Horn Island

Posted on July 22, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day        

— Walter Anderson, “Rowing His Boat” c. 1955

Sweet and TF took TB, CCW and BW Buzz out to Horn Island Saturday afternoon.  It’s been six or seven years since I’ve been there, and I haven’t been to any of the Mississippi barrier islands since Katrina.  Some things have changed. The trees are all stripped of limbs and many are dead.  It looks different out there, but still distinct and recognizable since it also remains unchanged in so many ways.  The alligator still inhabits the lagoon (pond?), the porpoises still show off for boaters in route, the flowers still bloom, the fish still jump and the sun still burns.  All of these familiar presences were welcome, even the slight burn on TB’s blindingly white shoulders where the sunscreen wasn’t applied adequately.  If Sweet and TB had carried fishing gear, I would’ve been unable to report on Saturday night’s festivities.  Even sans fishing gear, it was hard to leave, and I wish we could’ve stayed until eight pm instead of five. To be at Horn Island as the sun sets is to be at one of the most peaceful places on the planet.  Something to look forward to on my next trip.

On the way back I admired the way the sun reflects off the Gulf from the west.  I looked over to the three shrimp boats tied together and again wished for that fishing gear and the opportunity for a good catch that the water around those boats represented.  I wished I had been able to open myself a new beer each time I passed one to Sweet. I stared across toward Round Island and remarked at how it didn’t look so big without the canopy growing any more.  Sweet reminded me that his Great-Grandfather used to row out to Round every day to man the old lighthouse, gone since Georges back in the late 1990’s.  We agreed (a) the dude must have had some guns and (b) we couldn’t have done it even once. 

It was good to reunite this weekend with so many old friends, and also to reunite with Horn.  Here are a few snapshots:

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Pascagoula HS Class of 88 Reunion

Posted on July 21, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day       “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”       — CS Lewis

Bonus Quote of the Day      “The Big East is good baby, but the Big Ten….Oh Oh Oh….The WHOLE CONFERENCE SHOULD GOOOOOOOO!”     — BW Buzz, credibly impersonating Dick Vitale, approximately 20 years ago

Double Bonus Quote of the Day     “Ahhh, Push it.  P-Push it Real Good”     Salt n Pepa, approximately 20 years ago

If you keep up with Travellinbaen you knew the Pascagoula High School Class of 1988 Reunion was coming up.  It was, in fact held this weekend, and TB had a grand old time.  I’d guess we had around 150 to 200 of our class show up out of the 550 that graduated.  With such a large group the pace was a bit frenetic, at least  it seemed to be as I began composing a blog essay on the experience.  So rather than that, below are recorded a few observations and a couple of vignettes from a fun, slightly bittersweet weekend.

I spoke with the organizer, our former Class President Deanna Davis to thank her for the effort of getting us all together.  We went through the same litany as did everyone else at least a hundred times—where we were living, how was life, any kids and what job?  She observed that no one was going to remember any of this, and I agreed, but suggested what we would remember was speaking to everyone and that they looked fantastic.  And that’s pretty much what I remember.  With a few exceptions, the Class of 88 is holding up ok.  As a matter of fact, a lot of our girls are prettier than ever.  And who cares about the guys.

I noticed a few trends in the friends I spoke to, including a slight move to the left politically for our group as a whole, a marked movement of folks from diverse points around the map back toward Jackson County, if not Pascagoula, and a slow fading of the collective memory about the details of our lives as they were from 1985 to 1988.

Many of our classmates have achieved a measure of success.  There are several doctors and lawyers, a collection of engineers, bankers, teachers and varied other solid professions.  But a few stood out to me for taking a more unusual path.  One guy is an energy expert with homes in New Mexico and Georgia that he shuttles between for the military.  I thought it safe not to ask if he was CIA, but I will say he was a bit vague about his actual job duties.  A good friend has become an environmental activist after spending years as an environmental engineer for the big boys.  Her experiences led her to the conclusion she should no longer do their bidding, but should start her own business and try another route in furthering her goals and addressing her fears for the planet (my words, not hers, but this is what I took from the conversation—it was a bit difficult to communicate with “Push It” blaring in the background).  Another good friend who only describes her job as “condo sales” dropped names like Richard Petty and Doc Rivers the way TB drops Supercynic.  Having said that, let me say it was in the least boastful way possible–these people are simply everyday acquaintances and she can’t talk about her life without sharing stories about them.  We had our obligatory professional athlete in attendance, though he’s now retired.  Interestingly, while his first career has ended, an unlikely classmate’s career in the public spotlight is ascendant.

