Posts
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Beer a Dietary Supplement?
There is too much being said about beer being good for you. I submit (me as an example) that most beer drinkers do not hold it to 2 beers a day. One Big Dog (32 oz at the White Owl) and you've exceded that amount. That is to say many of our local beer-selling restaurants sell beer in quantities that excede this "healthy" perspective on beer. That said, I should not be judged by what I consume or by how much of it I consume. Judge me by my actions. If I get drunk and stumble down the aisle at your favorite restaurant and shout obscenities (NEVER HAVE NEVER WILL) then judge me for that and don't let me use the booze as an excuse for offensive behavior.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Who Needs Guns?
Who needs guns? The answer to this seemingly rhetorical question is cops, soldiers, hunters, outback campers, farmers, ranchers, target-shooters, collectors and the guy who gets the 100-yard dash underway. That’s it as far as I can see.
You don’t need a lethal weapon, concealed or not, to “protect yourself”. Protect yourself from what? How often do you hear about a guy who saved himself from a mugger because he had a gun? Do you shoot someone who is wearing brass knuckles and a mask, or do you reach for the stun-gun, mace or baton. Surely you carry these non-lethal weapons in your other pocket, under your belt, strapped to your ankle, or tied to you back. I wonder how many carry lethal weapons AND non-lethal weapons, "Fergit the mace...aaam goin' straight fer the lead!"
Do you think you have the skills to quell the chaos at Trolley Square just because you have a concealed carry permit?
The idea one needs a concealed weapons permit to protect oneself seems ludicrous. To me it’s not about protection. It’s about wearing a muscle suit so people will be so afraid of you they dare not mess.
I see most permit carriers as self-proclaimed law enforcement officials. It can be a frightful dilemma.
Law enforcement training and hostage negotiation does not go into the “training” required to obtain a concealed carry permit. Once permitted, when do you draw your gun? When you see a fight? When someone insults you with profanity? If you see someone climbing through a window?
If someone draws a gun on you, do you really have the guts to engage in the showdown? Will you duck behind a solid object and return strategic fire?
Look, you are more likely to see a fire when you walk down the street than to have a reason to pull out a gun and defend yourself. Drop the guns and carry fire extinguishers if you are all about the greater good. Otherwise admit it. You want your gun so you can feel like Rambo even though you look like Richard Simmons before or after the weight loss gig.
You don’t need a lethal weapon, concealed or not, to “protect yourself”. Protect yourself from what? How often do you hear about a guy who saved himself from a mugger because he had a gun? Do you shoot someone who is wearing brass knuckles and a mask, or do you reach for the stun-gun, mace or baton. Surely you carry these non-lethal weapons in your other pocket, under your belt, strapped to your ankle, or tied to you back. I wonder how many carry lethal weapons AND non-lethal weapons, "Fergit the mace...aaam goin' straight fer the lead!"
Do you think you have the skills to quell the chaos at Trolley Square just because you have a concealed carry permit?
The idea one needs a concealed weapons permit to protect oneself seems ludicrous. To me it’s not about protection. It’s about wearing a muscle suit so people will be so afraid of you they dare not mess.
I see most permit carriers as self-proclaimed law enforcement officials. It can be a frightful dilemma.
Law enforcement training and hostage negotiation does not go into the “training” required to obtain a concealed carry permit. Once permitted, when do you draw your gun? When you see a fight? When someone insults you with profanity? If you see someone climbing through a window?
If someone draws a gun on you, do you really have the guts to engage in the showdown? Will you duck behind a solid object and return strategic fire?
Look, you are more likely to see a fire when you walk down the street than to have a reason to pull out a gun and defend yourself. Drop the guns and carry fire extinguishers if you are all about the greater good. Otherwise admit it. You want your gun so you can feel like Rambo even though you look like Richard Simmons before or after the weight loss gig.
Is the US a Potential Major Player in Petroleum Exports?
I've been accused of suggesting "that the present spike in [oil] prices are a blip, and the US should be exporting petroleum now to take advantage of these high prices before they go down."
I admit it. I'm assuming we are in a “gold-rush” sort of environment, so yes, I’m probably assuming a blip. I’m assuming the world is in a mad dash to develop alternatives to oil and to some extent we are right up there with the leaders of the charge. I doubt oil prices will continue to increase indefinitely. But I don't have much to base this on except to say that demand will likely decrease. If supply remains constant then the price will eventually fall.
As I’m putting all this together it seems to me that no matter when we tap our reserves it will likely go onto the world market and not dedicatedly be consumed at home.
I am not so sure our untapped oil is restricted to North American Continental geography, either. For instance, we now claim responsibility for monitoring a whole shload of oil under Iraq. I'm not saying we should simply take it. But, maybe extracting it to help pay for the "protection" we apply to the arena is a reasonable expectation. Let’s help them spend THEIR money on building THEIR nation and stop spending ours.
I’m just drawing a common-sense (with minimal qualifications) argument that if alternatives can be reasonably expected to replace oil, oil we hold on to will become less valuable. We’ll either never tap it, or we’ll sell it to those who stay on oil a little longer than we do.
I think I’m using the term “reserves” loosely. Are there “strategic” reserves for military use and “reserves” that represent the rest of the oil in the world to which we now lay legit claim? I’m shooting from the hip and not in a Google type mood.
I admit it. I'm assuming we are in a “gold-rush” sort of environment, so yes, I’m probably assuming a blip. I’m assuming the world is in a mad dash to develop alternatives to oil and to some extent we are right up there with the leaders of the charge. I doubt oil prices will continue to increase indefinitely. But I don't have much to base this on except to say that demand will likely decrease. If supply remains constant then the price will eventually fall.
As I’m putting all this together it seems to me that no matter when we tap our reserves it will likely go onto the world market and not dedicatedly be consumed at home.
I am not so sure our untapped oil is restricted to North American Continental geography, either. For instance, we now claim responsibility for monitoring a whole shload of oil under Iraq. I'm not saying we should simply take it. But, maybe extracting it to help pay for the "protection" we apply to the arena is a reasonable expectation. Let’s help them spend THEIR money on building THEIR nation and stop spending ours.
I’m just drawing a common-sense (with minimal qualifications) argument that if alternatives can be reasonably expected to replace oil, oil we hold on to will become less valuable. We’ll either never tap it, or we’ll sell it to those who stay on oil a little longer than we do.
I think I’m using the term “reserves” loosely. Are there “strategic” reserves for military use and “reserves” that represent the rest of the oil in the world to which we now lay legit claim? I’m shooting from the hip and not in a Google type mood.
Long Time Comin'
The trouble with creating a Blog for me has been to get started. What topic do I begin with? Do I find old submissions I’ve made to various publications or websites? I decided to jump right in with a debate I’m having among friends at the http://hjnews.com and then put up another piece I relatively recently shared with my friends at http://kvnuforthepeople.com. Let’s see how “Bluto’s Blog" evolves! I don’t even know how to post videos or pictures with my entries yet! Ok, actually, I see how to do that now...
Sunday, June 22, 2008
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