Happy Summmer Everyone!

 

 

"These are the things dreams are made from..."

 

Many of us that live in the northern climate spend many waking moments day dreaming. We mostly dream about what life will be like once the (seems like) eight months of winter is finally over. Some have a lake escape to go to. Others have a yearly visit to their favorite resort. The real lucky ones have a friend with a cabin. As soon as that last flake of snow melts, dreams are set to become real.

 

All of a sudden, dreams are on a collision course with reality. The family truck is pulled out of the garage and the boat is cleaned up after hibernating all winter. Everyone is packed up for the first trip up north. The boat is hooked up to the family truck and it is off to the gas station to fill up with gas. The family truck has a 32 gallon tank and the boat has a 15 gallon tank. Both are mostly empty. As the happy family arrives at the neighborhood gas station, they look in shock to see the new price of $4.30/gallon. How can that be? All winter long it was reported that our country is awash in oil and gas reserves.

 

The truck is filled up and takes almost 30 gallons of liquid gold. Then the boat. The boat still has some gas in it from last season, so it only took 12 gallons. The 42 gallons of gas purchased just to get going cost the family $180. Since the cabin is way up north, it will cost almost as much to fill the car and boat to come home. Over $300 just for a weekend up at the cabin. The cold hard slap of reality has just taken the dream out of a fun summer.

 

As has been reported, this latest SNAFU was caused by a "scheduling problem" with two refineries in Chicago land going down at the same time for "maintenance". In reality, it could have been anything. For example, the speculators are just waiting for the expected eruption in the Middle East. Gas would be over $5/gallon over night if the spot price of a barrel of crude oil hit $200. Or in mid summer, a Cat 4 or 5 super storm headed into the Gulf and shut down all the off shore platforms, gas would skyrocket.

However, the real cost driver would have come if the Administration was able to get Cap and Trade legislation passed. A big part of Cap and Trade is the carbon tax. This tax is a disincentive to use carbon based energy. As an example, one study showed that the carbon tax on a gallon of gasoline would be $2. Rather than our family paying $4.30/gal to go up north for a weekend, the cost would be $6.30/gal. That would put the fuel cost for a weekend up north at around $400.

Most Americans would agree to extra gasoline taxes if the outcome was more exploration leading to lower prices. However, the extra money from the carbon tax would only go to more government largess. The big winner is big government, the big loser is the American family, just trying to live out a simple dream.

Our lack of a solid energy policy has been a millstone around our neck since the 1970's. Since then, we have spent over a quarter of a trillion dollars in the Department of Energy and have nothing to show for it. We still are stuck over the same barrel (of oil) as we were forty years ago. The price of energy drives many of our costs, including fuel, housing and leisure.

Hope and change? It is time for a change. It is time to restore our dreams. It is time to get real. Our hope and change is really hoping for a change in some kind of energy policy that restores our dreams.


 

 

 

This really gives me gas....

 

 

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

 

Wizard of Oz

 

 

A few months ago, one of my conspiracy minded friends told me this - "Now that Obama has been re-elected, just wait. Gas is going to skyrocket!" Now if the truth be told, nobody distrusts the President more that I do. However, I did not buy into this goofy theory. Boy, was I wrong.

 

Today, when I saw the price of gas hitting $4.19 all over town, I started to snoop around the internet. The only explanation I could find was NIMBY (not in my back yard). Translation - two refineries went down in Chicago at the same time for "upgrades", and they would not be back online until mid-summer. The reason "NIMBY" was mentioned was simple - we would have more refineries, but nobody wants one of those "stink pots" close to where they live. Bottom line - we have not had a new refinery built for decades.

To this sophism, I say crap! We have plenty of remote land owned by the government, much of which would be suitable to build a refinery. We have seen this movie before when a sudden spike of gas is blamed on refinery capacity. If this is truly a problem, we could have fixed it long ago. Right now we have more proven oil reserves than in the Middle East. We should be exploiting the Bakken Reserve for all it is worth. It is the biggest find since the north slope of Alaska. It is nuts that we are sitting here midway through 2013, looking at $4.25/gal for gas.

What can be done? Take our energy situation seriously for a change. We know we are in the twilight of fossil fuels. Soon, we will have energy sources that come right out of a Star Trek movie. However, for the next few decades, we need out domestic fossil fuels. To deprive our citizens of this abundant resource for the sake of a small, yet vocal minority, is madness. Our country became great on energy, and will only remain great by developing more energy.

This afternoon my wife and I were out buying garden supplies when the price spike hit. For some reason, Costco still had gas for $3.77/gal. What we saw when we drove by Costco reminded me of the gas lines of the 70's under Jimmy Carter. It was panic buying. Folks, this is a self inflicted wound! It does not have to be this way. DEMAND our energy! We deserve it! We own it! For a starter, we need the Keystone pipeline approved now!

We deserve better. You deserve better. We wait too long for good weather to have it ruined by artificially high gas prices. It is our energy - lets claim it. Enough is enough.

