* 
The oil companies are making on the order of 8¢ a gallon for gasoline. Meanwhile, the smallest tax on a gallon of gasoline comes up to 27¢, that being in the state of Alaska. Here in New York, it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 60¢ a gallon. Again, the oil companies are actually producing the stuff, and making 8 cents per gallon. The government’s response to this inequitable situation? They penalize the oil companies for “price gouging”. Make sense to you?
* I stopped following baseball, some years ago, after the second strike. The players union killed that game for me. So it is that I have only been peripherally aware of Barry Bonds attack on Hank Aaron’s home run record. Frankly, it annoys me.
(TH Kelly Editorial Drawing… you should check the site out… nice work… Bit)
Let’s be honest, here; The only reason that Barry Bonds is still alive, is it because it’s illegal to kill him.
OK, before you get started… No… I’m not suggesting that anyone should take that action. Then again, I don’t need to. His teammates, would have done that a long time ago, had the situation been otherwise. Indeed, more than once I’ve heard reference to the story of his college team voting him off the team, which was then superseded by the coach.
Here’s a guy who even without the drugs, is approximately as popular as the parking spot next to the honey dumper. ABout half of this is anger over what he’s done to the game, and the other half is his personality, or lack thereof.
Even with personality issues aside, what can be said about the validity of the record that will stand after he succeeds in getting past Hank Aaron? The only reason he’s managed to get as far as he has, is because of his chemistry set.
And I’m willing to bet, that he considers this kind of talk persecution of him. I’m even willing to bet that there are those who will read this, who will consider my comments racist. (Ignoring, of course, that Hank Aaron is Black too. )
Here it is, gang; Baseball heroes, are such because they manage to outperform everyone else, while still following the rules. Bonds simply doesn’t qualify.
Think, now; Do you know of two sober people on the face of the planet who think Bonds actually followed the rules to get himself this far? I don’t.
If MLB has any smarts whatsoever, which I doubt, they will find some way to disqualify Barry Bonds. They should do so, very quickly indeed. I’m telling you; Major League Baseball, hailing the “accomplishment” of Bonds, will be the final nail in the coffin of the game. What few people who still care, won’t, any more.
* In my perusal of the web to provide me with fodder for this column, for the last several months, I have invariably run across stories as regards Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Paula Abdul, and so on and so on.
Apparently, watching people who have been literally handed everything in their lives (Rich, famous, good enough looking to prevent people retching in the isles) throw all of that away, has become something of a national sport. (Apparently, this is the replacement for baseball?)
This is not to defend these individuals from their actions, but at what point did this stuff become commonplace? At what point did this kind of dirt digging become acceptable? Years ago, we used to spend at least as much time on positive role models, in our entertainment news. Can anybody say that what we have now is an improvement?
* Opie and Anthony are not making headlines anymore. Neither is Don Imus. Did you notice? No? Well, guess what? Neither did most of the rest of America. Perhaps they’re just not that important, after all?
* Did you know that month before last, tax revenue collections at the Federal level have reached an all time high?
This is despite the fact of the supposedly irresponsible tax cuts signed into law by President Bush a few years ago. Indeed, specifically because of those tax cuts, are the revenues are up.
So when you hear the Democrats pondering massive tax increases, as they are now, you should be able to label it as the tripe it is.
Right?
Well, YOU, perhaps. You’re smart enough to be reading this. The rest of America? I’m not so sure.
Tags: BitsBlog, Nightly Ramble
