Nanny-State Spreading...

So yeah, I've been on hiatus a bit lately. It tends to happen when one has a life (and job) outside the internet. That, and I've picked up on an addictive new hobby - home brewing. The sad thing is that I am not allowed to make any money off said hobby... but that's a different post altogether, and I'm already groaning at the subject material I'm wanting to cover in this post.

And I'm still waiting for my Black Dodge Challenger, dammit!

First, I'm going to pitch my bitch about the nanny-state laws. If you haven't heard about it already, mayor Bloomberg of New York wants to ban large drinks... that is, anything more than sixteen fluid ounces. That's smaller than a normal soda bottle, just a little larger than a soda can. To many, this may seem like more an annoyance (albeit a ridiculous one) rather than a cause for any real concern. But, I beg to differ. The thing one has to remember is precedents and the thing I mentioned in an earlier blog about a frog in a pan of water - turn up the heat slowly, and the frog just sits there unaware he is being slowly cooked alive. Similarly are our liberties being whittled away.

There are a lot of politicians out there who are making a lot of laws supposedly "for your own good." They attack the tobacco companies... sure, they had it coming and probably deserved it. They were lying about how harmful tobacco really is. Well, millions or billions of dollars in lawsuits later, along with surgeon general's warnings on the packaging, you would think it's more or less done with. Now people know that smoking is pretty damned bad for you. But, some choose to do so anyway. Now laws are made that target the smokers. Oh well, it's a bad habit anyway, and maybe we can get some more tax revenue from them... and more... and more... and more. Don't want to ban them, though... too much tax revenue. Which kinda shows, I think, that the politicians suffer from the same malady that the cigarette companies did - rather than stopping a bad practice, they'd rather keep the money coming it. Pretty much the same is done with alcohol, and the thing is that with tobacco and alcohol both, they are great targets of opportunity for weak politicians who need a dog to wag. Bust a few bars in sting operations for accidentally selling to underage people, everyone will compliment said politician for being tough on crime, and most who know better will be afraid to seem as though they might be defending the alcohol and tobacco industries in any way. Forget the fact that most people enjoy an occasional drink or even an occasional (if not more) smoke.

I'm not saying that there should be bans on alcohol or tobacco, just illustrating a point about political targets of opportunity. Politicians are using the alcohol and tobacco industries as a golden goose; forget the feigned enmity. Realistically, the same goes for porn.

Now, these set a precedent and illustrate a mentality that gives birth to a nanny state. I know that alcohol isn't good for my liver, yet I choose to enjoy it from time to time... whether it be a good beer, a nice wine, or a nice hard liquor. I think any fool now would also know that smoking isn't good for one's health also (and yes, I have had family members die from it). But, some still make the choice, as an adult, to smoke. Me, I think that's fine and peachy... whatever.

Of course, it didn't stop with alcohol and tobacco, did it? The trendy thing now is the "obesity epidemic." So, people who either have absolutely no sense of personal responsibility or just don't want to work for a living... actually, I suppose it's both. Anyway, they started suing fast food restaurants for the fact that they had become fat-asses. Makes me wonder what would happen if fast food restaurants were to start declining customers for being too fat. I hope that doesn't happen - I like my Taco Bell stuff, and I could stand to lose a few pounds. But, if I were in the mood to blame, I'd blame myself. Not that I lose any sleep over it, anyway.

Then there was the trans fats thing, in which New York, and I think San Francisco, decided to ban trans fats. Now, trans fats aren't great, no doubts there. And they were easy enough to replace with natural oils, like sunflower oil. The reason for so many people using them was simply that they gave a longer shelf life, stuff like that. However, I don't think that it was the business of the government at any level to ban them. Just put the news out there, and I think that the manufacturers would have transitioned away from them on their own.

Think I put too much trust into corporations? Well, consider the whole "pink slime" debacle (don't even get me started on that one). Consider that pretty much every major fast food restaurant has stopped using the stuff... on their own, without any laws being made. The lean beef trimmings (aka, "pink slime") was perfectly healthy and wholesome, but popular opinion was enough to sway them. Like it or not, capitalism is a form of democracy in itself. You vote with your money and withhold it from those you don't like. Couldn't be simpler.

Now we come back to the soft drinks. Hell, I like them. For lunch, I had a mustard Whopper from Burger King with a 32 oz coke. You should've seen my grin when I saw 64 oz drinks being offered at gas stations. Especially when one lives in a hot climate, they're nice to have. Yeah, they have lots of sugar and little in the way of health benefits, but so what? Last I checked, I was an adult, going on old fart. I make my own decisions, and have no desire to have a new mommy telling me what I can and can't have. One mom was more than enough, thanks much.

Of course, like other such nanny-state laws, this bad idea is spreading - Cambridge, MA considering banning large drinks and free refills.

