Two Positions I Hold

Position #1

High prices at the pump could be good for the country, in the long run.

First off, the US has some of the lowest gas prices in the world. In Europe, prices regularly run $4 and $5 USD a gallon, so quit bitching.

Second, gas prices are not coming down in the foreseeable future. Why? Two words: 'China' and 'India'. With a combined 2 billion (just under 10 times the population of the US) souls and counting, and massive untapped markets that are gowing amazingly quickly, their demand for oil and petrolium products is surpassing our own. It's a simple law of free markets: when demand goes up and supply stays the same, prices go up.

Third, our dependance on foerign oil is a huge weakness in our economy. Relying heavily on another nation for something so very vital to everything in this country (buisiness, trade, national defense etc. all run on oil) is foolish. As long as oil is cheap, we have no real impetus to wean ourselves. We are the largest market for crude, so of course they'll keep selling it to us, even if they don't like us very much, because they want to make money. But we're not the largest market anymore; the oil producing countries can sell to others and still make a profit.

Fourth, it's bad for the environment. Again, as long as oil is inexpensive, we have no reason to investigate other energy sources. When the price of crude is down, who cares about hybrid cars or hydrogen fuel cells or effective mass transit, or what the mileage on your Urban Assault Vehicle is? Gas is $1.50 a gallon, I'm making $6.75 an hour. But when it breaks the $2.00 mark and continues to climb, peopel get worried.

If handled properly, high prices are very good for us in the long run. We can make our econmoy stronger, prices of goods shipped by truck (basically everything) would stabilize, and if it's the US who develops truly viable fuel cells (or whatever) we could make a killing selling it to other countries.

Position #2

I am pro-choice, but against abortion.

I have been told, recently, that this particular position is not merely untenable, but logically impossible. I was not afforded the time to explain myself, so I thought I'd do it here.

At first, it would seem that my position is inherently contradictory; either you allow abortion or you don't. However, I see the pro-choice/life debate as two seperate arguements, one moral, one legal.

From a legal standpoint, I don't feel that it is within a governments sphere of influence to tell a woman she cannot have an abortion. I see nothing in the constitution that supports that argument, and not from a 'freedom of choice' standpoint, either. It's more that I see nothing that specifically gives the (Federal) government that power.

That being said, I feel that women (and men. We must always remember it take s two to tango) should look at all the possibilities before getting an abortion, starting with not having sex unless you're ready to face the consequences.

If I were to give my view a soundbite, it would be "Abortion should not be made illeagle, but neither should it be used as a form of birth control or as a procedure of convinece."

Of Anniversaries and such

Today marks one year of continous employment with one company. This is the longest I've worked at one place since 2000.

Are we sick?

The wife and I were just figuring what our newborns AC would be:

10 (base) + 2 (tiny size) - 5 (dex 1) = 7