Walter Hawkes was what you might call “different.”  He was liked, but also chuckled at when we were kids. Walter was one of those guys into computers and music back in the 80’s and neither of those was considered a cool area of interest to the crowd I ran with.  But I remember him as always having a smile and never trying to be something he was not.  It seems in the intervening years, he owned his originality and made something of it. He’s now a composer for the children’s show “The Wonder Pets” and plays music in dives and joints around New York City at night.  He also plays with Norah Jones and has been spotted on Austin City Limits being called out by her as a friend and talented musician.  And though he didn’t mention it, he just won a freakin’ Emmy.  I checked out his blog and his My Space page and they’re both pretty cool.  I’m linking the blog on my site but I endorse you checking out both sites.  www.blatomaster.com   Just google Walter Hawkes for his My Space page, where you can hear him play and sing. http://www.myspace.com/jwalterhawkes  His music is pretty cool.  As a matter of fact, it looked to me like Walter turned out to be the hippest dude we can claim.  I also think he knows it, but he had the grace not to chuckle at the fact of his old classmates’ rapid decline down the coolness spectrum.

 

 

 

 

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TB Challenges His Legion of Loyal Readers

Posted on July 17, 2008 by travellinbaen

TB’s got a busy few days coming up, so the blog will be a bit slow.  This is probably a good thing because I need the time to consult my muse.  No doubt, my time in Pascagoula will provide inspiration. In the meantime, I’d like to know what you’d like to read about.  Leave your suggestions for blog topics in the comments to this post.  They can be serious, based on actual events, weird, or even completely off the wall. Challenge me.  This is my challenge to you.

Then tune back in next week.

Posted in Life, Mississippi | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

TB’s 1st Culinary Award’s

Posted on July 16, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don’t eat has been proved indispensable for life.  But I go marching on.”       George Bernard Shaw

Today’s post was inspired by reading “Travel and Leisure’s” current issue featuring their World’s Best Awards.  Travellinbaen is no world traveller, yet, but there are some good meals peppering his travellin past.  I thought I’d share.

Best Breakfast–My Mom’s Christmas morning feast, featuring ambrosia, fresh squeezed orange juice, egg and sausage casserole, biscuits and shrimp and grits, improving and perfecting the recipe used by City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi.  Top it all off with her version of the old Gatlinburg Inn’s Blackbottom Coconut Pie before lunch.

Best Breakfast, not my Mom’s–I’m going to go with a nameless place in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, California–really nothing out of the box, but the perfect setting in perfect weather, with good friends, and the only place I’ve had lala berry jelly.

Best Appetizer–A pineapple bought on the side of the road leading to Hana, Hawaii, eaten with CCW on the balcony of our bungalow overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Best Soup–The chicken tortilla soup at the Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas, with JB.

Best Ribs–My Dad’s cousin, Bugs, is better than the Rendezvous, Corky’s, or Neely’s, far better than anything I’ve found in Texas, and destroys Leatha’s down in the Pine Belt.  Everybody else is fighting for second, and who really cares about the runner up?

Best Steak–Billy Bob’s in or near Milam County, Texas.  JB was with me again, this time for an asbestos trial.  The place was half barn, half bar, and ole Billy Bob could grill a helluva good steak.

Best Vegetables–AKA the CCW Award, and there were so many places in California that could take this one home, but I’ll give the inaugural to Foreign Cinema in San Francisco.

Best Fish–I have to disqualify all Pascagoula natives here, because the folks down there can all cook up some fish, almost always less than a couple of hours out of the water.  But my favorite goes to a dolphin sandwich at a roadside bar on the A1A southwest of Islamorada where you can sit on the deck and gaze out at the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.  Since I don’t believe in honoring second place, I’ll call that bar number one and award Moma’s Fish House and her Mahi-Mahi with an 1A.

Best Ice Cream–The Hotel Hana Maui makes homemade ice creams in tropical flavors like coconut and pineapple then adds a banana to make it a split.  TB and CCW were warned before they went that good food was hard to find in Hawaii.  As you can see, we found it.

Best Pizza–Honestly, my first choice may be really bad because I’ve only had it really late at night.  But its a place in Key West, Florida, across the street from Irish Kevin’s.  Enjoyed multiple times on a trip with Adam and Ed.  Pizzeria Uno in Chicago, once stag and once with CCW, BBS and SS is co-number one, though I’m told I have to go to Lombardi’s in NYC before I really can evaluate this category accurately.

