There's Rust, Or Is It Corruption?

I'm a middle-aged white guy. And over the years I've collected my share of dings and nicks. Somewhere along the way I have grown used to the idea that I am neither perfect, nor do I expect perfection in others. (The perfect Zen state!)

What I do see is a difference in the character, or nature, of men. Wanna talk about your divorce? I really don't wanna talk about mine.

Point is, after a lifetime, somethings show up as rust. Other things show up as corruption.

I have a dog in the hunt. I am leaning hard for Guiliani. Mayor of the most important city in the world. Cracked down on Mafia and the bangers. The man has a rep. Personally, he found love in all the right places and at all the right and wrong times. So, he had a girlfriend while he was mayor. And the city cops worried for her safety. Hmm. Terrorists took down buildings in what city? Danger? Mayor?

What were they thinking?

Anyway, there's been a push to create some kind of scandal over police concerns for the mayor's girlfiend. Like they should have assessed the danger to her as "okay". They didn't. City resources...money...was spent on her protection.

Left a mark. But I'm not looking for Caesar's Wife. I looking for a man who can guide the office of President of the United States of America. That's why the question of rust versus corruption comes up. And it comes up in an unusual way.

It seems a company in Oregon has been caught doing things it shouldn't have been doing. It doesn't look good for the Romney campaign. Upper Left Coast is all over the latest doin's with the perps good ole Oregon boys.

Interesting reading.

"Should Be Considered Dangerous", Hell, He Should Be Considered Stupid

Here's a guy who has less than a month? And he walks away from a work crew.

The press release from the Oregon Department of Corrections is a humorous panoply of contradictions.

In the jug for "unauthorized use of a motor vehicle", this jughead was due to be released in February. And after we're told that "Only minimum custody inmates within three years of release are eligible to join outside work crews", this tidbit:

"As with all fugitives, Nyberg should be considered dangerous and not be approached."

Look at this guy. Stole a car, sentenced in June of '07, due out next month. And he decided he was due some unscheduled R & R.

"He was last seen taking the trash out at 1:30 p.m."

"The crew was performing various clean-up duties at the Oregon Food Bank at 7900 NE 33rd, about a mile from the prison." Probably part of the Governor's push, huh?

Parade? or Pravda?

I've always enjoyed reading. I haven't always enjoyed writing, but the job of the last 30 years is pretty dependent upon my ability to write well and to express the ideas I write about well.

Having pulled my share of stints in the Newsroom means that I have been exposed to what are called Journalistic Ethics. As head of a broadcasting company I have had to deal with questions posed by my news directors. Typically, I'd only get the call when really important issues were to be broadcast. The set of questions I had were basically, was it true? and how do we know it's true?

Unfortunately, truth is no longer a criterion for publishing these days. As I have noted in earlier posts, I gave up on our state's statewide newspaper more than a decade ago. If I need opinion in the place of facts I have a neighborhood bar. There, everyone has an opinion.

Sunday mornings meant two things for me as a child. Comics and Parade Magazine. I loved looking at Page Two of Parade. Lots of interesting facts and funny anecdotes. Similiarly, I would peruse Readers' Digest for the funny anecdotes that made that publication famous...to little boys. I know it was all about their condensed versions of current novels. That's another story.

But it looks like Parade Magazine has slipped the surely bonds of facts with its report on "The Dirty Side of Domestic Fuel". (December 30, 2007)

And one man, Colorado State Senator Bill Cadman wants a do-over.

Among the contentious libels of the energy industry:

“Loopholes make such wells … exempt from parts of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Air Act that would control these substances.”

“Extracting oil and gas is known to release toxic chemicals, including mercury, benzene, arsenic, and harmful chemicals are routinely injected underground to boost output.”

“Well operators are not required to file an annual toxic release inventory, a list of chemicals emitted.”

The facts are, the Parade article is simply wrong. And thankfully, Senator Cadman has the will to see that Parade set things right.

It's all too rare that someone takes the time to upset the apple cart of Mother Gaia fans. But this is well worth it.

Where to these people think energy comes from, anyway? (And don't tell them about how we get hamburgers.)

If Clinton Is Inevitable, Why Don't Democrats Want Her?

Just got this from Zogby.

My question is, when 26% of Democrats want Obama, and 25% want Edwards, and the rest of the pack garners 12%, at what point do people realize that Senator Clinton's 30% won't cut it?

I Don't Have Time

There is so much going on in Oregon right now. And I'm still having to deal with the effects of the Advent Storm. Sustained winds over 130 miles per hour have that effect. Fixing, repairing, cleaning. Plus, trying to make up for lost revenue and new expenses. And getting #2 son ready for his first audition at Michigan in two weeks. Kansas and Indiana in the three weeks after. Business, family, work, blah, blah, blah.

This week the lunacy impacts home in the form of the Governor's plan to force ethanol on Oregonians. I wrote last year about this crazy plan, but remember a comment that told me I was being extreme, or an alarmist. That the plan wouldn't kick in until sometime in the future. Well, Campers, the future is here.

"By Jan. 15, the blended fuel will become mandatory in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Yamhill, Polk and Marion counties. Portland has its own requirement for ethanol-blended fuel already in place."

There are approximately 35-thousand people who live in this county. This county is roughly the size of Rhode Island. But the Governor feels we need to pay the price for Man Made Global Warming.

So, the price of fuel for my car is going to go up. The mileage I get will go down. And there's no guarantee that my car will run as well as it does now on this new, less desirable fuel. And I have no choice.

The effects of the storm I can deal with. The effects of an insane Governor and his cronies in the state legislature I cannot. Oh, and the state is out to close down the Boardman power plant. It burns coal. And is one of the largest single sources of emissions in the state. Remember, if one power plant is the worst emitter of polution in the entire state, we really don't have anything to worry about.

Or, we won't, once the plant is shut down. No plans at present at how to replace the lost energy. Lots of talk about renewable and wind/tide. Nothing that will put watts on the grid, however.

Happy New Year! Our government is crazy. Wish us luck.