Still not getting the big deal? Okay... first, consider the attacks on alcohol and tobacco. Next, consider the attacks on fast food. Now consider the attacks on drinks. The nanny-state bans/attacks are spreading. What's next on the chopping block?

Hacks With Blogs

I just got done watching Contagion and loved it. I liked the realistic and human portrayal of everyone involved, from the governments, the WHO, the CDC, and the individual doctors and epidemiologists. Spoiler alert - if you haven't seen it yet, there may be a few spoilers in this post.

The other thing I found refreshing in it was that it just may be the only movie I've seen that involves a major (fictional) epidemic that wasn't the result of some vast government/shadow organization conspiracy. While yes, I love stories such as Outbreak, the Stand, and the Andromeda Strain, each one of them involves government conspiracy on some level. With this, it's easy to forget that most viruses and bacteria indeed have their origins in nature.

It's often the same story - some deadly disease gets out. Turns out the disease has origins as a potential bio-weapon being studied by the government. Then some ambitious blogger investigative reporter exposes it all and saves the day. As for Andromeda Strain, it would be the more recent re-make of the movie that follows that unfortunate cliche, rather than the book I linked to above.

In Contagion though, it followed a more realistic pattern of events. The WHO, CDC, and others banded together to try and stop it. Of course, every such organization is made up of humans. Humans who have human fears and concerns... and families. Then of course there is the blogger who millions see as a hero.

For some reasons, a lot of people trust relatively anonymous (even if they use their real names) bloggers over actual politicians and reporters who have some accountability. Maybe it's because we're so used to depictions of masked heroes of the people. Surely, a blogger doesn't have any ulterior motives, right?

Well, my ulterior motive is a black Dodge Challenger, dammit! Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm getting one by blogging about anything and everything that comes to mind. Of course, I'm not actually expecting to get one from this, either. The point is that yes, even bloggers are human and have human motivations and the like. With that, we are held at near-zero accountability. Go ahead, set a blog up yourself. Anyone and everyone can. There's no real verification of one's identity who does set up a blog. You could say you're some Deep Throat type of government insider when the reality is that you're just making fries at some fast food joint while you live in your mom's basement. I could tell you that the sky is actually pink and purple plaid, but that there's a mind-control government conspiracy to make us think it's blue... and there would be no real repercussions on my end. The blogger in Contagion faked being sick to peddle a miracle cure the governments were supposedly withholding. The blogger got rich. People panicked. People got killed. But hey, he got rich because they trusted his talk of conspiracies.

Seeing this lack of accountability (and often truth) is a big part of why I started blogging. I rather hoped I could offer an alternative. As for me getting rich... not bloody likely. I'll keep shamelessly pandering to Dodge for a Challenger, mostly in jest, until I can afford one... but the only money I make on this blog is from those little ads on here. Not the links I post to Dodge or Amazon or where ever else, but just those Google ads.

So again, I try to post things that can be fact-checked, and I do try to keep honest. On the rare and unlikely occasion that I get access to an inside source (as I did in regards to Zombie Muhammad), I try to check on their reliability and see how the facts I'm provided fill in the gaps in what everyone else is told. In other words, I try to keep things honest. I have little, if any, reason to do otherwise.

Auto Industry Bailouts

I've been a consistent, albeit reluctant, supporter of the auto industry bailouts. There are a variety of reasons, some of which include being able to compete with the market for foreign vehicles, the fear of mass unemployment of auto industry workers in America, things like that. For or against the bailouts, one would have to admit that there are positive results... though that won't stop some people from continuing to deny this fact.

Auto industry (and Michigan's economy) making a comeback.

I've heard people screaming that this was all done for the unions, that the unions now own the companies. Well, whatever the case be now, it seems to be working... and this coming from someone who doesn't always like unions, someone who supports the Employee Rights Act, much thanks to my own negative experiences with a union.

Yes, I was pissed about the bailouts being necessary. I still remember when the execs spent several thousands to board their private jets and stay in luxury accommodations in Washington to go ask congress for a bailout. Yeah, I was pissed... and while I'm not certain it wasn't counter-productive for congress to send them back home and tell them to come back via more humble means, I'm sure it's what many were thinking. Very simply, if you are running low on money, save it where you can. It's common sense for most of us.

Myself being in the market for a new car hopefully in the near future, I was actually inclined toward a Ford Mustang. After all, who doesn't love those cars? I've often said that my dream car was a '65 Mustang. For a time, the bailouts kind of cemented that with me, as Ford was the only company who didn't take one. I also liked that they were bringing back the muscle car look. While Mustangs to my knowledge have always been a muscle car, they kind of lost the look for awhile, I think.

But, I saw that other American car manufacturers were also stepping up their game. I loved the Dodge Charger, then in researching that, I learned about my more contemporary dream car, the Dodge Challenger. Are you getting this, Dodge? BLACK. DODGE. CHALLENGER. Dammit. Ah well, to each their own. It's all good ol' American muscle.

