The Perfect Storm

In the first three months of 2008 Sunoco made $4.2 million dollars an hour.  There seems to be a little eyebrow in the air over profit percentages.  Whatever those percentiles are, while families struggle, lives are lost and  "Wall Street is getting drunk" (according to George Bush), the leadership of the United States cannot admit we are in a recession.  Governor Paterson of New York keeps talking daily about the hard times ahead for the state with a deficit looming and we are supposed to have faith the economy is not in a recession? Reassurances from Bush are like your drunk grandfather telling you he doesn't have a drinking problem. If we aren't in a recession technically, we are mentally.  At this point, Bush has been impeached mentally by the country as we wait to see who steps forward to turn the sinking ship in the perfect storm his regime has created.  He and his pals have set the table for the feast at the trough of the American wallet. If the profit percentage is only a little over 7% for the big oil companies, then the sheer volume at which they are amassing historic wealth in a time of "war" should be considered criminal.  If this were any other country we would have taken to the streets like angry villagers, rioting and pillaging.  Americans continue to wait, days are turning to months and the two men posturing to take the helm, we aren't even sure can do the job, if at all.  Albeit no one could do a worse job that George W.  Is this all part of that New World Order Daddy was talking about?  The talk of National Service is starting to surface, in other words, the U.S. Draft is about to happen, although this time is will be a kinder, gentler draft under the guise of "service", not to be confused with vounteerism.  By the way, Microsoft has started another business, the business of education.  They are meddling now with public schools across both coasts, sort of a pilot project for the privatization of our public education, a very foundation of our country.  Granted, there are problems, however if we feel like looming deficits are our biggest problem, wait until Sunoco and Mobil are sponsoring your kid's high school.   Whatever the percentages are, it's too much for only a handful of corporations to be taking us to the cleaners.  What could be better than having now the solid excuse to drill in the United States?  Hindsight is 20/20, it looks like now the whole war was staged to set up shop and and start tapping resources, all in the name of the almighty dollar.

Lies My Lawyer Told Me

There couldn't be a better poster child for lawyers than John Edwards.  Driven by "ego" he says he couldn't help  himself. It's interesting to watch his absolute commitment to his lies when allegations from the rumor mill, The Enquirer reported on the affair with Ms. Hunter, first.  He was believable, not even flinching in his flat denials embellished with how much he loved his wife.  To watch him in interviews now you almost want to believe him, he looks so endearing.  But you know in there is a liar, I mean lawyer.  Edwards ability to convince us that he's a good guy with a fairy tale life is exactly what people hate about politicians.  Do people really care if our politicians have secret affairs and father illegitimate children?  Should we care?  What has happened to Eliot Spitzer after his shameful romp?  Taking advantage of a troubled girl and wasting what could have been 2 years tuition at NYU on sex is not only unacceptable, it's horrifying. It's just another clue that the moral fiber of this country has deteriorated to the point of no return.  Hopefully we won't see Spitzer on any keynote speaker list this Fall. People scan headlines , yawn and move on.  This country is in for a big wake up call if we don't pay attention to what our children are learning from those boring headlines.  Across the nation our young kids watch.  They are afraid of war, afraid of liars and have lost faith in what the United States has become.  It's very difficult to teach a social studies class these days because history has been manipulated by the one country that was supposed to represent goodness.  Or maybe that should go under the category "Lies my teacher told me" along with "marriage is between two people who love each other" and "the President is smart".  Is everything in this country based on lies?  Seems so as we near the election and everyone is talking about race and religion instead of public education or the oil companies being in collusion with the Bush Regime. Not to mention the faltering American Dream that is lost to so many. Race and religion are scapegoats of blame, as usual.  To really have a discussion on race we need to look at the apartheid happening in our public schools system nationwide.  To have a real discussion on religion, we need to look at the commitment true religion takes and that forgiveness of sleeping with a hottie while your wife is in the recovery room doesn't count.

God Bless America

YouTube featured a compilation of John McCain's "senior moments" today when you pulled up the site.  Frightening is the thought that he is the best we have to offer for the future of what once was the greatest country on earth until the Bush regime got its hands on it.  The past 8 years have been historic in the abandonment of ethics, our children and all that the USA once stood for.  Equality, freedom and original thought has been derailed.  Public education is viewed as an epidemic by experts, TIME magazine's cover reads "Drop Out Nation".  Surprisingly, Buffalo Schools were not featured on the cover.  At one high school the actual graduation rate was 37% . Maybe it's like when we hear Bush saying the economy is strong, we look at each other and ask if he's living in the same country we are?  The secret recession our leadership refuses to admit is real, keeps creeping into our wallets with each passing paycheck.  We know it's real, why don't they?  McCain is unfit, just as Bush has proved himself to be. Bush's legacy will be nothing but shame. Remember Reagan was depending on an Astrologer for advice and McCain was a key member of the Keating 5.  The Republicans have their work cut out for them if they are to survive.  Mobil Oil made $12 billion in the last reported quarterly earnings.  This has broken all profit records. Oprah just did a special with Anderson Cooper walking around disgusting, unlivable and unbelievably shameful conditions found in our urban schools. Again it was surprising that Buffalo was not featured. Just think, we have the unique distinction of being the first Americans in history to watch a corporation reel in twelve billion in profits while our soldiers sit in dust storms, eat bullets and tolerate extended tours of duty separated from families and babies all to protect, what was that again they said we were doing there? 

Watch Your Back

So the biggest news on today's Buffalo channels is an overturned chicken truck.  Chickens everywhere.  It made me wonder if PETA was going to show and make a protest statement about the chickens running around the highway.  Next we see Sam Hoyt grandstanding once again, taking credit for the Buffalo Schools reconstruction project.  Hoyt seems to have the nose of a bloodhound when it comes to the camera, but that's about it.  There's not much else Hoyt can hang his hat on.  The silver spoon he has had in his mouth his whole life is becoming tarnished through his cheap tactics and personal interests which rarely have anything to do with what's good for Buffalo.  I am surprised he didn't show up at the overturned chicken truck and take credit for rescuing those poor birds darting about on the asphalt or for stopping a riot due to the PETA protesters that never showed up.  There's a lot of things that bother me about this city.  So many opportunities just lost to greed and the absolute commitment of maintaining the status quo.  It seems a few wealthy families with deep pockets and deeper roots control most of the politics, most of the projects and most of the people in charge of watching out for the public.  Control Board Bob Wilmers is just one example of a really rich guy with no scruples manipulating Buffalo Schools for his own profit.  It is rumored M&T Bank floats the reconstruction bond.  Seems our puny politicians had nothing to do with the reconstruction rescue, Mr. Wilmers, now in his new downstate appointment would not let that happen.  It's good to have friends in high places.  For the rest of us, we are stuck with rotten politics, talking heads and grandstanders all smiling for the camera while they reach into your back pocket.