Best Snack–Chocolate Covered Frozen Key Lime Pie on a Stick, Key West, Florida.  Thanks to Ed for insisting, and thank goodness that Coke machine didn’t keep that c-note or we’d probably have saved our money.

Best Dessert–Strawberry Ricotta Cake in Houston, Texas, at Grotto.  CCW came through here, turning a business trip in to a weekend fling, and choosing this fantastic restaurant featuring the best cake I’ve ever had.  Sorry Mom, you’re runner-up.

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Class Reunion II

Posted on July 15, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day      “O wad some power the giftie gie us, To see oursel’s as ithers see us!  It wad frae monie a blunder free us.”            — Robert Burns, from “To a Louse”

The Pascagoula Class of ’88 finally reunites this weekend.  I posted awhile back about the reservations I had, but those have pretty much disappeared.  The only part of me not looking forward to the weekend now is the little red devil in charge of lazy, lounging on my shoulder, and occasionally whispering, “aw man, 200 miles is a long way; wouldn’t you rather just be sittinathomebaen this weekend.” Fortunately, I can usually–ok, often–defeat that annoying little bastard.

One never knows how he is seen by others, and part of being twenty years out of high school is not caring nearly as much about it as we formerly did.  On the inside, we come to know ourselves during those decades, and today I consider how I’ve changed since the spring of 1988, and how I’m the same.

Then–All I thought about was girls, in general;  Now–All I think about are girls, two in particular.

Then–Listened to Jimmy Buffett, Hank Williams Jr, Motley Crue;  Now–Jimmy Buffett, Robert Earl Keen, and Todd Snider–but the Crue is definitely still on the Ipod.

Then–Slightly worried about going off to college and how I’d do the next year; Now–slightly worried about business and how I’ll do next year.

Then–In shape; Now–Not in shape.

Then–Didn’t like to travel and be away from Pascagoula; Now–Glad I grew up in Pascagoula.

Then–Miller Lite and Vodka Tonic; Now–Pinot Noir and Malbec.

Then–Subaru with 90,000 miles; Now–Acura with 180,000 miles.

Then–George Bush and you can’t trust liberals; Now–Anybody BUT George Bush, preferably a liberal.

Then–Youth; Now–Youth is wasted on the young.

Then–No money, no problem; Now–all the money I really need, but it never seems enough.

Then–Drunken BS late at night; Now–sober bloggin, late at night.

So am I still the same guy I was back then?  Yes, but a lot different too. I wonder if anyone else will think I’ve changed much?  I hope they’re all just the same as I remember.  Well, most of them anyway.

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Where’s the Bull Moose?

Posted on July 14, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day      “We demand that big business give the people a square deal; in return we must insist that when anyone engaged in big business honestly endeavors to do right he shall himself be given a square deal.”         — Theodore Roosevelt

If you follow Travellinbaen you know that too much politics in the diet is a recipe for an upset stomach.  So today’s post is officially categorized as “historical reflection.”  TB enjoys that.  

The subject of Teddy Roosevelt came to mind this morning as I listened to discussion of the failure of Indymac Bank and the bailouts of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  I agreed with the commentator lamenting the fact that in good times profits are private while in bust times the bailouts are paid by the public.  I do believe the bailouts are appropriate if done properly.  Our whole economic system seems to be on the precipice of collapse and while government closed its eyes to oversight and regulation over the last seven years, it is good that they act now to prevent further deterioration.  

Watching the bank stocks sink, the foreclosures rise and the fatcats getting bailed out has been a stark reminder that federal regulation is necessary not to hold back the honest businessman but to rein in the the dishonest ones–the ones that built the house of cards currently crashing around us.  Publius referenced the Bull Moose party on Supercynic’s site the other day, only partly in jest I suspect, as an entity that ought to be resurrected.  I thought today of the need for someone like Teddy Roosevelt to take on the modern day robber barons.  He truly was a man ahead of his time and we’d all be better off if the Bull Moose had taken off.

TR took down some forty monopolistic trusts, most famously Big Railroad, Big Steel, and Big Oil.  In the last twenty years Big Oil has come storming back through mergers.  It would be nice to have another TR with the courage to knock them back down to size.  We all are also familiar with the first Roosevelt’s efforts to establish our National Parks, quite possibly the wisest move of any President at any time.  Most people know about these things, but they may not know some of his other acts and ideas.  