The point is that good things have come from those auto industry bailouts. A lot of people like to pin it all on Obama, naming it an example of his socialist agenda. Let's not forget though that it was George "Dubya" Bush that got the ball rolling on these, and he said he'd do it again. Looking at the seeming success of these bailouts, it's almost like watching that once-irresponsible kid finally graduating college with a good degree. Let's hope this apparent success continues.

The Prodigal Sons Return

Were I one of the more cocky bloggers, or say... Rush Limbaugh, I would be telling you all to bow to my prophet-like powers of prediction. But I'm not all that cocky. Just cocky enough to have a blog and assume that a few people might actually be interested in it. Oh, and to do shameless plugs for a black Dodge Challenger that I so desperately want. But that's another story.

But, it seems that some companies are starting to see the folly of outsourcing that I've been preaching about: Manufacturers getting homesick.

In the story, the manufacturers talk more about logistics and the like, which sadly is probably a big part of this. It kinda depresses me that it still just comes down to the bottom line, and I'm not sure this quote makes me feel much better about it: "...we underestimated in some cases the value of our workers back here." Hmm... underestimated in "some" cases? No... what they did was completely screw over the ones whom their companies were built on.

Nonetheless, I am glad to see this happening, although it's only a start. Not all companies are doing this, and let's not forget that the article only names manufacturers. It doesn't mention, for instance, call centers. I do think though that such a move should be strongly encouraged and that measures should be put in place to strongly discourage another such exodus.

Some companies are now complaining that they are having a hard time finding qualified workers, though. Again, I largely suspect that this is where the companies have shot themselves in the foot. You saw several people with good, practical degrees having them go to waste when companies started shipping overseas. With that, people started going for different degrees or certifications. Ones that might actually get them a job, although with often significantly less pay than one of the degrees in question would have made for them, if such jobs were available.

To the people, I say this: the first go-around in college, get a useful, practical degree or certification. You can get your liberal arts degrees and the like later, or just independently study it and not pay thousands for it. Meanwhile, it'll hopefully save you from having to work fast food, retail, customer service... that sort of thing. Believe me when I tell you that such professions, with few exceptions, are not fun. By few exceptions, I refer to those where such things are part of your specialty - like mechanics will have to give some customer service, pharmacies are kind of specialized retail, that sort of thing.

To the corporations, I say this: never underestimate the value of the workers who have built you up to where you are and kept you there. Never screw them over just for the sake of your bottom line. They are the ones who do the hard work. And while you may sign their paychecks, they are the ones who give you yours. If you haven't yet, you may do well to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Or perhaps Mr. Deeds with its question, "what would your child self think of your adult self?" When asked in the movie, many of the rich shareholders and the like came to the conclusion that their child selves would kick their adult selves' asses. In our youth, we all wanted to be heroes. Why has that ideal died in so many adults?

In which I continue to pander shamelessly to the auto industry...

Have you noticed that it's getting more and more rare to find full sized tires in the newer car, and that instead you find more and more of those little "donuts"? Well, even those donuts may soon become a thing of the past. No, it's not because of some big improvement in tire technology, it's because of small improvements in fuel mileage.

If you've ever had to change a tire, you know that they are kind of heavy. To meet average fuel economy standards, which are rising, automakers are having to get rid of weight where ever they can. "But Raven, the car industry is just being greedy! It's just that a bunch of smug Republicans want to drive around in Hummers when hybrid cars are a perfectly acceptable alternative!"

Well, hybrid cars aren't bad... but, their eco-friendliness is overstated. For one thing, their manufacture takes a lot more energy, and their batteries are especially bad. Extremely toxic... I've heard, but am having difficulty confirming that the battery manufacturing process is so toxic that it's not even allowed on US soil. And while many are saying that hybrid car batteries will last longer than regular car batteries (why?), they are much more expensive to replace. "How expensive?" seems to be a question that many smug hippies who support hybrid technology are trying to evade by pointing out the batteries' longer life expectancy. Again, consider how dirty the battery manufacturing process is, recycling or no.

Another thing also often overlooked is that it's not often one gets the mileage advertised on a sticker. It's not false advertising, they are testing the mileage as they have been told to do so by the government. That's not to say that auto manufacturers are always honest. But a hybrid's usefulness is on congested city streets. Lots of stop and go traffic. On the highway where more horsepower is needed, it goes over to gas. If that's your primary driving situation and you want a hybrid, great. But, regular gasoline engines really aren't as far behind as many think.

But, let's get back to the main subject, huh? Is it just because of looking good on a sticker that the auto industry is doing away with spare tires? No. Personally, I'd happily take the extra weight and fuel cost of a full sized spare tire and its equipment over not having one at all. It's because of what the average mileage has to be.

