I’m sorry to tell them this, but no, I at least, will not be saved by Zero!

As an unemployed middle aged male with no car, huge debt, and no relief in sight, I cannot be saved, no matter how powerful Zero is.

So how about this…Car loans for the unemployed! That’s right, jump start the economy by giving the unemployed with no car, a car to drive, so they can buy gas!

As a matter of fact, put me to work, doing the paperwork for all the unemployed people securing new cars! I could do that.

Then there is the question of how the unemployed pay for their car. Glad you asked. The unemployed could get bonuses by signing up unemployed people to get cars. This is how they pay off the car, is by referrals. Makes sense, right? So the more unemployed people you have driving, the more gas you sell, therefore jump starting the economy.

So for Zero to save me, there would have to be not only zero interest and finance charges, but Zero percent chance I would ever pay off the car.

By the way, I will not be saved by the Phenomenal Four from Mitsubishi either.

As is always the case, there are many people who are elated with the results and many who are terribly disappointed. The fact of the matter is that there were a lot of voters who didn't feel comfortable with either of the Presidential candidates, or many of the other men and women who ran for any office this year. Invariably there are voters who simply feel they are voting for the "lesser of two evils."

Perhaps there is a bit of truth to that feeling. It is indeed quite possible that there are many very qualified people who choose not to run because they don't want to face the media scrutiny, the endless questions that really seem to have little to do with a person's qualifications to be a Senator or Governor or President or whatever.

Take the case of a man who probably would have been the perfect candidate for the Presidency. A very beloved humanitarian who truly believes in giving to rich and poor alike. A man who has traveled to the far corners of the world and is always greeted with open arms. In fact, his arrival has caused warring nations to lay down their arms out of respect for him.

I am speaking of Santa Claus, who just happens to be a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, even though he has numerous excellent qualifications, he didn't even consider running for the Presidency. His reasons for staying on the sideline are rather simple. Santa didn't want to deal with those relentless members of the media who evidently see their job as making the news rather than reporting the news. Such reporters enjoy creating controversy far more than simply reporting what a candidate has to say on a given issue.

I must say I perfectly understand Santa's position. Just imagine what a press conference would be like if he had been a candidate…

Santa: "Ho! Ho! Ho! Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's great to see all of you again. As usual, I have a very busy schedule, so let's get right to your questions."

1st Reporter: "It's been reported that you are making a list, checking it twice, trying to find out who is naughty or nice. Santa, are you spying on people? Are you violating their right to privacy? What do you plan to do with this list?"

Santa: "Well, yes, I do have a list, but it's necessary to do my job. It's all perfectly harmless. I don't spy on anyone. The information I use to compile my list is given to me voluntarily. People write me letters telling me the things I need to know."

1sr Reporter: "Yeh, sure, whatever. Are you going to make this list public?"

Santa: "Ho! Ho! Ho! Oh no, I can't do that. I am given the information in strict confidence. It is not for public consumption."

1st Reporter: "Are you going to tell us your sources? If not, what are you hiding?"

Santa: "Ho! Ho! Ho! I'm not hiding anything. What are you hiding when you print information that is attributed to "unnamed sources?""

1st Reporter: "We ask the questions here! You just answer the questions."

2nd Reporter: "Santa, if I might change the subject. I want to ask you about the happiness issue."

Santa: " "The happiness issue?" What are you talking about? I don't understand what you mean.""

2nd Reporter: "You know what I mean, Santa. I'm talking about all of your "ho, ho, ho" stuff. It seems rather strange that a guy who works as long and as hard as you do could always go around being so happy. You are too jolly, Santa. That just isn't natural."

Santa: "I still don't think I get your point."

2nd Reporter: "Okay, Santa, I'll spell it out. Do you use drugs?"

Santa: "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where do you people get these questions?"

2nd Reporter: "Quit stalling. Just answer the question."

