Cars - who's winning?

GM - way down
Chrysler - down
Ford - down
Toyota - RECORD SALES!

Let's see. Could it because up until the past two weeks the US automakers denied alternatives to the normal internal combustion engine? Could it be because although GM had the ultimate car they destroyed the program - the EV1...? Could it be because they've been loosing their strangle hold on patents for alternative energy vehicles - thanks to Clinton?

I don't know - maybe it was just luck. That's probably what McBush thinks.

Supreme Court Ruling :(

Not to bring "Star Wars" into the real world - but since our administration brought "24" into it... I constantly think of the line just before Darth Vader is named...

"A trial would be a joke. He controls the courts. He controls the Senate- - He's too dangerous to be left" ... well you know how it SHOULD END!!!

The Supreme Court also slashed the ruling against Exxon for the Valdez oil spill from 1989. They determined SOMEHOW that it was a CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE (as that's all they can rule upon) to have Exxon pay out $2.5 billion for the damages. This amount did NOT pay even part of the clean-up costs...

Only thing that would have made this even slightly bearable is if it was the Exxon Condoleezza Rice. How many people do you know that have an oil tanker named for them???

Supreme Court Ruling :(

Human season is now open again in DC. The only thing slowing the shootings has been the hand-gun ban. It allowed police the ability to conduct more detailed searches, and get the weapons out of the hands of people quickly. It isn't like people can HUNT in DC. It isn't like there is a real need for these weapons.

I predict that what will happen is an arms race between the cops and the "robbers." Probably not as bad as it was in LA during the 80's, but perhaps pretty heated. The gangs had a lot more money then and could afford weapons that third-world nations could not afford on the open market...
Some of the silliness of the argument probably comes from capitolization; however, this wasn't even brought up during the case and some of the idiots on the bench didn't even recognize the entire writing of it in either form... Although the court cited the House/Senate version...

AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

AS PASSED BY THE STATES:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Fuel Prices - again

Well, April 1999 it is not... $18/barrel - we could only wish!!!! It reached $144!
Which means that Gas has almost surpased $6/gallon for "regular." In the USA!!!

NYC's Big Memorial Pit!

Imagine only having enough money to order one type of pizza, if you will. No imagine having to satisfy thousands of people with this decision - IMPOSSIBLE.

This is what the problem is with what the Architectural Institute of America calls the number one eye-sore in the US. There are too many people with too many ideas and putting up too many blockades. They will now reap the benefit of their stupidity - have nothing to remember their loved ones...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7483590.stm

As of yesterday, 30 June, the planning budget came to a grinding hault. So it would appear that we will have this wonderful reminder of what happened forever engrained into the ground in NYC...

Another strike against our Leaderless Feader - GWB... Idiot. He should have stepped forward and put some effort into making sure that this did not happen...

Quotes for today.

"He who knows nothing is nearer to the truth than he whose mind is full of falsehoods and errors."
---> Thomas Jefferson c. 1780's foretelling of G.W. Bush


"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid, it IS true that most stupid people are conservatives."
---> John Stewart Mill c. 1860's describing ALL conservatives

History of Ships named NY

Some useless facts about ships named "USS NEW YORK". Interesting how a particular date comes up often in their histories.

The most recent one, LPD-21, will be the 6th ship to have the name USS NEW YORK. (that was commissioned and used in the Navy). Steel from the World Trade Center was used to cast the bow of this ship. The steel of course became available after 11 September 2001. The steel was poured into the bow of the ship on 11 September 2004 (in a ceremony), the day after it was laid down. It was christened 1 March, 2008 and will be Commissioned on 11 September 2009!

* USS NEW YORK CITY, SSN-696 was a nuclear submarine, commissioned March 1979 and decomissioned in April 1997.

5) USS NEW YORK, BB34 was laid down on 11 September 1911 by the Brooklyn Ship Yards - received three battle stars for service in WW II and served in WW I. Survived the Bikini Atoll attacks but was sunk in mid-September 1948 during extensive testing of new weapons.

4) USS NEW YORK, ACR2 was laid down on 11 September 1890 by the Philadelphia Ship Yards - served in many wars. Was renamed the Saratoga in 1911 (see above)... Was decommissioned in 1933 and scuttled in December 1941 to avoid Japanese Capture.

*) A screw sloop was named the USS NEW YORK briefly between being laid down and leaving the stocks; however, it was renamed the Ontario when sold.

3) USS NEW YORK was a 74-gun firgate laid down in 1820 and burned before launch in 1861.

2) USS NEW YORK was a 36-gun frigate built in 1800 and burned by the British on 11 September 1814.

1) USS NEW YORK was a gondola built in 1776 which fought in the Battle of Valcour Island (11 October, 1776).