 

 

Just a Word from the Bird

 

 

Yesterday was a big day for the Very Angry Bird. Early yesterday morning, the blog hit 10,000 views and kept climbing throughout the day. It was a humbling experience. Many times I expose not only my faith and political views, but also life experiences (some of which have been revealing about my many quirks and weaknesses).

First a bit of blog history. My first blog was called Maximus Garrulous (big talker). It dealt mostly with faith matters and it was fun to do. However, it never really caught on and thus became more of a journal than a blog. Flash forward to 10 months ago. A good friend from high school liked some of my rants I would post on Facebook. She thought I should try a blog. At first, my reaction was "been there, done that". However, on second thought - what the hey. In July 2012, the Very Angry Bird was launched.

A few facts about the last 10 months:

• As was stated, over 10,000 views
• 302 postings
• Read in the United States and 9 other countries (Russia in second place)
• Did first novelette (The Worst Case) using the blog

Where do I go from here? More of the same - hopefully better and more insightful. I am currently working on a longer book than The Worst Case. I would like to have it out by this fall. My experiences being retired Navy, retired industry ranging from defense to IT, (and many, many hard knocks) play a part in many of my posts. I do try and vet my facts to ensure my postings are as accurate as possible.

So, for those who read the Very Angry Bird, thank you. I will continue to be a political and social critic using not only facts, but also a pithy attitude. With the crowd we now have in our Federal and State governments, the well of subject matter is very deep indeed.

Ch-Ch-Changes....

 

 

"Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it"

 

Changes

David Bowie

 

 

 

I will say this much for our President - his word is good on one issue. He promised us change, and boy do we have change. I have said for years now that some change is good - not all change is good - however, some change is good. History will determine how many of the changes we have seen in the past five years are good or not.

 

My purpose right now is to discuss the changes which have NOT occurred. These are changes which I believe were needed five years ago and remain needed today.

 

TAXES - It does not take a PhD in thinkology to know our tax code is a mess. Under ObamaCare it will get even messier. The code is thousands of pages long, convoluted, and many times an audit just waiting to happen. It is used as a political tool, or a weapon in other cases. Recently, we found out the IRS is used as enforcers for an Administration that does not like patriots. It should be scrapped and replaced with a flat tax, ten pages or less, where everyone pays something.

 

WORKPLACE - Our workplace environment is a mess. We have not changed anything for the positive. First off, the majority of people in most metro areas live in one quadrant and work in another. In the Twin Cities for example, most work in one suburb and live in another. There is no mass transit available. We have world class traffic jams during rush hour. For the most part, we have eschewed logical changes such as flex time, flex days and telecommuting. Benefits need to be more portable, so in this fluid work environment, where you work may change, but you benefit package will not. If we don't make radical changes to our work environment, many will have to work until they drop.

 

WATER - It seems odd to talk about our planet, which some refer to as "the water planet", having a shortage of potable water. This topic should have been front and center with Congress this session. Our aquifers are being depleted at an alarming rate, and our regeneration nowhere matches our depletion rate. Every year we have trillions upon trillions of fresh water that falls on our country ending up in run off. In addition, we have decades old technology which would allow us large scale desalination of sea water (which we would never run out off). For centuries we have taken our abundant water resources for granted - very soon, we will not.

 

ENERGY - While very few were paying attention, we have become the Saudi Arabia of energy. In fact, we have more energy resources than the entire Middle East. Besides our natural resources in fossil fuels, we have emerging technologies that will look more like science fiction than science. Our gas prices should be closer to $2/gal than $4/gal. We have only one enemy in keeping us from being totally energy independent - us. In addition, we have so much natural gas, we should be an exporter. The fact we import one drop of oil or natural gas from anyone is a mystery to many.

 

What we have done instead of working on changes that matter is further complicate our tax system, infringe upon our Second Amendment rights, develop an amnesty bill for illegals, and promote non-traditional marriage. Oh yes, we also really hosed up our world class heath care system.

 

Some change is good. Not all change is good. Changes needed, and not made, are bad - very, very bad.

The IRS and Benghazi

 

 

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Every week I try to learn something. Either I learn something new, or something I already know has been confirmed. This past week was no exception.

First the IRS. For years now, many of us have not trusted the IRS. Way too much power, way too much authority. They have the ability to ruin one's life. As if they did not enough authority, President Obama entrusted the IRS with "enforcement powers" for the new Affordable Care Act. Why the IRS will be involved with health care is a mystery to most, including myself.

What was disclosed this past week concerning the IRS was like taking a trip back in time. During the Nixon Administration, certain people could wind up on a "enemies list". Although never proven, people on this "enemies list" could find their lives become very difficult. Today, we have the IRS going after organizations that contain words like patriot, tea party, or freedom. Subversive words all. So far, not a word or explanation or apology from the Administration. I can't wait to hear what Jay Carnival has to say at today's press briefing. Should be a doozy.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, the Benghazi mess gets messier. The Sunday news shows all had the Benghazi story as the lead. The lazy MSM is finally waking up. Rumors are flying there are more whistle blowers ready to come forward. Most of us know what happened - it is now getting the Administration to admit it. The main question is this - at what price will the "machine" pay to protect Hillary. If she knew the real story about the attack and did not disclose it, she is dirty. If she did not know what happened in her organization, she is incompetent.

