U.S. automakers have had the capacity to build fuel efficient cars for at least a decade. I know this for a fact, because a decade ago I was in Germany, driving around in a marvelously fuel efficient, decently sized 4-door sedan made by Ford yet not available anywhere in the U.S. I don't remember exactly, but at that time, fuel over there was running about the equivalent of $3.50/gallon (mind you, this was for 97 or 98 octane, also not available in the U.S.), and yet running this car cost no more than running my smaller volvo on less than $1.00/gallon gas in the U.S.
So, what's the problem? Why haven't these U.S. branded cars made by U.S. companies been made available in the U.S? If being the Emperor of Rome and the vast Holy Roman Empire had given me any power other than to write bitter sentiments, I'd be asking everyone with ANY authority, "What the effing eff were you effing idiot effers thinking?" The expletives would not be modified, though. Nor would the glare of doom.
From what I've been able to glean, there is some reason fuel efficient cars were sold by U.S. companies in Europe but not here. While I'd like to suspect Big Oil had something to do with it, or the markup on 7 mpg SUVs, I am quite sure that there's more to the story than this.
If I had an investigative team that was not made up solely of curious Siamese cats of varying ages and levels of intelligence, I'd get to the bottom of this. Someone with an ACTUAL investigative team (and I don't mean some corrupt "news" agency) should. I want unbiased truth.
In fact, as Holy Roman Empress, I DEMAND unbiased truth, not filtered by anyone's personal views or experiences. I d0n't want the damn shadow on the cave wall. I want the ideal chair. Aristotle and Plato - BITE ME! (and don't be offended if I like it)
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Viruses Need Population Density As Food
Most viruses don't live long outside a living host. Of course, there are exceptions. This isn't about exceptions. This is about the nature of a virus. Look at Ebola Zaire. I believe it kills 4 of every 5 infected, and at the end, the person is left thrashing around, covering everything and everyone in virus-ridden blood. However, once everyone has been infected and died, there is no more population, and the virus goes away.
If one man is alone in the woods, catches Ebola, continues his secluded travels down unpopulated areas around the Congo River, and he crashes and bleeds out, will he infect anyone else? Probably not. On the other hand, if our thrashing Ebola victim crashes and bleeds out in Times Square when the Ball drops for New Year's, there will probably be a whole lot of people infected - more if the global warming theory plays out and New Year's in New York is shorts and flip flops weather.
Many politicians are a lot like viruses, it seems. They destroy their host, whichever poor city got the schlub on the city council, and then somehow end up mayor "to fix the problems from the OTHER, bad wicked naughty members of the city council," then governor or senator to fix the problems from the city and urban blight and maleducation of the youth, and then President. Meanwhile, the city and state are in a shambles, and the country's about to crash and bleed out. Then, it's the virus' (I mean politician's) big chance - The U.N. If the U.N. gets infected, the whole world will crash and bleed out.
But then, what's left for our viral politician or political virus? Nothing left to infect, so it will go dormant or cease to be infectious or mutate. Then, when the population's dense enough, the political virus will re-emerge.
There are some solutions to this. One is not allowing anyone with political aspirations anywhere near a populated area containing voters. Another is to create a special country just for politicians, where they can each take turns playing King of the Mountain and thus Head Grand Poobah and Exalted Decider, except the Mountain is a fuel-soaked, flaming, floating fireant nest. So long as fireants don't become infected by biting, it's an intriguing idea.
The better idea is to not apply the Dilbert Principle to politics (thank you Scott Adams for your cogent explanation of how idiots get promoted until they're at a point where they have title and tenure but no power to screw anything up because that's "above their pay grade") - because running a country is not running a business. The higher up you are in politics, the more influence you have, the more power you have, and the less likely you are to have a CLUE about what real life in your country looks like from down here where we're watching you rise above your competence level and we're just hunkering down, hoping it doesn't get any worse.
