Debt Daddy - A Rant in Three Octaves

I wanna talk about a few things today - actually, I wanna talk about a lot of things today, but my thought patterns are completely haywire due to a pretty hard work week that has left most of my body feeling incredibly sore and tired. It's hard to think in rational, linear terms when you're sore and tired, so please bear with me if this post is a bit...frenetic (and by frenetic, I mean like the typing equivalent of Tourette's syndrome).

Speaking of Tourette's syndrome, what's up with John McCain lately? First he sings, "Bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb, bomb Iran" (to the tune of the beach boys song, "Barbara Ann") and later says he didn't mean to say that. Then, after the whole General Petraeus hooplah, he says that "MoveOn.org and it's members should leave the country" and the next day says that he didn't mean to say that. Dude, I'm not trying to be political or anything, but say what you mean and mean what you say - The First Time. And, for what it's worth, I had a lot more respect for you when you spoke your own mind and not Bush's. Weenie.

Anyway...so I got a call from the Natural Resources Defense Council the other night. If you're not familiar, they're a group that tries to save natural resources from developers, oil companies, etc. The lady on the phone is telling me all about how Shell Oil is trying to drill somewhere that they shouldn't (big news flash) and how the NRDC is getting ready to take them to court and how it sure would help them out if I made a contribution. Well, I think I threw her off her script because I said, "Do you really think that's gonna help?" She said, "I'm sorry?" I said (and I'm quoting to the best of my recollection), "Do you really think that taking them to court is going to help anything? You file a suit against them, they drag it out so you use up all your money, then the Bush Administration makes the whole case go away and gives the oil company another tax credit for their trouble. Taking them to court won't help. The only thing that will help is to stop using oil. I drive a Prius. I use CF ligthbulbs wherever I can. I heat and air condition my house only when absolutely necessary. I do whatever I can to use as little oil and gas as possible. I do this first and foremost to save money, but I also do it to save lives. The money that we pay for oil goes largely to Saudi Arabia, who in turn funds terrorism. I don't want to be a part of that - I feel no need to help the oil companies, or to help Saudi Arabia, and I certainly don't want to do anything that would possibly help the proliferation of terrorism. So, while I can't contribute to your cause today, please know that I'm doing what I can to stop the oil companies in my own way."

She didn't know what to say, and simply ended by thanking me for my time. While I do respect what this group and others like it try to accomplish, I stand behind what I said to her. In a country like the US, where everyone is so incredibly concerned about terrorists, why are we still such oil junkies? Can anyone explain to me why there aren't solar panels on every federal, state and local government facility in the US? Why our cafe standards are so abysmal? Why we seem so hellbent on financing the very people that are trying to kill us? It makes me sick, and I'm tired of it. And if any friend of mine comes back from Iraq missing and arm or a leg just so some whack-a-mole could fill up his Hummer, I'm gonna be pissed.

By the way, as I mentioned, I do drive a Prius. I bought it new, which I know is a definite Dave Ramsey no-no, but let me say this about that - Consumer Reports recently reported that the Prius is one of a handful of cars that can conceivably be driven for 200,000 miles before needing to purchase a new car. I average 8,000 miles a year, which means it's possible that I can drive this car for 25 years. So, rather than buy 5 to 8 "Hoopdiemobiles" over the course of that time, I'll stick with my good old hybrid, which is currently averaging 46 MPG (that's in the suburbs - 50 MPG highway, 60 MPG city). Put that in your hookah and smoke it, Saudi Arabia.

Oh, a short side note on all of that - I'm teaching my kids about conserving energy and other resources. I'm explaining that, when you don't let the water run, or turn off the lights when you leave a room, or only drive places when you have to, that it helps the entire planet. We've developed an easy slogan (borrowed with creative license from the tv series "Heroes") - I start the thought, and they finish it -

I say, "Save electricity?"

They say, "Save the World."

"Save water?"

"Save the World."

"Save Gas?"

"Save the World!"

Cool, huh?

Okay, I'm done for now. Thanks for letting my wander through my topic-less blather. Once I've put this current job to bed and my aches and pains subside, I'll be back on track.