Santa: "No, I do not use drugs, although I must admit I've had opportunities. You'd be surprised at the stuff people leave for me by the chimney. It's not always cookies and milk."

2nd Reporter: "So we are to believe that you have access to all of these drugs and yet you always look the other way. Santa, the point is that you visit many, many houses where drugs are available."

Santa: "But I said that…"

3rd Reporter: "We know what you said and we'll determine what you mean. But now I want to ask you about your relationship with the big toy manufacturers. Aren't you a tool for these toy companies?"

Santa: "That is not true. Everyone knows my elves make all of the toys I deliver."

4th Reporter: "Speaking of elves, it's been reported that most of your elves do not have their green cards."

Santa: "Who reported that?"

4th Reporter: "I'm going to report it as soon as I leave this news conference. Is it true or not?"

Santa: "All of the elves are legal, but there are many trolls who are illegal immigrants, but I do not employ any trolls."

5th Reporter: "Isn't it true that you don't employ trolls because they refuse to work in the sweatshop you run? Santa, are you in violation of labor laws?"

Santa: "Wherever did you get that information?"

5th Reporter: "I just thought of it. Is it true or not?"

Santa: "That is absurd. Look, this conference has to end. Mrs. Claus and I…"

6th Reporter: "Are you two still together?"

Santa: "Excuse me? What are you talking about? Is this information you just thought of at this very moment?"

6th Reporter: "Come on, Santa, we all know you stopped at Madonna's house last year."

Santa: "I stop at a lot of houses."

6th Reporter: "Sure, but my sources report you stayed at her house longer than your usual stops. Come on, Santa, are you and Madonna having an affair?"

Santa: "Ho! Ho! Ho! I'm flattered by the insinuation of your question. At my age, it's truly a compliment for you to imply I had a fling with Madonna, although I'm sure it won't do much for her reputation. I'd like to take more questions, but I have to leave."

6th Reporter: "Wait a minute, Santa, you didn't answer my question."

Santa: "I know."

There you go. It's no wonder some of the best and the brightest remain on the sidelines. It doesn't take much of a skeleton in the closet to discourage people from throwing their hat into the ring. Hopefully our new President will do an excellent job. If not, the good news is that it only four years until we elect a new one. The bad news is that the campaign for 2012 starts in a month or two!

Those were John McCain's first words on hearing of the death of Barack Obama's beloved Grandmother.

"He's been helped by the media, his campaign supported by dangerous contributors of small dollar amounts, given a pass on having been the mastermind of terrorist plots since he was eight years old, and now this! His grandmother dies the day before the election, AND THEY ANNOUNCE IT PUBLICLY!! Where is the outrage at such scurrilous political dirty tricks? How can I possibly compete with such lowdown, unAmerican grandstanding when MY grandmother didn't have the damn consideration to stick around long enough to do such a thing for me?"

Mr. McCain's campaign legal team is drawing up the paperwork for a challenge to this entire election, based on the accusation that the announcement of Obama's grandmother's death should have been delayed by at least 48 hours in order not to interfere with this most important of elections. An unnamed insider told this reporter that the candidate would demand that the Supreme Court intervene, and order the current President to declare Martial Law until such time as the electorate is ready to make the "right decision."

From a remote and undisclosed location, Vice President Dick Cheney called this reporter to suggest we investigate whether this death was by natural causes, or if Mr. Obama may have actually contracted for this well-timed death.

"It's what I would have done in his position" the Vice President said.

Well, I bet you didn't know this:

When Brown first joined politics, he and Blair actually shared an office.

Brown is the longest serving chancellor in 200 years.

Brown's first child with his wife Sarah died 10 days after a premature birth in 2001. They have had two children since, but the second has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Brown has one blind eye due to a sporting accident as a teenager.

He only wore red ties to symbolise his socialist Labour background. That was until his wife Sarah persuaded him to branch-out into pastel colours.

Brown has used three word alliterative phrases 479 times in Parliament debates (which is well above average amongst MPs).