TR was a man of letters and a prolific author.  He was a founder of the NCAA.  He was a world class academic in the field of large American mammals, and he was President of the American Historical Association.  

As President we’re all familiar with his slogan, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”  He did that, but he also spoke eloquently and effectively it seems.  He was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War and resolved other international disputes.  He successfully lobbied the rest of the world to afford Latin American countries equal status as nations.  He created the Agriculture Department to make sure we could buy vermin-free meat.  He helped create international law outlawing the use of force by nations to collect debts.  He started the Panama Canal and he built up the US Navy to keep our strength on pace with the rest of the industrialized world.  All the while, he reduced our debt by 90 million dollars.  He advocated Universal Health Care which along with recognizing the need for conservation made him a man truly ahead of his time.  Or maybe modern America is just way behind the times.

His success came at a cost though.  Doing all that good made him a lot of enemies and he ended up being forced out of the Republican Party when despite winning the popular vote in the primaries he was not nominated for President in 1912.  So he started the ill fated and short lived Bull Moose/Progressive Party to keep his ideas for promoting the general welfare while also maintaining a strong common defense.  It made too much damned sense then, as now.

Posted in History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s New?

Posted on July 13, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.”     — Oscar Wilde

I was thinking today about how the world has changed since the 1970’s.  As a kid I was always amazed at stories from family and teachers about how things were in the old days–meaning pretty much any time pre-dating my own memory.  It is still hard for me to comprehend a world without air conditioning and television.  The idea of a stocking full of oranges as a Christmas treat still sends chills down the spine; at least the part of the spine that carries the deep sewn recollections of my own Santa expectations that most certainly included no food which could be considered healthy.  Social networking consisted of being randomly assigned a college roommate or perhaps hitchhiking.

Kids today must surely look at old guys like me and have the same sense of disbelief and wonder about how we managed to put up with telephones that couldn’t do, well, everything.  I doubt they can even conceive of the rotary dial.  Staying with changes in telecommunications, I wonder if kids these days have any way of experiencing the joy of making a call to a stranger and asking “Is your refrigerator running?” Caller ID, anywho.com, and itemized bills have spelled the death of the prank call industry I suppose.  

Would kids today see the point in playing Atari football featuring three blobs roughly forming an “x” vs three squares designed to represent “o’s?”  I am pretty sure social services would be called if they caught a kid riding a bike with a bat, two gloves and a ball balanced on the handle bars and another kid being “bucked” on back down a four lane city road.  (Speaking of “bucked” did kids use this term anywhere besides Pascagoula?)  And the only chance a helmet was involved was if somebody’s Dad was a coach and inadvertently left the equipment sack out of his car one day.  In such an event, the batting helmet was wedged on to the handlebars with the gloves–the idea of wearing it would never have occurred to any of us.  And would the junior high coaches look the other way (to hide their amusement) if all the phys-ed T-shirts went missing and the following Saturday reappeared on the backs of two dozen pre-pubescent punks playing basketball in what was ostensibly a locked gymnasium; or would it be front page news and simply more evidence of a society in decline?

Kids these days have it easy in a lot of ways.  Their technology, their organized activities, and seemingly their wealth far outnumber that to which the kids of my generation had access.  But I wouldn’t trade places with them–my era was alright.  As I recall, that’s pretty much what the old timers had to say about us too.

Posted in Humor, Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Conversation

Posted on July 10, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”    — Hunter S. Thompson

Note–The names and places have been changed to protect my goofy friend.

Today was weird.  It started off with an apparant disaster with respect to a promising file, saw the inexplicable likelihood for an expenditure of significant unnecessary funds, effort and time being risked in a closed one, and included a drive through a deluge with failing windshield wipers to take the statement of a backpedaler.  But then the sun came back out, I got a call that disaster had been averted and an email making that unnecessary expenditure look like it wouldn’t happen after all.  Not an ordinary day for TB, but rather one of sound and fury, signifying nothing, to coin a phrase.

In the midst of it all was a phone call from an old pal I’ll call “Rex.”  Rex is a smart guy and universally liked.  We receive group emails from time to time from mutual asshole runnin buddies (I really don’t want to feature a lot of cursing here, but that’s a term of art and I simply can’t blog about certain dudes without using it.)  Rex wakes up laughing, goes to bed laughing, makes you laugh when you see him, and still manages to be well versed and thoughtful about most any subject you bring up, though if he’s drinking he’ll act like you’re some kind of fool to think he knows anything about politics or economics or culture. With this insufficient description of Rex’s personality as a backdrop, I will attempt to recapture our conversation for your viewing pleasure.

