Bring it on! Why higher prices at the pump are a good thing.

How can paying $2.91 for a gallon of gas be a good thing? Well, if it increases Americans' use of public transportation, stimulates interest in, and consequently fuels research for alternative fuels and modes of transportation, and lessens the middle east's grasp on our proverbial balls, all while helping to end pollution (and global warming?), that's how.

In a world of supply and demand, OPEC nations are only beginning to recognize our insatiable demand for fuel. They control the supply with the inelastic demand curve (is that right, econ people?). That is, regardless of the price, we will continue to buy oil.

For example, in Venezuela, gas at the pump on March 24 averaged only $0.12 per gallon. In Iran, it was $0.33. Here in the United States, we've lived for a long time under the illusion that we are NOT Iran's, Iraq's, Saudi Arabia's, and other OPEC nations', bitch. We kicked some ass in Bush War I and all was well. When I was 16, I paid $0.70 per gallon.

Only in Venezuela...


Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last week, "The global oil price has not reached its real value yet. The products derived from crude oil are sold at prices dozens of times higher than those charged by oil-producing countries." He went on to say later, "The increase of the oil price and growth of oil income is very good and we hope that the oil prices reach their real levels." That's reassuring - the head of the world's 4th largest crude exporter loves higher prices and hopes the trend remains the same.

With oil prices at record highs, and oil companies recording record profits, maybe this is the time we seriously consider alternatives and begin work to seriously develop alternative energy and transportation. The benefits are endless - national autonomy in a more real sense, pollution levels dropping in 1st world countries more quickly, allowing for the benefit of such technology to be passed along to developing and undeveloped countries before the situation gets even worse, and lower fuel costs in the long run for you and me.

Washington DC has experienced some of their heaviest public transit days in the past week. The same can be said across the country. Salt Lake City has shown a 50% increase in ridership this year alone.

In Colorado, lawmakers briefly considered suspending the state's mandatory $0.22 per gallon tax used to fund highway repairs, but relented after realizing that such a move, even for only three months, would cost nearly $100 million.

As for me, well, I don't know how I'll deal with higher prices. I too, must drive to work everyday. I fill my car almost once a week, and it's not getting any easier. However, when I purchased my car last summer, fuel economy factored heavily into my decision. Tax incentives for more fuel efficient vehicles, for both producers and consumers, will help to stimulate change. There are things we can do to help our own fuel economy. Check it out: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml

Finally, check the link on the right side of this blog to find the lowest gas prices in your area.

I don't have the answer to our energy needs, but we can all do the little things to make the transition a bit easier. No one thinks it's going to get better before it gets worse, but in the longterm, I can handle higher fuel prices now if it means no oil later.

NFL draft '06

Disclaimer: The following may be considered a "rant" concerning sports.

According to Erik Kuselias, host of The Sportsbash (ESPN radio afternoons), the NFL draft is now bigger than the NBA playoffs. I guess that makes sense seeing as the NFL is bigger than all other sports in the US combined in terms of viewership, revenue, and sale-a-bility. With that in mind, my draft board (in my world):

1. Houston drafts Reggie "Lightening" Bush but trades him for a #3 receiver, an offensive line, and a defense. Yes, he's that good, and yes, they're that bad. After making these additions, their current quarterback (David Carr), running back (Dominick Davis), and receivers (Andre Johnson, Eric Moulds) will win the Super Bowl. And who needs such a back? Maybe the question is who doesn't need such a back?

2. New Orleans drafts a new city. The Super Dome is outdated, and New Orleans now sucks. The owner hates the town, and the people hate the team. Would you want to play there? I'm thinking Omaha...

3. Tennessee drafts Vince Young. What're their options? Well, they could snap the ball to Matt Mauck, who won a national championship with LSU (don't tell Reggie) based on their defense (remember how poorly Oklahoma played that year?). Next option: Billy Volek. Volek? That's not a football name. And I may be going out on a limb here, but I don't think Steve "Air" McNair will see much of the ole pigskin after being locked out of his own training facilities this spring.

4. New York (Jets) drafts me. You were thinking Matt Leinart? Well, in case you didn't realize it, Leinart did NOT win the Heisman this year - Reggie "Lightening" Bush did. According to draft EXPERT (their words, not mine) Mel Kiper, Leinart's stock is dropping, and I don't want to get caught with that ball and chain coming opening weekend. As a note, I've always thought I would be a first rounder, but I didn't expect to go this high.