Charles Clarke accused Gordon Brown of being a "control freak", "deluded" and of having "psychological" problems.

Brown's exceptional intelligence meant that he entered the University of Edinburgh early, at just sixteen-years-old. He later graduated with a first class degree in history.

He has written several books including The Politics of Nationalism and Devolution (1980 with H.M. Drucker), Maxton (1986), Where There Is Greed (1989), and John Smith (1994; with James Naughtie).

Gordon Brown's wife Sarah feels strongly about mothers dying giving birth. She says: "There is no excuse for letting mums die as they give birth...it works out as one death every minute"

"No, that's okay," he said, "I'll just go inside the store and get one."

I knew he wouldn't be able to do that. "'I'm afraid they don't sell this newspaper inside. Here, take this one. I'll go buy another paper. They're all about the same."

He rebuffed my offer. "No, you keep the paper. It really doesn't make any difference to me either. I'll probably be mentioned in any newspaper anyway."

My curiosity was suddenly piqued by this strange response. "What if there aren't any newspapers left inside?" My question was asked in an attempt to buy time while I quickly tried to think of a way to discover the identity of this now intriguing stranger.

"I really don't need a newspaper," he said. "I'll just get some coffee at the lunch counter and listen to what people are saying about me."

My piqued curiosity was now peaking. I gazed intently at the man, trying so very hard to place his face. Obviously he had to be someone important, or at the very least, famous. I didn't know anyone from either category. My first thought was to ask him if he was SOMEBODY, but I realized that question would be a bit tacky. I opted for a more subtle approach, one which would continue my buying-more-time ploy.

"Well, I've got a few minutes," I said. "Let's both go get some coffee and we can share the paper. You can have whatever section you think you will be mentioned in and I'll just read another one." "Oh, I imagine there is something about me in all of the sections.'

Now my curiosity was being pushed to the limit. I had to know this guy's identity. Why would so many people be talking and writing about him? Was he an actor who I just didn't recognize because he was disguised as the nondescript little man wearing thick glasses who now stood before me? Maybe he was a powerful politician who I didn't recognize because he preferred working behind the scenes instead of appearing on Sunday morning talk shows? Perhaps he was a former guest on one of those afternoon programs that feature ex-lovers, potential lovers, or multiple lovers, all of whom are related in some way. Anyway, I decided to ditch the subtle approach.

"Excuse me. I'm rather embarrassed to ask this question, and I don't mean to be nosy, but should I know you? What is your name?"

He just smiled. "I don't exactly have a name."

That clearly was not a satisfactory answer. It just added to the mystery and my frustration. I wasn't sure if he was being evasive, or whether he was being a wise guy because he felt I was prying, which I was. In either case, I wasn't about to let it drop now. My curiosity was turning to annoyance.

"No name, huh? Well, I guess you don't have any problem with junk mail." I was making a weak attempt at humor to keep myself from grabbing this guy by his neck and choking him until he told me who in the hell he was! He just smiled again. I didn't want smiles, I wanted a name. I decided to become bolder in my questioning, but grabbing him by his neck was still a viable option.

"What is on your paychecks, since you don't have a name?"

'Paychecks? Oh, I don't work. Well, I suppose that's not exactly true. I do have a job of sorts, but I don't get paid."

"Yeah, well maybe you don't get paid because no one knows who you are! Why would you work at a job that doesn't pay anyway? You rich?" "No, I'm not rich. The fact of the matter is that I don't get paid because what I do is really quite easy. You see, my job is simply to go around saying things."

I suspected he could tell by the expression on my face that I was terribly confused by his answer. In fact, I was dumbfounded.

He confirmed my suspicion. "I can tell by the expression on your face that you are terribly confused, perhaps even dumbfounded. Actually, everyone reacts that way. Maybe I should clear things up by introducing myself. I am one of "they.""

