Yes, but does ontegeny really capitulate phylogeny?

Boo Hiss

The United States Supreme Court, secure in its conservative majority, has dealt a major blow to both the environment and American citizen's rights, and I'm sorely disappointed.

At first (and second) glance, it looks like freedom of speech is guaranteed, IF you're a corporation. If you're a citizen it can be limited. The ramifications of these rulings will manifest themselves most dramatically during the upcoming elections, as the court has lifted a ban on corporations running ads for political candidates. This effectively means that any chance of health care reform has just gone out the window as the big pharmaceutical companies are going to mount smear campaigns against any candidate that will threaten their profits. Remember this in ten years when you can't afford to take your sick mother or wife to the emergency room.

Chalk one up for United States President George Walker Bush -- his appointees to the high court have just ensured that Mr. Bush and Vice President Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney will get richer at the expense of every single citizen of the United States. Both men are heavily invested in the oil industry, you see, and the oil companies will run a zillion commercials on TV and radio against any candidate that wants to see the American economy switch from it's dependence on foreign oil to any other energy source. Never mind that both our economy and our environment demand we find alternate sources of energy -- what's important is that the oil executives and shareholders get more money.

So, the next year and a half, you can thank President Bush and his conservative appointees to the Supreme Court every time your program gets interrupted by an ugly commercial.

To add insult to injury, how's this little bit of speculation: Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney and their families may not even live in the United States after their terms are up. Mr. Cheney may very well go back to work for Haliburton, which is no longer a U.S. corporation as they've moved to Dubai, an Arab country. Mr. Bush's family has been quietly been buying land (and a ranch, I guess) in South America -- in a nation that has no extradition treaty with the United States. Both these men seem to be making long-range plans to take the money and run... Our money.


On a personal note...

Things have been very busy lately. There have been tons of things going on with the American Legion Riders (including a Patriot Guard mission last week) that have kept me busy. We're even gonna start a band... We've had one jam session already, and no one got hurt -- at least not badly -- so we're going to try it again soon. I've been working on the ALR website (moving it from one URL to another the hard way) and another site for a benefit we're putting on later this summer. I haven't had nearly enough time on either the bike or the bicycle yet this year; I feel the summer slipping away. Too many hours spent working, not enough money to pay the bills, stress. I'm under stressure.

I'm happy to do volunteer work. I just wish I could get the occasional paying job so I could get caught up a little...


My Favorite Drew Carey Line

"I have this great recipe for homemade meatloaf. You get two Big Macs and a blender..."


My Favorite Wife

If you haven't seen Dagmar lately - she's lookin' good! There must be something to this "diet and exercise" thing... I'm so proud of her I could cry. She's been working hard, and it shows.