TB–Rex-o

R–Baen

TB–What’s up?  R–Not much.  Hey, I need your advice.

TB–(to himself) this doesn’t sound good. (out loud) lay it on me brother.

R–I got a call today that I’m supposed to be in a deposition Tuesday–hey turn that down for a minute dude–we’re on our way to the f…’n backwoods mountains in (Oklahoma) to a music festival–dude you should see this van, I’ve got like 12 cases of beer–I’m thinking about stopping to get three more, I don’t wanna run out–I’m gonna be in NO condition to talk to anybody until like next Friday–Oh I gotta tell you about this chick I…

TB–Rex–what do you mean deposition?

R–Oh, dude, there was this party a couple of years ago in (Guadalajara)–you should’ve been there–hey man, can you turn that down just a little I’m on the phone–dude it was crazy–chicks everywhere, three bands, free booze, the lead singer of one of the bands was singing Johnny Cash songs naked at one point–it was awesome dude, but I do miss that job.

TB–what job

R–Oh it was this marketing gig for (IBM) where my job was to give away free swag and get all the managers, bartenders and waitresses to push our stuff.  They fired me, of course they had no choice.  Dude I can’t even begin to tell you how many rules got broke, but dang, the guy that was supposed to be in charge was all coked up and couldn’t do it so I said dude cash the check, keep 250 bucks and give me the rest and I’ll make sure its a party they won’t for get, and dude, you know it was–Before I forget–ok guys just one more minute I swear–this chick was from (Kennebunkport)–closest I’ll ever get to a Playboy model, 5-10, blonde, waaaaay outta my league, but hey, she liked me–dude everywhere we went people were checking us out.

TB–you get pictures?

R–oh yeah, one on my phone. she’s supposed to send the rest.  Anyway, dude what should I do?

TB–(attempts to advise)

R–Ok dude I’m incommunicado for like 3-4 days, ya’ll take it easy.

TB–did you hit Bonnaroo this year?

R–nah dude too commercial–I think we need to stop and get some more beer

TB–be careful, I gotta take this call–I’m in the middle of a disaster.

It was at that point that everything began to make a turn for the better.  You know what, I didn’t even realize it until I got to this sentence.  Thanks for the good Karma Rex and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do up in (Oklahoma).

Posted in Humor, Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cleansing the Soul

Posted on July 9, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day, Late night edition    “You do not have a soul.  You are a Soul.  You have a body.”   — C.S. Lewis

Travellinbaen will never shy away from some political discussion, but lately politics has become more and more exhausting and less and less amusing.  Following and trying to understand politics is important, just as its important for someone to dig the ditches, haul away the trash, and litigate against insurance companies. But when you’re finished with the dirty work, you ought to get cleaned up as soon as possible.  

We brush our teeth every day to keep them healthy and white.  We shower to ward off odor and disease.  I think it only makes sense that we also take time out each day to cleanse the soul.  For me, that means scouring the net for humor some days and ordering pizza on others.  It means watching the sun set or the moon glow or beating up on Ole Miss in Xbox college football.  More than anything it means watching a 17 month old and her mother share a belly laugh.

Having published about politics previously this day, I concluded a complete cleansing was in order.  One of the most effective ways to engage in good personal soul hygiene is hieing off to a high altitude destination, like the Himalayas. But since Travellinbaen is Sittinathomebaen this week, I went surfing the web for inspiration.  I came across a blog on books every man must read before he dies and another about the deeds we must all do before we die.  I think the whole “before you die” part of these cliched lists gives them a few too many negative vibes, but I love the general idea.  Setting them forth is a way of looking to the future with anticipation, which reaffirms faith, which cleanses the soul.

Anyway, here’s a short list of some things I’d like to do.  Some are new to the list and some old, some grand and some attainable this month.