5. Green Bay drafts Brett Favre. No one saw the second coming of Brett, but it's been written on the wall for months. Why else would he be so secretive? The press conference about nothing? "I'm not going to make a decision until after the draft?" It's pretty clear if you ask me...

6. San Francisco drafts D'Brickashaw Ferguson. The best defense is a good offense, right? Well, protecting your Rhodes Scholar quarterback would be a good start. This kid can play - can't let him slip past.

7. Oakland drafts D'Brickashaw Ferguson. They suck, too, and since Oakland is right across the bay, it won't be a problem.

8. Buffalo drafts A. J. Hawk. They need a linebacker, but they're really hoping that A. J.'s girlfriend, the girl wearing a jersey half of her boyfriend's and half of her brother's (Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn), the girl ABC showed 47 times during the Notre Dame - Ohio State BCS game, will move to town also. She's not that hot, but she's better than what's around. And her brother might come next year - they could use another quarterback.

9. Detroit drafts... who cares. If they don't lose all 16 games, I'm not interested.

10. Arizona drafts a prayer. Their current quarterback situation has Kurt Warner at #1, John Navarre at #2, and Rohan Davey at #3. When Kurt Warner is your number one, no amount of picks will help.

Walking on (thin) ice.

I miss winter already...


Recently, an oceanographer from Florida State U declared that Jesus may not have walked on water as described in three of the four gospels found in the Bible, but instead stood on freak "spring ice."

According to Professor Doron Nof, a colder-than-average period in northern Isreal existed between 1500 and 2600 years ago, and this could have produced ice thick enough to support a man. Nof says, "Because the size of the springs ice, a person standing or walking on it would appear to a distant observer to be 'walking on water'."

I'm not attempting to get into a giant truth or fiction debate with myself here, but only attempting to consider the possiblities...

I'm finally working. Lately, I've been building, repairing, and maintaining hiking trails for Jefferson County Open Spaces. I work four ten-hour days, which, when translated into actual hours worked, is closer to about six and a half. I've realized that what you hear about county workers is, by and large, true. When I do work, I really enjoy it. Today I built a bridge. Probably not up to "code" as some of my engineering friends would say, the bridge will support people and only be about 3 feet above the ground, which for about 6 weeks each year, is covered by a stream.

I also work at 24 hour fitness. I answer the phone, check IDs with a scanner, and accept payments from guests. I rarely leave the front desk. If anyone needs a secretary, please contact me. I work for anything above $7 an hour (as long as it includes a gym pass).

Finally, I'm beginning to reconsider my haughty prediction of Rockies baseball greatness this season. I may have to push that back a year.

Adrianna Lima is a virgin!(?)

My friends stole my hat one night in Telluride and kept it for about a month. They took pictures of the hat all over the country. That's my hat on a maintenance guy on Fremont Street in Las Vegas.


Okay, so the title of this post was only meant to get your attention. I really won't go into it, but according to Adrianna, by way of a recent GQ interview, that is true.

Moving along... the cat lady recently moved out of the house. She and the couch lady (I'll explain momentarily) were not getting along. It seems the combination of an obsessive-compulsive passive-aggressive psycho with a broken arm never leaving the living room and a compulsively dirty shut in doesn't work well in a small environment. Things did not end well, but lately I've managed to be anywhere but home, and luckily have missed most of the drama.

So, the couch lady... The owner of the house, about a month ago, fell down the steps and broke her arm - obviously a completely physically debilitating affliction. For her, broken arm = not able to leave the living room. She ate and slept and complained about everything for a month. She did not go to work. She did not shower. When I came home at night, she was sleeping in her chair. When I woke up to go to work, still sleeping in her chair. When I was fixing supper, still sleeping. She affectively banished me to my windowless basement bedroom for all of my time at home, which became less and less.

But last week things changed dramatically for the better. As the cat lady moved along, the couch lady returned to work (albeit on a modified schedule due to her being a whiner), and I was again able to watch sportscenter on Friday mornings.

In other news: The Rockies are good at baseball (hey, we're already through 10 games, only 153 'till the formality of receiving our first pennant becomes reality)

Mohammad Ali sold his name for $50 million. (see "People Lost Their Virginity to this Music" below.)

I have two job offers to work at wineries in France this fall, but may go to Spain to work construction instead(?).

It's raining,

and Marcus is in town.