That bit of information did nothing to clear up anything. I had wanted an introduction a long time ago, but now that I had it, it made absolutely no sense. I eyed his neck and took one step closer. " "They," huh? Well, I'm sorry, but I still don't understand."

He seemed a bit hurt by my lack of understanding. And for one brief moment, as I stared at this little man who now had a sad expression on his face, I felt a bit guilty about wanting to get physical with him. I stepped back, willing to hear more explanation, but I still kept his neck within my line of sight.

He gave me a quizzical look as he continued. "Surely you've heard of "they"? Think about it. Haven't you heard someone comment as to how "they" said this, or "they" said that'? Well, I'm one of the "they.""

Well, you could have knocked me over with a helium balloon.. At last, he was actually beginning to make some sense. "Wait a minute, let me get this straight. Yesterday some guy told me "they" say if you rub garlic on your head, hair will grow. And last week someone told me that "they" say the economy will rebound soon. That's rather good news. Anyway, are you telling me you are one of the people who go around saying those things?”

"Exactly. In fact, I'm the one who made that comment about the economy."

"You know about economics, do you?"

"Oh, heck no. I can't even balance my checkbook. But that' s the beauty about being one of "they". I can say anything I want, despite what I may or may not know about the subject in question. Knowledge isn't important. My job is simply to give the media something to use for their stories and people gathered around the water cooler at work something to talk about. Shucks, because of me, folks can argue, discuss, debate, or whatever, without being burdened by facts. Instead, people can just attribute their information to some unknown source. It keeps a free flow of discussion going, which really is quite essential to our democracy. It's a tremendous responsibility, you know."

I was stunned, but somewhat satisfied. "Well I'll be a son-of-a-gun. I've always wondered who "they" were. It's truly an honor to meet you. Are there a lot of other "they" out there, or do you have to do it all?"

"Actually, there are legions of us at several different levels. I'm at a lower level right now, but I certainly aspire to move up to the top some day."

My puzzlement was starting to return. "Different levels? Move up?"

"Well, at present I am just one of "they." There's not much prestige with simply being one of "they." Ah, but someday I plan on being an "unnamed source," or "someone unauthorized to speak on this subject." If I work hard, I might even be able to become "a senior administration official." These labels would allow me to make statements that would be quoted in the NewYork Times or The Washington Post , instead of The Star or The Enquirer . I can dare to dream."

It was truly an amazing encounter, but it had to come to an end. We both had some place to go, so we parted company. I headed off to work and he went inside the drugstore, no doubt to spread more information. In fact, when I was leaving, I heard him tell someone as they walked inside together, "Hey, did you know that they say a person's IQ is determined by how much asparagus they eat during the first week after their second birthday?"

I smiled and rushed off to work. I couldn't wait to tell everyone what "they" say about the connection between asparagus and intelligence.

Politics bore me. Hours of men in suits on a stage rambling about the state of the nation and whatnot. What interests me is the reaction of the people to current political issues.

Thankfully, as we near the end of the first decade of the new millennium; people have learned to view politicians and their ramblings with a certain amount of humor.

One politician in particular has been ridiculed by the public, not only in his home country, America, but across the world.

George W. Bush was sworn in as the American president on January 20, 2001. At noon of the 21 January 2009, Bush will be stepping down as president of the USA. His replacement has yet to be determined.

How will the world remember George W. Bush? Did his time in office result in a positive impact on the American economy, on the lives of the American people?

Let's take a look at some photos from protest marches, in the US and around the world, to determine the public opinion of Bush.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…” And Bush will leave them hungry and dying in the gulf coast states.

The famous phrase, engraved on the Statue of Liberty, is from Emma Lazarus's poem "The Colossus", written in 1883. These words greeted early immigrants, welcoming them to the Americas, promising hope, freedom and comfort. The wearer of this shirt obviously feels that George Bush does not live by these words.

