Gasoline prices are not that high. According to Walter E. Williams, noted economist, and inflation measures gas prices are only slightly higher than in 1950.
In 1950, a gallon of regular gasoline sold for about 30 cents; today, it's $2.50. Are today's gasoline prices high compared to 1950? Before answering that question, we have to take into account inflation that has occurred since 1950. Using my trusty inflation calculator (www.westegg.com/inflation), what cost 30 cents in 1950 costs $2.33 in 2005. In real terms, that means gasoline prices today are only slightly higher, about 8 percent, than they were in 1950. Up until the recent spike, gasoline prices have been considerably lower than 1950 prices.
And also that means that although gas was only $50 a gallon, someone who makes $30,000 a year today would have made $5,000 a year in 1955.
Those poor people in New Orleans, they have a hard time of it. Please consider giving $10 to the Salvation Army. When I was in college, and my mom's house burned to the ground, The Salvation Army did the most for us, giving us food, shelter, clothing, and some toys for my young brothers and sisters.
Just $5 or $10. If only 1 million Americans gave $10, that would be a lot toward helping.
In a big stupid move, several music companies are fighting Apple over the pricing of digital downloads at the iTunes music store.
Now, in their infinite wisdom, the record companies have forgotten how bad things were before iTunes and want to jack up prices. (Note, for example, that the new Death Cab for Cutie album, one of this fall's most-anticipated releases, costs $11.99 on iTunes today. All that the market will bear, as Frank Norris would say.)
If they liked days when people stole music, then they should go ahead with trying to muscle iTunes.
For Mature Audiences Only.
Look what is for sale now on Amazon.
Maybe I won't buy my wife an iPod afterall.
Dear Apple Store:
Please don't make me get an Apple Store loan in 2003, just to cut all ties to MBNA, thereby making my Zero Balance and large credit line just another line item on my credit report. Please don't tell me that I need to get a new Apple Credit line by applying over the phone for a no-name Juniper Bank (known for poor customer service) when that before mentioned MBNA Apple Credit Line is still good and open only because you don't take it anymore. I have outstanding credit, and am listed in by FICO as Very Low Risk, but I don't think I should have to change accounts just to suit your corporate whim.
Sincerely,
The one who was going to upgrade to Tiger and replace my stolen iPod, but now isn't and is now sorry he suggested that his brother recenttly spend $2,000 at your Apple Store by switching from a PC to a Mac.
I watched Shepard Smith on FoxNews yesterday and he stood on Bourbon Stree saying that all was well, and that Katrina obviously missed New Orleans.
Well, one day later, I guess Shep was wrong. And I'm guessing that there were people who saw that broadcast and thought it was ok to return to The Big Easy.
Many may have died because of his rush to be first to broadcast the news.
He should be fired.
I am up for a fiction writing award at Demonminds. Please feel free to vote for my story, Buried, or your favorite piece of horror fiction over at Demonminds
Vote HERE
And again, my story is called Buried.
This is the funniest thing I've read in a while. Holy shit. Give it a read, it's about the worst album covers ever.
Well, my blog is back from the brink of being a white screen on Six Feet Under. Thanks to Pixy for fixing it.
A funny thing happened last night. While putting my doggie out to go pee, Nittany Kitty snuck out. I was tired and mad, and said "Fine, you want out. Sleep outside tonight". I then went to bed.
Then around 1:30 this morning I heard this crying coming from my cat. I went downstaris, but couldn't find her. I went back upstairs to my second floor bedroom and found Nittany right outside the window. Now granted we have a Cape Cod style one and a half story house, and there is plenty of roof outside our front window for her to sit on, but how did she get up there?
I opened the screen and she popped in, had a drink of water, and snuggled up next to me for the rest of the night.
Cats are strange heh?
I watched the finale of Six Feet Under last night, and I am moved. Through my sleepless night the images of the final 5 minutes haunted my mind and my thoughts moved to my own mortality. I thought of how far I've come, and how far I have yet to travel. What sort of things will I experience in the remaining years of my life? What sort of pain, love, sorrow, and joy have I yet to see?
It occured to me that life is like an hourglass. You watch the grains of sand drop endlessly to the bottom. There to be seen, remembered, but never to be used again, until the last sand of life falls, and you face your eternity.
I thought I'd share with you a funny cartoon. My father-in-law just returned from a trip to Vermont. Home of maple syrup, teddy bears, and Howard Dean.
Movies have The Oscars, and TV has The Emmy's. Now for books, there is a new people's choice type of award. The Quills.
You can vote for a list of notable books at Their web-site, and then watch the awards October 22nd on NBC.
Xenu has been spotted at a recent anti-war protest.
And speaking of freakish things, I found this in my comment box in regards to my poking fun of the cult of Scientology.
