Gingrich Won't Run !!

And he's put on a few pounds, too. I thought I'd mention that since if Hillary put on that much weight it would be a source of commentary:

What does it mean?
Has he lost his personal discipline?
Has he lost his focus?
Would he have a heart attack in office?
Will his wife throw him out for letting himself go?
Maybe he doesn't really want the White House?
Won't we look bad with a fat guy representing us at international negotiating tables?
Where will we get all the pictures of Our Fearless Leader chopping wood or jogging?
Does he dye his hair?
Was that the same suit he wore yesterday?

Food for thought.

Biofuel Blowback in Brazil

Lula, the leader of Brazil, has really done a lot to promote the use of ethanol and now Brazil is a major exporter of biofuels.

His South American neighbors, exporters of oil, are not so pleased. It is interesting to look at their arguments because if biofuels really take off here in the U.S., these are the kinds of things that oil companies will also say:

• Biofuels cause starvation
• Biofuels cause global warming and kill much-needed forests
• Biofuels raise food prices.

Biofuel opponents are actually saying that people will starve because of biofuels. That's funny. And a signal of how desperate oil companies are to maintain the status quo.

Ahmadinejad in New York City

Nothing is quite as invigorating as jumping up and down and yelling at someone. So the citizens of New York City took the opportunity of Ahmadinejad's visit to the United Nations to curse him out with placards and bullhorns. Whee! Wasn't that fun?

But it accomplished nothing. So what? You're rude to a visiting foreign leader. It does nothing but help Iran's leader to be seen being yelled at by Americans. The next time, do something useful. Welcome him. Be polite. That would be a little harder to explain back home and Americans wouldn't look like ranting idiots.

Republican Space Aliens

Many will recall that on July 8, 1947, witnesses claimed that an unidentified object with five aliens aboard, crashed onto a sheep ranch just outside Roswell, New Mexico. This is a well-known incident that many say has long been covered up by the U.S. Government.

However, what you may not have noticed is that during the month of March, 1948--exactly nine months AFTER that historic date--George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Condoleeza Rice and Dan Quayle were all born.

See what happens when aliens breed with sheep?

This piece of information may help to clear up a lot of things.

Our National Discourse on Terrorism

Here's a great YouTube clip. Sad but funny.

Fugimori Gets No Respect

What is it with the Peruvians? Fugimori, their old President, was the ONLY ONE who broke the back of the Shining Path, a terror group that had been plaguing Peru for two decades. They even stormed the Japanese embassy in Lima, which Fugimori brought to a successful end. And, in case that weren't enough, Fugimori also brought double-digit inflation under control.

So now he wants to come back to Peru and they want to arrest him. In any other country, he would be a welcomed hero. Sure, he tried to extend his Presidential term. OK, he's an egomaniac. All those types are. But give the guy his due: he sure did a lot for Peruvians. And this is the thanks he gets.

Implications of a Fuel Cell Car

So Iceland has created a fuel cell car. At $8 for a gallon of gas, Icelanders must be very happy.

Supposing, in the next ten years, this technology is adopted throughout the world. The demand for gasoline is radically and dramatically reduced. Are we going to continue caring about the Middle East in quite the same way? Of course not.

And if the demand for oil is reduced, then the riches of the Arab and Persian nations will also be reduced. So the money sent to radical Islamist groups will also be reduced, as will their ability to cause trouble elsewhere in the world.

Another nation affected would be Russia. Russia is basing its current bout of hegemony on its supply of oil. Witness the threats to cut off the heat to its neighbors last winter. I always predicted that the Russian resurgence would be short-lived. Now they can focus their efforts on fighting Canada for ice flows.

A fuel cell car - imagine! I'm dying to get a new car myself, but my husband and my sister prudently are talking me out of it. One way to inspire myself to patience would be dreams of a fuel cell car THAT DOESN'T USE GASOLINE!! With leather interiors, of course. I wouldn't get a car without leather interiors.

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As an aside, you can usually click on the title of a post to see an article related to my rant.

