Without You

2008-12-08 - 12:06 p.m.

Found out Saturday that there was a game night on Sunday. It was to be the Christmas gift exchange, and the group photo day - both of which I missed, because I had to work. I did get to play some new games, including Dominion. Dominion didn't "grab" me like other games have - I'd play it again, but it didn't excite me like other games have.

I also played the Norway board of Ticket To Ride, the card game version, and finished up with Alhambra. Fun was had.

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This morning, I woke to what felt like an earthquake. Not much, just a mild roll. But Solange, who was on the bed with me, didn't move. And there was a mild (2.8) quake in central California, so I'm not sure that was it. Could've been a sleep-illusion.

Then when I woke up for good, I heard today's title being blared over a neighborhood radio - in Spanish.

Now THAT'S an eye-opener.

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The EPA has put forth a proposal that livestock farms should pay a fee for air pollution, since cows and hogs fart a lot.

If this happens, the law of unintended consequences will rear its ugly head again. Remember what happened when ethanol production was ramped up? ALL food prices went up, including meat - because feed corn became rarer and therefore more expensive, making it more expensive to feed the animals that became the meat. So what's going to happen when it this "fee" (estimated at $35-40k/yr for a "modest-sized cattle ranch") makes it too expensive to run the farm? Right - prices will go up, because the costs will either be passed along to the consumer, or we'll have to rely on more imported beef.

Gee...it's almost kinda like oil, ain't it?

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It looks like the Big 3 automakers will get a bailout. Not the $25 billion they wanted (which grew to $34 billion along the way), but something more modest - up to $17 billion.

Ah, but this money comes from Congress, so there are loads of strings attached...like building those "green" cars that the Democratic Congress wants built.

As the article notes:

This is not a bailout that Congress is debating. It is a federal takeover. We don't mean that in the sense that the feds will own the companies on paper, although that can't be ruled out. What Congress wants to own is their business plan, and Detroit seems prepared to oblige.

IMHO, this is a bad idea. And it seems that most of America agrees - but Congress, as usual, knows best.

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Lots to do before work, as usual.

Be seeing you.

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