Wow, You really need Scientology. You should first of all, learn to read,as your ability to understand is not there at all, You need to go get some auditing, to remove the hatred from your case,which makes one extremely, biased, predudiced and out right crazy viewpoints on Scientology or really anything, which goes to creating an absolutely crazy world in which we live in. I hope you like it, as with out Scientology, disapating alot of the insanity and hatred, your going to be living in it. Then you need to just grow up, and realize what you are doing? Your making Scientology Double in Size, OverNight, and when it does guess who will get the last laughs? As The systems fail out here, which they will,because of the nut cases like your self are so rampant, Guess who has the tech, strength and know how to put it all right? It is obvious, you have no idea what Scientology is about, so for that I pity You, as You are missing out on the greatest adventure ever. Finding out who you really are. If you have the same concepts as ages past,then your not growing, as when you grow you always get new concepts and the concepts are not what you think they are till your there. When you finally get there, you just gained a new ability. But not you, your stunting your growth forever and don't even have a clue why. Man as man is going to grow up, Thanks to Scientology. You are a Spiritual being, So guess what you are going to grow up to? Hint, Isn't God a spiritual being too? Not you though, your baring your path for eternity, in fact your past is why you are so blind now, and you are trying to destroy a path that opens your memory of who you really are, So you will always remain in the degraded condition of Man. What if I am right? Look at the concequences of your actions, That is what determines your Tomorrows...Use your artistic talents to help man kind, your hatred will start to dissapate. Help Scientology eliminate hatred and insanity, Other wise someone will be degrading what your trying to create some day.In sanity is spiralling faster and faster every day, Scientology is just trying to do something about it, If we fail you will be the effect of it, then see who will be, free to laugh...
Hmm.. So evil Thetans are invading my psyche. I guess I either need auditing, or a hole in the head.
I think a hole in the head makes more sense.
With all this talk about Scientology, I thought I'd let you know of an excellent primer on the "religion" of pieces of crazy.
Or at least how a liberal would describe it
6:00 AM: Wakeup.
6:30 AM: Breakfast
7:00 AM: Exercise. Government says I am fat.
7:30 AM: Meet with members of Pentaburate (The queen, the vatican, The Saudi Royal Family, and Bill Gates). Discuss ways to control the world and keep the poor down.
8:30 AM: Meet with Don Rumsfeld to discuss new ways to utilize Patriot Act to take civil liberties away from citizens.
 "Who should I disenfranchise next?" | 9:15 AM: Cut down some trees on property. They are producing too much oxygen. 11:00 AM: Lunch of baby seals and spotted owl soup. 12:00 PM: Listen to Rush Limbaugh for talking points. 3:00 PM: Take a nap. Thinking is hard!! 4:20 PM: Meet with oil buddies. 5:00 PM: Place a crank call to Ted Kenndy pretending to be Mary Jo Kopechne. 5:30 PM: Watch "Blues Clues" 6:00 PM: Burn some tires and dispose of chemicals into creek. |
8:00 PM: Take a bath. Don't forget rubber ducky!!
9:00 PM: Bedtime!!
The past few weeks have been a hard time for NASA. While the Space Shuttle Discovery returned home safely, there are still many questions of what to do with the flailing space program.
I think that the best and brightest do indeed work at NASA, and that the problem isn't that NASA is stupid, but that the space agency needs direction. It reminded me of the determination and innovation that existed in the 1960s during the race to the moon. Though I wasn't alive at the time, from what I've heard and read about it made me realize that NASA's problems aren't that they can't do, but they don't know what to do.
I also took out my old VHS tapes of the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. It was great watching the mystery and fascination with space, and with the trip to the moon. Maybe that is what we need with NASA.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch the mini-series.
Look what this guy did to the Daily Kos, who stole one of his images.
It's good to be a jerk sometimes. Especially to those who steal bandwidth.
And the story in question? Celebrating Keith Olberman's great numbers for coming in above CNBC in the cable news war.
Gir's mother passed away last night.
I think it would be nice to send a note out.
Our President is the fittest in history, exercising 6 times a week and having a resting heart rate better than Lance Armstrong. According to the government's own body mass index, though, is still overweight
s this the face of the nation's obesity "epidemic"? Fat chance. But if you believe the federal government's official guidelines, President Bush -- at 5'11" and 191 pounds -- is "overweight." This comes despite the weekend's news that Bush is probably the fittest president in U.S. history.So how'd he become "fit for duty"? Exercise and a healthy dose of personal responsibility.
In December, coming off the campaign trail, Bush acknowledged he'd gained a little weight. But since then he took the initiative and lost eight pounds, bringing him down to 191. Noting that he exercises six times a week, The Washington Post reports that Bush's routine includes: "mountain biking at up to 18 mph for 15 miles to 20 miles a week; doing low-impact 'hill work' on a treadmill; and free weight resistance training and stretching."
For a good time, check out this more accurate BMI Calculator
Warning, Spoilers!!
I just have to comment on Six Feet Under. This show is probably one of the best shows on TV, even better than another HBO offering, The Sopranos.
This show deals in death, life, family, and spirituality. More than any show it deals with something we all have to deal with sooner or later: Death.
And the last episode was very haunting. In it, one of the central characters dies. The way they incorporate dream sequences, symbolism, and good writing is very haunting. Though this is only a television show, I find myself pondering the last episode and am somewhat saddened by it.
I had to go out of town for work this weekend, and got to talking with my brother who I had to drop off at his Vacation Bible School. He told me that he isn't really told much about God or Jesus, but rather the set of rules that make up his particular religion. In this case Catholicism.
And then I read some discussion by Don about Christianity and it got me to thinking about the effect of religion, that is how dows religion affect morals.
Religion tries to control how we act and make us act in a way that it wants us to by fear. It says that a vengeful god will punish you for acting in ways contrary to his word. But a reasonable person will act the same way because it is beneficial to you and society.
I will not commit murder for fear of going to Hell, but I will rather not commit murder because it is wrong on other fronts. It hurts families, takes away a income for a family, and it is illegal.
