can not continue.

Unions will demand even more pay because their work day is longer. There will be even more reality shows because people will have more time to waste. The animals' bio rhythms are going to be out of whack and they'll become extinct (this might have done in the dinosaur). Obama's term will be more then 4 years. That's it, something has to be done.

I think the first thing to do is get some high profile celebrities on board to get the message out. Everyone knows that they carry incredible weight on all things political and scientific. Maybe we get John Travolta or Tom Cruise. Anyone in Scientology ought to be credible about Global Stopping. I even have the theme song: "Stop the World I'll Melt With You" by Modern English.

Now I don't want to cause a panic. Scientists aren't sure what will happen and we do have a billion years or so before it's too late. But just imagine that December day on an Alaskan beach when the sun worshipers are just laying there during their 1100 hour day and all of a sudden the earth just stops.

Can you help us out Al?

There is no such thing as a free lunch

This was how my college professor explained the Conservation of Energy law of nature. Simply put, energy can be neither created nor destroyed, it can only change form. Why do I bring this up? We've gone through the car show season and, between that, and the renewed talk about electric cars I have to ask; where is the electricity for these cars going to come from?

Our new administration wants to stop coal fired power plants and it won't allow new nuclear power plants. Solar and wind are their alternatives but it'll be years before they contribute significantly to the power grid. So, when we plug in our fancy new electric cars, where's the power going to come from? No one wants to bring up this inconvenient truth. And I haven't even mentioned the future of all those batteries or the energy required to make them.

Again, I am all for alternative energy sources. However if they need to be subsidized by the government then they are not yet viable. And, more importantly, the energy discussion must be comprehensive and not based on the populist notion of the moment. We need to stop being so reactive in this country and have thorough discussion based on sound reasoning.

Otherwise we'll end up having our lunch money stolen by the bully.

Good bye free market

Here's a little known (at least little media covered) fact about the stimulus bill. All state and local jobs on energy, housing, agriculture or construction that are funded with stimulus money must pay union wages versus market wages. It's called the Davis-Bacon provision and the Office of Management and Budget slipped it in the bill before Obama signed it.

What does this mean? Stimulus dollars will put fewer people to work. It effectively eliminates competitive bidding since the unions will all set the same wage. How about letting people and companies bid on projects with no such restrictions so our tax dollars will go farther? How about including non-union shops in on the stimulus?

Again, this is the candidate of change?

He railed against the previous administration for its No Bid contracts complaining it led to excessive costs and spending. This union only provision does the same thing. What was the campaign term - Lipstick on a Pig?

One study estimates that with about $200 billion in the stimulus set for construction projects, Davis-Bacon raises the costs by about $17 billion.

Looks like that was the cost of the labor vote last fall!

Who needs 100 days

I'm not sure when the media and/or the administrations started tracking the first 100 days, and I'm not sure why. I suppose it's yet another indication of how much of a "Gotta have it now" culture we've created. I don't know about you but I don't want a new president rushing through policy decisions just to show progress NOW.

After all that Obama has accomplished so far, I am afraid the trend may be to start looking at the first 50 days. Let's recap. In 50 days or so as president he has:

• nominated more cabinet members with tax problems than any other president
• filled fewer administration positions (ask Tim Geitner)
• spent more money than any president has in their first year!
• had more parties at the White House
• broken more campaign promises
• alienated the minority party
• talked about raising taxes in a recession
• setback welfare reform 15 years
• commented on a talk radio personality
• given inappropriate gifts to foreign leaders
• actually gotten Republicans to organize and protest

I don't know what he's going to do for the rest of his term. Instead of change you can believe in it's speed of change you can't believe.

If I was elected to the most powerful position in the world and had as little experience as Obama does, I would focus on only one thing at the beginning.

And I'd pick the economy. But I guess that's just me.

The CPAC story the Media missed

I promised myself I wouldn't talk about Rush Limbaugh and his speech at CPAC. I think that story has been beaten to death. We all know that Rush likes to push the envelope when making his point. And that the MSM (main street media) just likes to show bits and pieces to distort the facts. Anyway, what I find very enlightening is the other, more incredible, story that they failed to report.

Have you heard about Jonathan Kohn? Probably not. Why would anybody want to report on a 13 yr old kid that gave a well thought out, intelligent, 3 minute speech in front of the CPAC audience. Oh yeah, he's written a book too. I guess things like Rush and Octomom make such better stories!!

Check out Jonathan's speech. I don 't care where you fall in the political spectrum, this kid is pretty impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBDmhJ5ALw

I know, it's a little unnerving how Jonathan comes across but remember he is only 13 (OK he turned 14 right after the conference). It is great to see someone so young have an opinion and be able to articulate it. Can you imagine if someone like this spoke at a DNC meeting? It would be front page on the New York Times and Hollywood would be asking for the movie rights.

Fortunately we have the Internet and other numerous outlets so stories like this can now be told. The Main Street Media better figure it out if it wants to stay relevant.

So what did your 14 yr old do today?

Save the Humans

I saw this commercial the other night and I thought it was a Saturday Night Live skit. Then I realized how serious Noah Wyle was (he was almost crying!). It is a WWF (not the wrestlers but the World Wildlife Fund) commercial about saving the polar bears. Now, before the animal lovers start commenting, I am not an animal hater. I think animals have a place in this world. I just think that place is below humans. And I do not believe we appreciably effect climate change so this commercial was a double whammy for me.

Check out the commercial for yourself and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIy2XniVIuw

It's just that we have so many other pressing, serious, issues to worry about and fund. Animal species have gone extinct for as long as they've been on earth. The world survived the dinosaur going extinct. And who doesn't miss the Tasmanian Wolf (in case you didn't know - it's extinct).

I know the polar bear is a cute animal and yes they're fun to go see at the zoo, and yes I'm sure they even serve a purpose in nature (like maybe keeping the seal population down - by eating them). But I really think the world will go on if they don't make it. Mother nature can be a real mother sometime so I don't think we should mess with her.

So if you have that extra $16/month to save a polar bear maybe you can use it to save a human life first - or go to the zoo.

I don't mean to offend

Or do I?

I have always thought that political correctness was annoying but now I think it is downright dangerous. You cannot advance a conversation or cause unless you are willing to offend. Now of course you should not be offensive just for the sake of it. But imagine trying to make a point, any point, without risking tweaking someone. It has gotten worse because now people want to be nice. They are so nice that they won't make a decision.

Remember Chip and Dale, that lovable Walt Disney chipmunk duet? There's the classic scene where they are leaving a room and Chip says to Dale; "After you" And then Dale says; "Oh no after you". They go back and forth being so nice they never get anywhere. Who would've thought that a 1950's comedy routine would become real life today?

Something can only be offensive if we let it offend us. We need to get thicker skins and join in the debate. We cannot advance as a society unless we are willing to have conviction and also be willing to express it.

So go ahead, offend somebody today.