The only Bush I trust is my own

“It'll be like "Blam Blam! Pow pow! Blam blam! YaBoooosh! AAAARRRGGHHH! You got me!" ”

This poster depicts Bush playing with children's soldier figurines; expressing that the president didn't fully think through the current war in the East, and that his decisions regarding the war may have been childish, immature and rash.

Empty warhead found in White House

Will somebody please give Bush a blowjob so we can impeach him!

This protest poster uses a former president's infidelity to create a tongue-in-cheek opinion of the current president. Bill Clinton was impeached after having sexual relations with his secretary. Perhaps this woman feels the only way she'd see the back of Bush is if he were to follow suit.

Weapons of mass dysfunction

End Bush

Possibly a statement that many politicians will not understand, this sign cleverly uses HTML code to express the opinion that Bush's term in office must end.

I pee on bushes

Even dogs have a political opinion.

Stupidity Tax

I will vote for a candidate who proposes a tax on stupidity. This will reverse the national debt and allow blowhards of all ilks to put their money where their loud obnoxious mouths are. The grocery store that employs baggers that put the 10 pound bag of potatoes on top of the eggs would have to pay a stupidity tax.

Insurance Reform

I live in Florida. Insurance companies are very happy to drain my wallet and insure my home providing no one in the state of Florida ever files a claim. If anyone in the state of Florida does file a claim because of hurricane, they get very annoyed, terminate my policy and withdraw from the state. By the way, home insurance only covers damage due to wind. You need flood insurance to cover any damage done by water. This presumably is because not all hurricanes are wet. Insurance companies would be subject to the stupidity tax.

Pharmaceutical Company Advertising Reform

Pharmaceutical companies spend more on advertising than on research. I will vote for the candidate that promises to restrict drug advertising to press releases when the drug is put on the market. Further mention should be restricted to recalls or adverse reactions. Take all the money saved on advertising and reduce the prices of prescription meds. The only advertising that would be allowed would be public service announcements to raise awareness of a disease or condition. For example, osteoporosis is a serious condition. If you are a post-menopausal woman, talk to your doctor about a bone density test and treatment options. The company name and logo will be allowed to be displayed, but not the name of the drug. Who are you to be telling your doctor about a drug anyway? Who do you think knows more about it? If your doctor isn't aware of drug treatment options without your interference, you belong to a really bad HMO.

Campaign Reform

Television campaign ads cost megabucks and most of them make the Jerry Springer Show seem like a sermon. Candidates have to raise incredible amounts of money to mount a campaign for national office. How about only televising debates and town hall meetings? That's news. I'll vote for the candidate who proposes to use the money in the campaign war chest to reduce the national debt, fix the infrastructure and education of our kids.

Lobbyist Reform

Promise to feed all lobbyists to sharks or use them as subjects for medical experiments and you'll have my vote. Lobbying is just bribery and graft. It is institutionalized and sophisticated, but it is still bribery and graft. Perhaps the lobbyists who don't want to become shark chow can go to Iraq or some other garden spot and become hostages. Lobbyists who become hostages in foreign countries will not be allowed to return. Lobbyists should not be allowed to breed.

Food Additive/Food Labeling Reform

I'll vote for the candidate who proposes plain English on food labels. You shouldn't have to be a chemist to understand food labels. If the product has eggs in it, the label should say "Contains eggs". If the product contains sugar, it should say "Contains sugar". Currently, a product labeled as sugarless can contain high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, maltodextrin, and sucrose. FYI, your body thinks they are all sugar and will happily make fat out of them. There is zinc oxide in my breakfast cereal. That's what's in sun block. Is sunburn a big problem for breakfast cereal? Most of the stuff on food labels are unpronounceable and incomprehensible. What is disodium guanylate and why is it in my chicken soup? Will it give me cancer? Will it make me obese? Will it make me itch? Is that what gives it home-cooked flavor? Grandma made chicken soup and I don't remember her reaching for the sodium guanylate.