TB always wants to be going somewhere and right this moment I aspire to see mountains in Canada, monkeys in Costa Rica and Machu Picchu in Peru.  I suspect the soul relishes a small measure of materialism and I’ll meet that need by saving money for a mid-life convertible.  I’d like to re-read a couple of the novels I didn’t really appreciate twenty years ago like “Catcher in the Rye”, cruise all the way through “Don Quixote” one time, and stay closer to home with Alan Huffman’s book “Mississippi in Africa.”  He being a friend-in-law, I really ought to take advantage of the rare opportunity to discuss a book with its author.  I want to grow some flowers in the open spaces in front of my house and watch them flourish.  I want to produce a patio tomato and pick it before the birds peck it. I’d also like to maintain an improving and more entertaining blog, without having too many mindnumbing political posts to mar the mission.  

Ahhhh, all fresh and clean.  Now to get on with crossing a few things off that list.  

Anybody else out there got a list?

Posted in Life, Philosobaen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

TB Doesn’t Give a Damn About Rev. Wright (and neither should you)

Posted on July 9, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day   “I’m T Boone Pickens.  I’ve been an oil man all my life.  But this is one problem we can’t drill our way out of.”     —  T. Boone Pickens, Oilman, Swift Boater

I really don’t like politics.  I wish I could look away.  I wish I could ignore it, because thinking about it tends to ruin at least that part of my day. But I can’t help it sometimes, so bear with me today.

Most of the readers of this blog are in Mississippi or at least the Deep South and you all understand how out of the mainstream of non-trial lawyer white folks liberal politics are around here.  One day I may post about the process that led me to leave the ranks of red staters, but today I just want to highlight four events that I’ve read about over the last twenty-four hours and why it is stories like these and not which nut job preacher has ties to which politician that should determine our voting decisions.  I’m not linking, but google the subjects and you will find the sources easy enough.

First I read a CNN account about household supplies and clothing that were DONATED to Mississippians and handled by FEMA.  That’s FEMA, a part of the Republican Executive Branch.  Millions of dollars worth of goods sat in a warehouse for 3 years, then were given away to governmental agencies.  Millions of dollars were spent on storage during that time and while I don’t know what political party those warehouse owners were in, I have a damn good guess.  I had friends that lost almost everything they had.  Most have never and never will be compensated by Insurance, FEMA, Grant money, or charity for the goods they lost.  They were partially compensated for their structural losses.  They could’ve used a blender or some cutlery or some blue jeans and could’ve put the money they spent on those things toward rebuilding their houses.  Or replacing their furniture.  Maybe some poor kids wouldn’t have been poisoned by formaldehyde if their folks had a bit more cash on hand to afford the skyrocketing rent costs of an apartment.

Which brings me to story number two.  Republicans in the House said manufacturers of FEMA trailers were not at fault for formaldehyde levels because the government had not regulated those levels.  Read that over again carefully.  The very regulatory agencies the Republicans have gutted and politicized did exactly what the Cons wanted done–nothing.  And because of this, these businesses, which made millions supplying defective trailers should not be held responsible for the injuries they’ve caused.  To add insult to injury, guess what party the Judges sympathize with that will hear these cases stemming from the Mississippi Coast.  

Then I get an email from CEO’s of 12 major US airlines.  They tell me the price of oil is out of hand and its largely due to speculators echoing one of the mantras I’ve been hearing from the Lefties.  They complain that due to market deregulation–a tenet of Republi-con-ism–the price of a barrel of oil is falsely inflated anywhere from 30 to 60 bucks a pop.  I’m still processing the idea that airline CEO’s are calling for INCREASED government oversight and regulation.

And finally, T. Boone Pickens is spending some of his billions to tell us we cannot drill our way out of the oil crisis.  He’s pushing wind energy and I agree with him.  Bush, Cheney, McCain and the other Cons disagree completely.  They want more drilling and that’s all they want.  Look, I’m not opposed to developing oil in the US and if they find a gusher under my house I’ll tear the place down overnight to get to it.  But in my opinion finding more oil is only a temporary and partial solution at best.

These stories are just a microcosm of why the Cons have to be punished in November.  It seems there is more justification to rid ourselves of them and their beloved “wedge” issues every day. If you disagree with T. Boone and the CEO’s and CNN and Travellinbaen on these issues, maybe you should vote Republican and McCain.  On the other hand, if you think there are things in the world of greater import than loudmouth preachers maybe consider giving the liberals a chance.   Truth be told, we need somebody to come in and try some radical ideas and my biggest concern is the Dems have gotten too corporate over the years to really do enough.  But anything is better than the debacle that has been the Bush Presidency.  I tell you, when T Boone and the cigar boys start to worry about the times, Travellinbaen takes note.

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