War with Iran - Ahmadinejad Calls the Bluff

In his own deft way, Ahmadinejad is calling the bluff of the West by pretending that none of the threats of war from France and the U.S. are happening at all. You may remember that the French Foreign Minister claimed that the only way to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat would be war if strong sanctions weren't imposed. That's not the same as calling for an outright war, but in diplomat-speak the mere mention of the term "war" is significant. It is a clear first step to the real thing, and not to be taken lightly.

Another significant point is that the threat came from France. Such verbal bullying we have come to expect from a cowboy President who had never been to Europe before his election. Not from France, who is not known for such things. France is not thought to be in goose-step with the Bush Administration either. So it shows there is a real coalition building in the West for war with Iran. That's serious.

Ahmadinejad's nonchalant rhetoric is probably aimed at trying to calm his population down and improve their self-esteem by another laughing round at the West. Thumbing your nose at the big guy always has a great feeling to it. He's also throwing the fear back at the West. Now the West has to react to its own words since Iran isn't giving us any pushback. Let's see if the mention of war continues.

MTV in Columbia Heights

MTV is locating its Rock the Vote HQ right here in Columbia Heights. The rumored location is 11th and Park NW. They wanted an edgy neighborhood, and by God that's right here. They should have been here five years ago. It was so edgy people got shot on their own front porch.

I wonder how much of the coverage will mention that DC has no vote in Congress.

It's kind of fun to see the globs of young party-goers drifting down the streets these days. I wonder if Columbia Heights will become a kind of Adams Morgan for restaurant chains. And when that mall opens up we will be deluged with the shoppers. My money's on about ten thousand people a weekend visiting this area.

And then there are plans to 'develop' the Old Soldiers Home, an area of 77 acres to the northwest of Columbia Heights. It is to become a mix of shopping, residential with a 22 acre park in the middle. I fail to understand why these projects are considered improvements. I think a patch of green in the city doesn't need any improvement.

Prediction: in five years, my block will be zoned commercial.

Conspiracy Requires Cooperation

For all those 9-11 conspiracy fans out there, a conspiracy requires cooperation between the various parties. It is the observance of Econ-Girl that groups accused of conspiring wouldn't cooperate with each other to get off the Titanic, much less to cooperate to more nefarious and complicated ends.

And that's not even including the whole "keep your mouth shut afterwards" which would NEVER happen, even if both sets of people were operating with brain tumors to the extent they cooperated at all.

Aboriginal Glories

While the treatment of aboriginal peoples has been awful, their behavior hasn't been too hot, either. WARNING: this is extremely politically incorrect.

The girl on display in Argentina, the one who was sacrificed 500 years ago in a volcano, is the source of much attention because of the preserved state of the body. But let's not forget she and two small children were murdered by their people.

Why should aboriginals get a pass on this when we're always hearing about Columbus? I'm sick of this noble savage myth.

And the Native Americans, as they like to call themselves, try to suppress information that white people were here in North America before they were. In the US, they forbade any examination of a body that was one of the oldest found in the US. It was Caucasian. Their reasoning was that because it was so old, it had to be Native American and therefore they had right to bury it and forbid examination.

Fortunately, another such remains was found in Mexico, and that body could be studied.

I have no sympathy for anyone who clings to "the old ways." If the old ways worked, we'd all be using them. If they don't, dump them. That's what makes America great. We use what works and we judge by results.

Click on the title to this post to see an article on the Inca girl on display.

Giuliani Does Not Understand Terrorism

Emergency preparedness, yes. Terrorism, no.

My opinion on his understanding of terrorism is based on a Time magazine article linked to the title of this post. He mocks the threat of North Korea because they never directly orchestrated an attack on U.S. soil. He apparently doesn't know that they sell weapons to people who do.

Guiliani thinks that the Iraq war reduces the terror threat in the U.S. What? The increased resentment towards the U.S. brought on by that war is bringing more recruits. Guiliani complains about the Clinton Administration track record on terror. At least Bill Clinton tried to bomb Osama bin Laden, and at a time when he was under severe personal attack.

Besides, I have some serious doubts about the quality of his character. Imagine running a campaign on "commitments" to the American public when your marriage failed in part because of your infidelity. The man is blind to himself. And of course there is the appointment of Bernard Kerik, a man who used the deaths of brave men and women to get a cool love nest for his mistress.