Credit Card Interest Rates

You'll earn my vote if you can explain why the usury laws don't apply to credit card companies. How come a credit card company can state in microscopic print that it can, at any time, for any reason, change your rate from outrageous to astronomical. The Mafia has better terms.

Petroleum Company Profits/Pricing

To get my vote, propose that oil companies take their obscene profits and either put the money into renewable energy or reduce prices. Alternatively, they could put money into researching renewable energy AND reduce prices.

CEO Salaries

I don't understand why the CEO of a company should earn three hundred times what the people who actually do the work earn. Currently, a CEO can run a company into bankruptcy and walk away with golden parachutes worth more than the GDP of some countries. If any of the rank and file did their job as poorly, they'd be fired. I'll vote for the candidate who proposes to fire the CEOs who are driving companies into the ground and give them a parachute of dog poo. Better yet, pay them on a commission-only basis.

Health Care

My congressperson has comprehensive health care. Doesn't he/she work for me? Don't I pay his/her salary? How come I don't have the same benefits? What kind of employer offers their employees health care and doesn't have it themselves? Either come up with something viable effective immediately or I'll send my medical and dental bills to my elected representative.

That's what I'd like to hear on the campaign trail—a lot less about whether pit bulls or pigs wear lipstick more about what's important to me. I'm listening.

Good grief, the mud slinging is just horrendous in these campaigns!

I chuckle sometimes (and other times cringe) at my friends who are very enthusiastic about their political convictions and candidates.

One friend is so Republican that she would vote for ANYONE who runs on that ticket. I admire her convictions and beliefs that the Republican party is the only party for conservative Christians. She constantly sends me email chains that are “Pro-McCain” or “Anti-Obama”. You have probably seen a few of them - but honestly I don't know where all of these things come from.

Anyway, one of particular extreme radicalism talked about Obama saying he couldn't wait to campaign in “57 states” and then pointed out that there are 57 Muslim states. Therefore, because of that slip of the tongue, every American should vote for McCain. (I gently reminded my friend that we all call our children by the wrong name several times a day…)

My other friend is very much for Obama. But, I think that her support is mainly because the local campaign office has welcomed her and put her in charge of several projects. She is more of a “gentle” campaigner though. She will mention the campaign in passing while staring intently at me, searching for some sign of non-verbal support for what she's doing.

When it comes right down to it, I don't like either candidate. I didn't like any of the candidates who were involved in the primaries. I have seen first hand how corporate giants use the lobbying system to squash the safety and well-being of the average American. Money makes the political world go "round. Then - you factor in how poorly Congress works together and with the President - I"m not sure it really matters who the candidate is.

I received my sample ballot in the mail today - my eye immediately went to the “Write In” option.

Ok, you fucked everything up for everyone. Here’s $700 billion.

Makes me want to go out & fuck something up.

Could we at least force them to put away their luxury SUV’s & drive used Pintos or force them to marry their mistresses or something ??

Anyhow, eventually the Politicos will approve some kind of package. Which will be like placing a band aid on a gun shot wound. That wound being greed itself which is 100% legal under Capitalism & has been bleeding the souls of the little people since the dawn of this experiment we call America. The only problem with that band aid we call a bailout package is that it isn’t going to fix anything.

Here’s why :

The financial crisis we are in was predicted a long time ago. By a bunch of smart guys no one listens to bcuz for one, they’re smarter than everyone else & no one likes a know-it-all & two, no one liked what they had to say. Who wants to hear that the party is over ??

These very men whose job it is to compile & analyze the data have been saying for years that America was doomed for failure, a disaster waiting to happen. That’s bcuz this country was predicated upon a lie. That lie was that there would always be an unlimited supply of cheap oil.

Back in the 40’s & 50’s when Americans left the cities to move into the suburbs & railroads were destroyed by the car manufacturers in favor of 3 lane highways (which we somehow ended up paying for as taxpayers - thanks GM !) a disastrous chain of events was set in place that we are finally seeing play out on the national stage.