I'm all for saving the environment. I am not one of those global warming deniers. However, at what cost? Jobs? Safety? If we really want to help the environment, why not hold China and other nations to the same standards as we hold to on being environmentally friendly? It would cost much less to bring them up to our standards than it would be to keep our standards moving up at the rate they are. There would also be much more in the way of immediate and long term benefits to the environment worldwide. Comparatively speaking, we are the obsessive-compulsive fussy house cleaners while China is the lazy redneck neighbor with leaking cars on cement blocks in their front yard.

I leave you with a video of car battery recycling for your viewing enjoyment:

Oh, and more obligatory pandering for a black Dodge Challenger

Iran

So, it seems that Dodge has not seen fit to reward me with a free Dodge Challenger as yet for my earlier unsolicited non-celebrity endorsement of this fine car. With that in mind, I will do so again, and will keep doing so. Dodge Challenger. Dodge Challenger, dammit! BLACK. DODGE. CHALLENGER. Oh yeah, and if you'd like to give me an R/T model for this unsolicited endorsement, which I'm sure few will see, I'd happily accept. Yes, I do know how to drive manual... and love it!

Moving on from this shameless and I'm sure futile attempt to pander to Dodge to get a free car... my modern dream car, that is (I like the classic ones)... back to the subject at hand: Iran.

The short of it is that US intel experts are pretty worried that Iran could strike pretty hard if we keep pressuring them. That much seems like a headline straight from the "No shit, Sherlock" magazine. Of course they may strike if we keep pissing them off.

What's more important however is that they are developing nuclear capabilities. That, and that when they have them, they're fairly likely to use them... stupidly.

The argument could and has been made that being that we have nuclear weapons ourselves, we've no right to keep other nations from having similar weapons. This logic is perfectly fair. I mean, who are we to have guns, but deny them to the murderers and rapists who would kill us in our sleep?

Yes, yes... I do have a sarcastic streak in me. But the point remains. Fair is not always workable or safe. I think it's safe to say that the majority of us have no desire to live under Sharia law... and indeed, many of us simply wouldn't live. While I do not believe that all Muslims are out to force conversions, keep in mind what regime is running Iran at the moment. It is a theocratic one.

Perhaps this is where the difference between fair and just becomes more clear. We do need to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions... for our safety as well as that of our allies. While they may not have missiles capable of reaching the US from Iran, there are other ways... and what would stop them from procuring a few missiles that could reach the US from other nations that don't like us?

State of the Union

I don't really plan on watching the State of the Union - I almost never do. But, I can generally predict what the main focal point is. This one will be damage control, and probably more than a little campaigning for re-election. The traditional State of the Union address seems almost pointless. It seems more than anything like a chance to put a positive spin on the happenings of the year in question. Kind of like a performance review at your job... if you did your own performance reviews.

One of the biggest focuses I think will be to put a positive spin on the economy. Now, despite what either party says, it took more than one president to fuck that up. Clinton had a big part in it, Bush Jr. took Clinton's ideas and ran with them, and Obama... I guess he's trying, but he's not really getting it right. It would take one cocky bastard of a president though to fix the damage already done, and the damage that will continue to happen if several groups/businesses/lobbyists/politicians have their ways.

Everyone has an agenda of some type, and most are rather self-serving. I was hearing from a consultant that one of the first questions they are asked is how to outsource... how to move operations overseas. I've explained how this is self-destructive in a previous post, but let's review. The more jobs that are moved overseas, the less money Americans have to spend. If Americans aren't spending money, then businesses in America aren't making money. It's that simple. It looks great on short term profit reports, but such things fail to take in the big picture.

There is also the fact that unemployment numbers are artificially going down. If you were laid off and couldn't find a job by the time your unemployment benefits ran out, you are not counted as unemployed. I'm not sure that would be the same as saying you're employed, just that you don't exist as far as these stats are concerned. A rather biased article on the subject

Of course, that's not to say such artificial inflation of the economy is anything new. Remember Bush's hazy definition of manufacturing jobs?

The news isn't all bad, though. It was recently announced that GM topped all other automakers in the world for sales. It's nice to see an American brand doing this. While I have mixed feelings about the bailouts, it does seem like the automakers have made good use of this. Hell, for my own part, I'm really wanting to get a Dodge Challenger when I can afford one. Figure, that nice classic muscle car look, and all that horsepower... go for a nice sleek, black color. That's a different story, though. Of course, if Dodge wants to give me a free one for the plug...

Anyway, it's just not easy to get excited about a State of the Union address. I think that right now, people just aren't feeling all that optimistic. We've been told that things are rough but getting better for over a decade now. I think it's safe to say that Americans as a whole just want results now.

Well, that concludes the "Raven" State of the Union. You're welcome.