So where does this leave us in the middle of May. We have an Administration who made up a whopper of a story about the deaths of four Americans because they felt if they told the truth, it would profile terrorists. On the other hand, they have no problem in using the IRS to profile patriotic Americans whose only sin is the distrust of large government. We have gone from reality to Alice in Wonderland in less than five years.

To sum it up, I will once again say that elections have consequences. It is time to wake up and smell the coffee. If we lose the House in 2014 and have single rule for the last two years of this term, we will be screwed, blued and tattooed. God help us...

WMD and Benghazi

 

 

"Bush lied and people died..."

 

The Mantra of the Left

 

 

 

It did not take long when the Benghazi hearings started the first time around, for one of the Useful Idiots to bring up the topic of WMD all over again. While some on the Conservative side of the street were appalled, I am anxious to talk about this topic one more time. I believe strongly, as did the Clinton Administration as well as our allies, Saddam did have weapons of mass destruction. He had them and he used them. Saddam was an evil man, but not a dumb man. When he saw the end was coming, he hid many of his weapons in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon.

 

We took out Saddam Hussein because he was a bad man. He was bad for his country, and he was bad for the region. He was ruthless. He invaded a sovereign country and occupied it.  United Nations gave consent to a coalition of the willing to oust Iraq from Kuwait. Once the coalition succeeded, a cease fire with conditions was drawn up. The coalition had every right to go back into Iraq if Saddam did not live by the sanctions imposed upon him.

 

Saddam violated the conditions of the cease fire repeatedly. He was warned by the UN as well as the United States. The fact he had WMD was only one issue. There were others that were more empirical that warranted action. That is why we took him out. If we had not taken him out, and he was still in power and knew that Iran was developing a nuke, Saddam would be close behind. The bottom line is this - the world is a safer place without Saddam Hussein.

 

Flash forward to the Benghazi hearings. These have no similarity to the WMD hearings what so ever. While it is true we have not found Saddam's WMD (yet), the Bush Administration was very open on why they thought the WMD had resided in Iraq. In addition, they had proof positive that Saddam had used them in the past. The truth in Benghazi is being smothered by the Administration's PC Police. Just like with Fast and Furious, gun running is the number one suspect. Lies. lies and damn lies are being told to protect some in the castle who now have innocent American blood on their hands.

 

So what I say to those on the left who want to compare WMD to Benghazi - bring it on. WMD, just like gun running are facts. The only difference is the Bush Administration admitted to knowing there was WMD. Lets see if President Obama and Ms. Clinton can admit to the gun running in Libya.

 

 

 

 

A Very Tough Neighborhood

"This land is mine, God gave this land to me..."

 

Exodus

 

 

When you think about living in a tough neighborhood these days, think about Israel. Ever since statehood in 1947, the neighborhood that Israel lives in has gone from tough to tougher. It is hated by most of its neighbors, tolerated by some, liked by none. Israel is truly an island which stands only with itself in the region.

 

Why is that? What has Israel done that has been so heinous to its neighbors? There have been wars fought over there, but none have been started by Israel. If anything, Israel has shown remarkable restraint in dealing with many of the incursions which seem to come from all directions.

 

Right now the biggest threat that Israel faces is from someone outside the neighborhood - Iran. Even though Iran does not border Israel, it uses "allies" to act as conduits to supply arms to its puppet, Hezbollah. However, aggravating constant small missile attacks are to Israel, they are really concerned about an "end game" solution that  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might be cooking up in his clandestine nuclear program. Israel will not tolerate this threat, and we better understand the ramifications should the threat become imminent.

 

Many believe Israel will do whatever it takes to eliminate an clear and present danger to its security. All options will be on the table, including the fail safe - Jericho Missiles. Israel has had these missiles since 1973, and many upgrades have since taken place. Currently, Israel has Jericho version 1, version 2 and now some version 3 units in place. Truthfully, many think that Israel has enough throw weight in these missiles to bomb Iran back into the stone ages, if she wanted to.

So where do we go from here? The once staunch ally of Israel now has become a paper tiger in the region. Israel really does not want to fight, just live in peace. However, that does not appear to be in the cards. If we have another repeat of the 1967 or 1973 wars, the outcome might not be as swift. In every war, Israel fights for its very existence. The next war will be no exception.

What can we do? First off, stop being isolationists. We need to tell the region that we stand with Israel. We believe in Israel's right to exist. We will look at any attack on Israel the same way as an attack on the United States. We need to tell Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that either he stops his nuclear program immediately, or we will stop it for him. Period. We need to tell Syria that either they get destroy their chemical weapons, or we will do it for them. Period. We need to tell Hezbollah to cease firing missiles into Israel, or they will be dealing with us as well. Period.

With all the "bullying" laws being discussed in Congress these days, lets also talk about the Middle East bullies. Right now, Israel needs a real friend to help them deal with the bullies in a very tough neighborhood. I would like to think that friend is us.