You see when America moved out into the suburbs they gave away their only shot at a sustainable way of life & a future for their children. The energy required to sustain a country at that level of waste & foolhardiness where we were commuting 20 -50 miles each way to get to work was simply beyond the means of the world’s supply of oil & the planet in general.

If we had worked harder on improving living conditions for ourselves in the city when we wanted to move to the suburbs to get away from it all ( & there were capitalist wolves only too happy to oblige us) we could have averted this disaster or at least postponed it long enough to find a solution. But as it is we are coming off of oil hard & fast & the withdrawals as we can see, aren’t going to be pretty.

For one, there’ll be soaring food costs & the leisure & entertainment sector of the economy taking a nose dive on par with Tom Cruise’s career trajectory bcuz people aren’t going to be spending their dead presidents on extras as they won’t have any extra cuz it will all be going into the gas tank & to the power bill. No more dinner & a movie & certainly no more vacations (bye bye Las Vegas).

Even if we switch over to Solar & Wind power immediately (which isn’t going to happen) we still don’t have the capacity to power all the cars & all the homes we have built at their present level of consumption not to mention all the homes we are set to build due to our growing population & their power & transportation needs.

The housing mortgage crisis in case you were wondering is just a distraction to draw attention away from the real cause of this mess & that is: Illegal Immigrants. ( Oops, sorry .. I‘ve gotta stop watching Lou Dobbs. ) No the real cause is our reliance on oil & our unsustainable way of living. It had to end sometime & that time is .. well, 15 minutes ago.

Even if the entire state of Kansas decides to take one for the team & move to Bulgaria where they got like 15 camels for every camel & we throw in Rhode Island for good measure houses in suburbia will still end up sitting cold, dark & vacant. And our landfills will still contain more than a few SUV’s. Yet no one seems to want to be the one to say that the American way of life is an unsustainable one & that Americans need to move back into the cities, stop driving small-apartments-on-wheels & simply stop consuming all this useless stuff.

A man by the name of Dr. M. King Hubbard predicted that U.S. oil would peak in the 70’s & it did. Of course he was a laughing stock until then even though he was the preeminent expert in his field when he made the prediction in 1956. Well, he also predicted Global oil would peak in the 1990’s. The gas crisis which drove up prices & drove down demand in the 1970’s may have delayed that imminent reality but look, here we are.

It is obvious that if we had remained on the train & in the city & not converted to the ultra inefficient automobile & moved to the ‘Burbs that we’d be facing an entirely different scenario. A passenger train uses far less fuel per passenger, requires far fewer government subsidies, causes fewer deaths & also pollutes less than a comparable amount of automobiles. And moving someone 5-10 miles instead of 20-50 would’ve also helped.

Based on these numbers if we hadn’t adopted the automobile in the first place we wouldn’t be facing this crisis.

Which may end up saving us in the end.

One of the most overlooked upsides to this energy crisis is it is forcing us to rethink our way of life & that is having a positive effect. Pollution, obesity, accident fatalities & healthcare costs are all down since we are all driving less. Not to mention our being forced to walk, carpool & use more mass transit will only increase our familiarity with our neighbors & thereby increase our sense of community which is what we’ll need to find solutions for the coming crisis.

Ordinary Americans are going to have to take matters into their own hands & learn to rely on one another whether that means combining households/incomes once blackouts increase or establishing a community task force to find sustainable ways to supply electricity to their homes once we go completely off-grid or simply pitching in to start their own community bus system to get around.

Gone are the days of peering over our neatly manicured hedges or over the steering wheels of our SUV’s to gaze upon neighbors we call strangers. This energy crisis is going to force us to get to know one another. To meet as equals who are no longer divided along tax brackets & levels of affluence. But who are going to need each other if we are going to survive & even thrive in this the New America.

This is the End of the World as we know it. Goodbye 4-lane highways & suburban sprawl. Goodbye pollution, separatism & isolation.

Hello brand new world.