I was driving into Eugene along the railroad yard and I saw them.  It was about the scariest sight I've seen in a long time.  Although I haven't seen the movie or read the book, it looked like a scence out of McCormack McCarthy's The Road.

There were about fifteen young… Read full post »

Sometimes watching world television is educational.  An example of this just came in through the mojo wire from Russia Today.  It's on livestation.com, and it was broadcasting from Moscow a diatribe being done by a Miami Cuban, with a brief commentary by the new breed of Miami Cuban, the on… Read full post »

 Matthew Simmons was an energy advisor to George W. Bush as well as  the National Petroleum Council and the Council on Foreign Relations.  He's gathered some quiet publicity lately through articles in Fortune and Barrons, as well as appearances on MSNBC with Dylan Ratigan. While he has… Read full post »

I know this is a radical solution (so it's totally impossible to actually do in the USA), but in an ideal world -- all drugs should be legalized regardless of how dangerous they are to the individual.

The qualifier to this is regulation and licensing.  Look, we're facing a revenue crisis… Read full post »

I am not a happy camper.  I think that part of my brain is missing, or at least I think that too many people have no brains and are lost in some kind of purple haze about their country these days.  I wonder WTF is happening to America.  I wonder why… Read full post »

Since I'm in Ecotopia now, it's safe for me to talk about Mexican politics.  Even under a pseudonym on OS, it might be dangerous for me to comment on yesterday's gubernatorial elections from Ejido Wonderful.

First, you need a basic education.  There are three major parties in Mexico; the PR… Read full post »

With the  4th of July recess, nobody's in town in Washington, DC, thus leading to this horrible news drought.  Nevertheless there are some interesting things lurking in the shadows that are not only newsworthy but significant.

Russian Spies

Everybody's been reporting what a bunch of bozos… Read full post »

One thing you can say about my car.  If you touch it, you'll get AIDS.  My 1985 Toyota Tercel is so  ugly and scruffy that illegal aliens drive better looking cars than me.  Of course, it's been the victim of six rear end collisions, five in LA and one in Tijuana… Read full post »

No matter how cynical you get, you just can't catch up.

Lily Tomlin

Not that there haven't been enough abortions going on in the debacle in the Gulf of Mexico, but I'll bet you didn't realize that our good corporate friend BP is deeply involved in our war effort in Afghanistan!… Read full post »

There's lots of hand wringing going on about the oil spill down in the Gulf of Mexico, and we know that nothing can be done to plug the well until relief wells are done in August , BUT...

It surprises me that there are a number of federal law and policy… Read full post »

I watched President Obama's speech last night, and I got more than my fair sample of people who didn't think he did a good job. In sampling the critics, these are what I feel are good reasons and bad reasons for giving the Prez the raspberries. In order of acceptability they… Read full post »

One of the areas where conventional wisdom is just damn wrong is in the shaggy dog story that any old average man with just plain old common sense can be a true representative of the people.  Your high school civics textbook will talk about the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and… Read full post »

The conventional wisdom is often wrong, and the election of Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas is a case where the underlying causes of the electoral results negate "the surprise victory" as reported in the New York Times and elsewhere.

A few days before the election, MoveOn reported that a widespread voter… Read full post »

In the Global War on Terror (otherwise affectionately known as GWOT), there have been some false assumptions as to how money laundering plays a role in Osama Bin Laden's operations.  We can guess that the 9/11 operations cost $50M, and we can see Bin Laden as some evil genius living in… Read full post »

It was 43 years ago today that 34 US servicemen were killed when Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats attacked the USS Liberty, a Navy intelligence-gathering ship off the coast of Egypt. (Israel later said the Liberty had been mistaken for an Egyptian vessel).  Right. It only had a giant Ameri… Read full post »

It was my first Sunday in Eugene, and I was mad after reading Frank Rich's column in the New York Times criticizing Obama because he wasn't taking charge of the oil spill, but I was going to #3 Son's house for a barbeque as a combination welcome back home and Memorial… Read full post »

LOS ANGELES

ON THE ROAD

Since we've been travelling, nothing can be congruent.  A journey is movement, and you pass by something, passing onto the next. This will all be disjointed.

MEXICO V. US

People who look at maps think that there's a border line between the US and Mexico.  They're… Read full post »

No, not forever.  This is just an annual ritual we do to alternate between Eugene and Ejido Wonderful.  This year was definitely below average for a whole number of reasons.  It was the latest I ever got down here for one thing, which meant that planting the garden  was way off… Read full post »

Last night I had a dream that I was put in charge of an American real estate development by Vladimir Putin.  You know, one of those subdivision tracts where the faucets are all made of solid gold.  Putin wanted to turn the Bolsa Chica National Wildlife Preserve into getaway homes for h… Read full post »

The last week has been filled with historic developments in the world economy, but it's easy to lose their significance when one is bombarded by the 100 ring circus of 21st Century capitalism.  When you're dealing with the world stock and bond markets, or the political machinations of Washington… Read full post »

Eisenhower was wary of seeing his beloved republic turn into a muscle-bound garrison state that was militarily strong but economically stagnant and strategically insolvent.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaking at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

 Everyone now remembers Eisenhower's farewel… Read full post »

The drive north to Mulege is truly one of God's gifts to humanity.  We pass by Burro Beach and Playa Sanispac in zigs and zags as if we're on a mountain road.  But instead of slaloming through snow, we're surrounded on one side by the desert hills filled with cacti, elephant trees,… Read full post »

PREDICTIONS

Expect the Greek financial crisis to continue to have legs.  The European contagion should spread into Spain next, with the other PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain) threatened with significantly higher interest rates due to fear and speculation.

Oddly enough, this will c… Read full post »

The saddest tales ever told are of the gringos who come down to Mexico, only to be taken to the cleaners.  This has been going on for almost 170 years.  Historically, the biggest gringos ever to hit the meatgrinder were the Emporer Maximillian and the Empress Carlotta. As the number two… Read full post »

Some times boys and girls, we need to roll up our shirt sleeves and talk about morality.  I know.  I can already hear the whining in the audience.  But in this Year of Our Lord, 2010 -- I think it's time we do so.

The headline already explains everything you need… Read full post »