Ah the week that was. Snow in all 50 States - yes, even in the higher mountains of Hawaii. The bonus of it all is that the Federal Government was more paralyzed than normal: Federal offices were shut down for 4 full days. Snow obviously votes Republican
Meanwhile the rest of the country is freaking out about snow. And frankly, I used to laugh about the South closing schools on the anticipation of snow. But when you break it down, the folks down there don't own shovels - they don't even really know what to do with the stuff. There are zero snow plows and no salt or even a salt truck to salt one road, let alone a fleet. So if you're going to make fun of the Southerners in snow, make fun of their survivalist runs on the 7-11 bottled water and grape Pop-Tarts. That's funny.
Meanwhile, the owners of Toyota vehicles and stock didn't have a good week. That's two in a row. And the media and government seem to be extra probing into this story - mainly because the media are all Toyota owners, and the government needs to sell more GM products. If I'm not kidding, prove me wrong. It does seem that Toyota might have held off such a recall until they had to... but I always think about Fight Club. The narrator (Edward Norton) was an automobile company employee who travels to accident sites to perform product recall cost appraisals. There was a magic number of deaths before they'd issue a recall. I'm thinking the number wasn't high enough.
Iran. I ran so far away. They're giving Mr. Obama's open hand of friendship the middle finger. The Iranian government executed some protesters, tear gassed the rest, and told the world they've enriched uranium. Mr. Obama's open hand has failed to end Iran's human rights abuses and also their nuclear ambitions. The response from the US? Go right back to George Bush styled sanctions. No hope. Zero change.
Speaking of zero hope. How about that NASA program. Looks like the 60's are finally over. Unless there's a great profit motive to get there for a US corporation, it looks like the next man on the moon will be a Chinese citizen. Which is fine, except I fear it'll be a Chinese soldier - and he'll be aiming missiles back at the blue planet where he came from.
Sarah Palin wrote some crib notes on her hand. Obama supporters were quick to make fun of her. I'd like to point out that her other hand was stretched out with a purse full of cash. Her profit motive to leave her office and hijack the tea-bag movement, and ultimately the GOP - should be much more troubling then her short term memory of talking points. Both ideologies should be concerned.
Speaking of the Tea Baggers [and again, guys, you HAVE to pick a new name!] they've been called the Know-Nothings. This is extremely dangerous and has connotations that are even more dangerous. I prefer the cartoon's description that these folks are Libertarian in heart - and they feel that the Federal, State and Local governments were the right size before. Gigantic, and with all kinds of programs that they like - but they don't want to see it get any bigger. And as their States and Local governments are crying poor, raising taxes to support programs and pensions that they cannot possibly fund - the government is getting larger and spending even more - with money it doesn't have. This is where their anger stems. It's not because Mrs. Pelosi is a woman or Mr. Obama has tan skin - it's because Mrs. Pelosi, Mr. Reed and Mr. Obama aren't listening, and don't care. To dismiss the Tea Baggers as racist is dangerous because to ignore their concerns leads the movement toward radical elements and radical solutions. It would be much more beneficial to recognize their fear and anger. The alternative is President Palin... and if that's not scary, then we can discuss how Napoleon and Mussolini came to power.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left the Apollo 11 command module (piloted by Michael Collins) in orbit and performed a landing in the lunar module Eagle. At 4:18 p.m. EDT, Armstrong announced to a watching and waiting world that “The Eagle has landed.”
