What's goin' on?

Does the world seem especially screwed up this week to you, or is just me?

President Obama is awarded the Nobel Prize.

And yet, he is now running two wars with more military deployed than President Bush ever had deployed during his administration.

Huh?

Iran and North Korea are rattling nuclear sabers, and we are rattling our MOP. That stands for Massive Ordnance Penetrator. A 30,000 pound (or heavier) bomb designed to penetrate underground sites. Lots of news on that weapon today. Wonder who that's designed for.

Peace prize?

I hope he deserves it someday, and I'm not against the use of force to get it. Sometimes a bully or nutjob just needs to be done away with in order for the royal we to get any peace.

But now? This week?

And in Washington, whilst our elected representatives are busy spending our money and trying to fix the economy and health care, we learn a couple of interesting facts.

We are still losing jobs. So, never mind on health care, cause nobody can afford it. We'll all be on Medicaid.

And because we are losing jobs and midterm elections are coming, the Democrats have pointed out to President Obama that another trillion dollar stimulus would be a good idea. Since the first trillion has done so much. At least it would give them something positive to talk about.

And now this news. A bill making the rounds on Capitol Hill marries two feel-good propositions -- tax cuts and pet ownership -- to generate a novel idea: A tax break of up to $3,500 per person for pet care expenses.

That's what we need. We can't feed our children, we are closing schools and hospitals, but we are going to offer a tax cut so you can buy more Alpo.

Won't this lead to more promiscuous animal behavior encouraged by humans? Sounds like a Congressional Oversight Committee will be needed. As well as picketing by those for and against more animal husbandry. And maybe a czar.

Since when does the United States have friggin' czars? Defined as
"a person with dictatorial powers". A Russian word that some Englishter mangled from tsar to czar several hundred years ago.

Commissioner of, Director of, Secretary of isn't good enough? Czars?

And how about those banks. They are reporting record profits.

And not loaning money.

How? Fees. Fees. Fees.

Let me know if you have seen this one yet.

In California this weekend at a gas station. Put in the debit card to prepay (something we take for granted but is a necessity because of all the assholes that drive off and steal gasoline).

The oh so personal little touch screen wants to know if I accept the 45cent debit card fee.

The what? A debit card is my cash going immediately into your cashbox.

A credit card means the gas station pays 2-8% to the credit card company.

Any you want me to pay a debit card fee?

And since I'm railing against the windmills, why in the name of Uncle Sam and common sense is the U.S. importing oil when we sit on a century's worth of it? Why does almost all of the oil from Alaska get sold to Japan? And why are we importing gasoline? Like we don't know how to pump oil and refine it?

Huh?

I need a Coke and a BC Powder. At least that still works.