Gas too Expensive? Dump Environmental Rules.

Treehugger: Gas too Expensive? Dump Environmental Rules.

Maybe I should have called this Missed the Point II.

Bush is a nut-job.

What the fuck is he doing?

I think that moron has finally lost his mind.

Environmental Rules are there for a reason. The environment. How about taking steps to cut back on consumption? Basic free market economy: Lower demand, lower price. Not to mention, better for the environment.

He goes on to talk about Hybrids, and tax breaks for them. Great. GM is making a "Hybrid" 1/2 ton pick-up that gets up to 10% increase in fuel economy over it's standard model. 10%? So that means you go from just over 22 Miles per gallon to 20 Miles per gallon? I can do the same with my truck by slowing down to 95Kph from 105 Kph. But it's a "Hybrid" so it's "Better". Dodge is doing the same thing. These are not hybrids, they are just more efficient gas guzzlers. The extra cost of the truck isn't even off set by the better fuel economy. People would buy them for the tax break and the image of driving a hybird, yet it still gets the same gas milage. Why bother?

Save the cash. Buy a bike.

Why is it getting so hot in here? And what's with the hand basket?

Missed the point

I was always under the impression that people recycled because it was a good thing to do. You know, doing your part for the environment, right? I know some areas have pick-up for your recycling. You just leave the old blue bin outside, and they take it away for you.

Not here. In my little part of the world, recycling requires some effort. You need to sort everything out, and take it to the depot, all under your own power. One would think that it shows that you care more about the enviroment this way. It's not so automatic, you need to put in of your own time. That's fine with me. Door to door service would be nice, but I'm not going to loose any sleep over it.

In a community such as this, were I feel things like the environment take a back seat to more pressing issues, such as: bigger, louder 4x4's with bigger, louder stereos, I find it a pleasure to see people at the recycling depot on a Sunday morning, dropping off their stack of flyers, and pizza boxes. And it was a sunny morning. Crisp, but still nice. And as I unloaded my truck (yes, I needed to use the truck. I waited too long, and it wouldn't all fit in the car. But think of all the trips I saved) I noticed two things:

First, everybody there was driving something with enough horse power to drive the Calgary Stampede.

Second, mine was the only one shut off.

There is a fear in this town that if you turn off your truck, or car, it will never run again. Or that, "It's harder on the engine to shut it off, and start it again" Or worse yet, "I paid for those polished chrome headers, with a 2 inch pipe, and tuned muffler (aka no muffler) Damn it, I want to hear it!"

Guess what, I don't. I don't fear that my truck won't start again. I don't think it's hard on my engine to shut it off for a few minutes if it's already warmed up. And I sure as hell don't want to hear your noisy stinking truck. In fact, if you want to hear it better, park it in your garage, close the door, and rev the hell out of that thing. It will make all of us happier.

Back to my point. If you have gone through all the effort to "Do your part", why not finish what you've started? Cut back on 5 minutes worth of emissions. Use fewer non-renewable resoucres. Save some cash. FYI dude, the Ford F350, with the 36 inch mudders does not get the best gas mileage on the planet, and that price at the gas station is still for a litre, not a gallon.

It's a start.

Doctor who?

As if having a blog wasn't enough to maintain some level of ueber-geek status, I've found a website that will insure that I can still be a contender:

The Doctor Says

Someone with ability of those idiots who make e-cards, has put their talent to good use. If you have ever wondered what Tom Baker (The Doctor) would have done if he had listened to a few more Leonard Cohen albums, and had not gone into television, here is your answer. My favorite is the Sex Pistol's God Save The Queen.

Now, I must say that Tom Baker was always my favorite Doctor. I can't say for sure, but he just had a sense of humor, and a style that was something a teen-geek such as myself could look up to. Now, I find my self looking back, with a grin. Fewer zits, but my hair is still as shaggy.

I must be off now. I need to find my trench coat, and my colourfull 10 foot long scarf.

Don't know who The Doctor is? That is a good question.

It started simple enough.

Rose has gone to start her last 5 weeks of school. She is spending this last bit of time up in sunny Hay River, NWT. So we had an idea. Between her time in Hay River, and when she starts work, we should go on a vacation. As she will just be starting her job, she won't really have any vacation time built up, so why not go then.

Let the dreaming begin. Oh, where to go? Out come the maps. Maybe, since we could start in Hay River, we could go to Yellowknife? That would be fun. How about a Road Trip, south through BC, and finish in time to be in Beaton for the long weekend? Any trip that ends at Beaton, is a good trip.

Well, how about those Buddy passes? We could go out the East Coast? I still haven't been to Newfoundland. Or maybe back to Nova Scotia? Always a good time.

But what about all those cheap flights to London?

(In case you haven't caught on, by this point, things are greatly out of control.)

Ya, that's not a bad idea. But what should we do once were there? Hey Kyle isn't that far away. Kind of a pain to get to Sweden from London though. Sure, but Frankfurt is a lot closer to Sweden. And simpler train connections.

It's not that much more.

So now, what has started as a simple camping trip, has blown up into an adventure around the world, involving several countries, a number of Rovers met from previous adventures, and likely, a great deal of beer.

The best part is, if all goes well, we will still get to spend the May Long weekend in Beaton. After Beaton, I go back to work for two days. Then we drive to Edmonton, hop on a plane to Frankfurt, and finally, a train to Denmark. After we spend some time with Brian, (A Rover I met in Tasmania, while drinking) we head across one of the worlds longest bridges to Sweden to meet up with Kyle. (While I was not drinking when I met Kyle, or was it any where exotic, we have been known to enjoy a beverage on occasion. Except for the ones with Creme-de-Mint, nobody enjoyed those drinks.)

I'm sure there is no need to state that I'm a little excited. If I figure out how to put pictures on here, I may subject you to a photo or two when we get back.

Now I have to go, and learn how to order drinks in another two languages.

Bitte, zwei Bier!

blank

I'm drawing a blank. Nothing. Lots has been going on. I've been busy. I've put more miles on the car in the last few weeks, than I have in the last couple of months. But yet, I guess nothing has pissed me off enough to make me want to sit down and complain about it.

That's good, right? I guess so. I should be enjoying this. However I'm too caught up moving on to my next disaster, to not want to sit around and revel in the fact that people around me, are not being idiots.

Well, that might be pushing it. People are still idiots. I'm an idiot. I'm just to busy to notice.