Armchair Pundits

Observations

So this is what a blog looks like? Man, things have been so chaotic of late, that my posting has seriously suffered. Perhaps that is just my excuse for not having much I care to say, at any rate, I need to get back into the swing of things.

Recently, I made a trip to Miranda's Musings, only to find it is no longer there. I think she is to busy whooping tail on all the boys in her fantasy football league (or so I've heard through back channels). On those lines, I wonder who she's picking for the big game Sunday. I think it would be wise not to bet against her.

Okay, I'm so lame! I started this post 11 days ago and now it's almost Valentines Day. It's a good thing I finally moved up to DSL at home, or this would probably be scrapped. For those who live in a vaccum or don't particulary care, the Steelers won. Miranda did in fact terminate her blog, and I still don't know who she picked for the game.

In the news....Muslims rioting over cartoons, the print or not to print debate. Is anyone really surprised this happened? I understand that printing an image of the prophet is offensive and was done in poor judgement. That being said, would any paper in the western world have printed cartoons of an anti-Christian or anti-Jewish bent? It is unfortunate that the answer to that question requires almost no thought as it is intuitively affirmative. It seems, as if MSM is an equal opportunity offender when it comes to colluding against anything Judeo-Christian, but when it comes to Islam, it's kid gloves all the way. Again, not that a free press should go out of its way to pick needless fights but the disparity is suspect.

And now this. $262?! I might be eating crow later, but I'll go on record and say it ain't gonna happen. I'm no Soros, and my company doesn't resemble Hermitage, but I look at this stuff enough to say that it is highly unlikely that Chavez will take the Venezualen operation off line, not to mention the Saudi's still have wiggle room on increasing flows. For all the talk of energy consumption, an economist I regularly read indicated that our percentage of imports (per barrel) remains remarkably consistent with early 1970's levels.

Now that's not near as interesting as alternative energy sources, which is something I, like most Americans am interested in. The psychology of all this is fascinating. When the president rattles the sabre of alternative energy in a convincing enough manner, what happens? Saudi's increase production, effectively driving down the price per barrel, all in the name of protecting market share. What happens when the market changes sufficiently, so that not only are we capable of consuming alternative energy (electric, ethanol, hydrogen), but the market demands it? Markets around the world will change and we will effectively bankrupt the Arab Nations. I imagine that will give the radical Imams somthing to talk about on Sundays! We will remain the great evil cause of all their woes.

When that day comes, to what side will newspaper editorial pages lean? "US causes terrorism by supporting alternative energy." Will they get it when they don't even seem to grasp this?

Somethings may never change.

posted by Grisby @ 5:01 PM