Current Events

Well, the Red Sox lost to the Yanks in what was reported to be the beginning of the greatest playoff ever. I think we saw that last year. I am still hopeful for my hometown heroes to draw the wildcard. They can either gain it by a wining it or by Cleveland's losing it. We're hoping for the best.

I read just today on the Drudgereport [www.drudgereport.com] about another example of the U.S. governments inefficiency in responding to the hurricane crisis' over the last couple of weeks. Apparently 182,000,000 lbs of ice was ordered by the government for shipment to meet the needs of LA and MS residents and FEMA programs. The problem resulted when truckers arrived at destinations and, instead of being allowed to unload, were forced to stay put with it (trucks are running of course to keep it frozen) for days on end. Then, without any explaination, they were rerouted from city to city to city. In the end, a majority of it went unused as no one was prepared to receive it where they were instructed to bring it. The cost? Estimates are at $100,000,000 dollars. People were roasting, food was rotting, medicines were spoiling and the ice sat unused in trucks all over the south. That sure puts a chill on progress.

How about this Kate Moss thing? I hear that the London police are looking into whether there is evidence to officially bring Miss Moss up on charges for drug possession and use. Last reports have her having checked herself in to a swank Arizona rehabilitation center (after all, she can afford the over $20,000 per day expense) in hopes of deliverence from her addictive lifestyle. I would advise the following. Collect enough evidence to encourage her to decide in favor of the following offer: No jail, stay until your clean, no photoshoots until you use your celebrity status to promote anti-drug and self-esteem programs for use worldwide. There, we all win and she regains her reputation. Kids will idolize her for her social action and for taking responsibility for admitting her problem and changing her direction. Parents will be able to stomach the posters that are hanging on their kids' bedroom walls. Some ones son or daughter will decide not to try drugs. I'm o.k. with that option.

For the last year I have been arguing with some of my scientist friends that the sun is indeed contributing to the increases in earth temperatures seen over the last 10 years. I've stated, in lieu of their repeated insistence that my GMC Envoy is singularly responsible for causing the weather patterns responsible for Katrina and the other gals, that the sun has been demonstrably more active for some time now. BTW, I own a truck for several personal reasons. I live in New England and work in my vehicle. I cover roadways from Buffalo to Newfoundland. I have 5 kids so my family of 7 doesn't fit into most cars. I carry lots of literature and equipment. I am willing to pay a little more to surround my family in 3.5 tons of reinforced steel. Lastly, I like it. That said, scientists at Duke University report that increased solar activity over the last decade are probably contributing to as much as 30% of the global increases we have experienced over the last 10-20 years. I still suspect that good old green Vermont's cow population is somehow responsible for roughly 50% of the temperature rise.