Hot Air and Crazy People

On my way into work this morning, I listened to this story on Bush's stance on the energy crisis and how it has been and will benefit some of his biggest campaign contributers (read: polluting oil/chemical industries). Well, I thought that was weird, and it seems downright corrupt that Kenneth Lay, chairman of Enron, is on Bush's transitional committee on energy policy. Cheney is the new head of the ad hoc committee looking at the California crisis, by the way, which also seems corrupt considering his close ties to the oil industry.
I mentioned this to Dave, a guy I work with (and literally a card-carrying Republican), wondering how he'd defend this. He had no problem whatsoever, defending it as smart to appoint someone who's versed in the issues. After a little arguing on the subject, we got down to the real issue: the environment. At the bottom line, Dave doesn't think that there's anything to be concerned about. Even global warming? "The only ones saying that global warming is happening are Hollywood movie stars." Do normal people believe this?

My answer to him was that a consensus of scientists worldwide now believes we are altering the climate. Even some oil companies concede this. It is no longer reasonable to claim that nothing is happening. More great information on the ongoing energy debacle in California at the Shadow Government of the US site, which dissects Dubya's policy statements and then provides a progressive alternative. I like it because it's one of the few progressive pages out there that makes an attempt to adapt proposals to the real world, instead of the fantasy land most lefties live in.

It's growing environmental destruction and the role of technology that inspired Ted Kacynski to go on his seventeen year rampage. He's now in jail, but the letters that members of the news media have written him to get him to grant interviews are nothing short of priceless. Via the inestimable Obscure Store, still my favorite blog.

Odds and Ends (lips and assholes?)

I had today's bloggage done an hour ago but it was eaten by Blogger. This is from memory, and I'm really pissed because it's about 60% as good as the entry done previously. Readers of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire will definitely recognize the Theatre des Vampyres in this real life horror theater that used to be in Paris. And no, I'm not making this up. Thanks, Jeff! Finally, anyone who could explain Ron Jeremy's popularity, let me know.