This is why my Roman Empire does not have a high population density. The sole person living in my realm is, well, me. Most of my decisions affect me - they may have some small, tangential effects on friends and family, but my finger isn't anywhere near the red button, and I can't take money from people who don't want to buy gas guzzlers to "refinance" and "refloat" the companies that stupidly decided not to diversify their lines, and continued making gas guzzlers that now nobody wants. So, loyal non-existent readers, you need not worry about my Roman Empire becoming virus ridden. You needn't imagine me or my Empire crashing and bleeding out politically, as was discribed in such lurid detail in "The Hot Zone."
Instead, let's just hope that we develop immunities to the viruses, that the viruses become less destructive, or that overpopulation and overdensification of humanity slows so that we, as members of whatever communities or groups or countries with which we associate ourselves, can be people, individuals, not a dense population to provide viruses the food they need.
Viruses are bad.
Dark chocolate raspberry truffles are good.
Antibiotics don't ever seem to work on sinus infections.
And I hope that whatever direction the United States and the World of which it's a part take in the next few weeks, months, and years leads us all to somewhere better than we've been.
If one man is alone in the woods, catches Ebola, continues his secluded travels down unpopulated areas around the Congo River, and he crashes and bleeds out, will he infect anyone else? Probably not. On the other hand, if our thrashing Ebola victim crashes and bleeds out in Times Square when the Ball drops for New Year's, there will probably be a whole lot of people infected - more if the global warming theory plays out and New Year's in New York is shorts and flip flops weather.
Many politicians are a lot like viruses, it seems. They destroy their host, whichever poor city got the schlub on the city council, and then somehow end up mayor "to fix the problems from the OTHER, bad wicked naughty members of the city council," then governor or senator to fix the problems from the city and urban blight and maleducation of the youth, and then President. Meanwhile, the city and state are in a shambles, and the country's about to crash and bleed out. Then, it's the virus' (I mean politician's) big chance - The U.N. If the U.N. gets infected, the whole world will crash and bleed out.
But then, what's left for our viral politician or political virus? Nothing left to infect, so it will go dormant or cease to be infectious or mutate. Then, when the population's dense enough, the political virus will re-emerge.
There are some solutions to this. One is not allowing anyone with political aspirations anywhere near a populated area containing voters. Another is to create a special country just for politicians, where they can each take turns playing King of the Mountain and thus Head Grand Poobah and Exalted Decider, except the Mountain is a fuel-soaked, flaming, floating fireant nest. So long as fireants don't become infected by biting, it's an intriguing idea.
The better idea is to not apply the Dilbert Principle to politics (thank you Scott Adams for your cogent explanation of how idiots get promoted until they're at a point where they have title and tenure but no power to screw anything up because that's "above their pay grade") - because running a country is not running a business. The higher up you are in politics, the more influence you have, the more power you have, and the less likely you are to have a CLUE about what real life in your country looks like from down here where we're watching you rise above your competence level and we're just hunkering down, hoping it doesn't get any worse.
This is why my Roman Empire does not have a high population density. The sole person living in my realm is, well, me. Most of my decisions affect me - they may have some small, tangential effects on friends and family, but my finger isn't anywhere near the red button, and I can't take money from people who don't want to buy gas guzzlers to "refinance" and "refloat" the companies that stupidly decided not to diversify their lines, and continued making gas guzzlers that now nobody wants. So, loyal non-existent readers, you need not worry about my Roman Empire becoming virus ridden. You needn't imagine me or my Empire crashing and bleeding out politically, as was discribed in such lurid detail in "The Hot Zone."
Instead, let's just hope that we develop immunities to the viruses, that the viruses become less destructive, or that overpopulation and overdensification of humanity slows so that we, as members of whatever communities or groups or countries with which we associate ourselves, can be people, individuals, not a dense population to provide viruses the food they need.
Viruses are bad.
Dark chocolate raspberry truffles are good.
Antibiotics don't ever seem to work on sinus infections.
And I hope that whatever direction the United States and the World of which it's a part take in the next few weeks, months, and years leads us all to somewhere better than we've been.
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