Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Ramblings

I leave in a week for Asia, for a month. I love the way that that sounds. The only downside is that Kevin doesn't get to go too. I am starting to panic a little though. Not about the actual trip, but about all of the sh*t I have to get done before I go. Prescriptions to fill, medication to buy, clothes to wash, packing, work to finish, papers to write, ugh!

My plan is to post to this blog while I am in Asia. Hopefully the Chinese Internet Police will let me get to it. I am really looking forward to seeing China from the inside. Granted, I know I will still be seeing it with the "consciously incompetent" eyes of an American. I think I may even giggle a little the first time I get an email sensored...will that even really happen?

Ok...on to more important things....

So, our ever capable president has decided to focus his efforts on weening our country off of foreign fossil fuels....This should be productive. I love the latest bumble of our administration. Check out this article....http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2006/02/21/ap2542181.html

'"Sometimes, decisions made as the result of the appropriations process, the money may not end up where it was supposed to have gone," Bush said. '

This statement scares me on so many levels. 1st, the grammer alone. Read at again, out loud. Horrible. 2nd, Now, I am not saying this is a small matter, but if something regarding 5 million dollars is misappropriated for federal research facilities, how in the world can we expect to have a Health Care system that works, education that meets the needs of our children, a realistic expectation to the end US' ever increasing drive towards a hegemony, let alone something a necessary as a balanced budget.

Since I am on my soap box...
I am sure you have all read about the proposed take over of several US ports by a United Arab Emriates company. Granted the ports in question were previously managed by a London based firm. I guess my real issue is that this London based firm was sold to the UAE. So not only will our ports be managed by a foriegn firm, but by a State owned firm. Yes, the UAE's government will essentially be running our ports. Didn't our eveir-effective government ax the proposed sale of Unocal to a China state owned firm this summer? Of course the profitability and sustainability of our fuel companies has more issues than just Katrina and Rita. See the article below regarding competition between publicly owned oil companies in the US and state owned firms.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151AP_Ports_Security.html
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833937791&path=!business&s=1037645507703

Maybe this blog thing wasn't such a good idea.