I keep finding things to write about, only to read the "definitive" article on it. Hmm. Nothing left to say. Well, that's not so good for the exercising the ole writing muscle. So I'm going to try something else. I have these questions about incidents and events, and I thought I'd just throw them here. So there.
McCrystal Resigns, Obama Accepts
My question is: has anyone asked General McCrystal why he let that article go to print? Was it an easy way out of something he no longer believed in? Did he go mad? Do the comments align with his character? May there be a physical reason for this, like a tumor or something? This isn't the first time McCrystal's been to the woodshed. He knew the consequences. Was this an ego thing? Wasn't there any other way out, other than making this big stink? Why doesn't anyone ask why?
McDonald's May be Forced to Shit-Can the Happy Meal Toy
After how many years of happy meals and toys promoting the latest blockbuster movie, Mickey D's may have to stop putting toys in happy meals. Why? Because they contribute (indirectly) to the weight/health problems of our youth. No, really. Here's where I become a Libertarian.
McDonald's isn't doing anything wrong, and should not be forced to stop making happy meals, or putting toys in them. It isn't their responsibility to educate people about how perfectly awful their "food" is. And it isn't the government's responsibility, either, to enforce a ridiculous edict. I'm all about making them provide nutrition information very public and very available. "Hey, kids! Can you say, 'cholesterol'?"
Of course, the lawsuit is supposed to be all about the toys, and that the free (and serial) toy is what the kids want. Not the food, not the fun on the box, not the "healthy alternatives"-- the toys. How far is it, do you suppose, before it'll be about banning the whole happy meal? Then what will desperate parents do? McDonald's has a clown for a brand, for f**k's sake! Its whole marketing department has been, for years, geared toward getting the kids to beg the parents to stop at McD's! All I'm saying is, marketing to children is evil, and those people have a special place in hell, but why stop at McDonny's? What about Toys R Us? They market toys to kids. Breakfast cereals? IPods? Video games? What happens when the item is both an adult toy and a kid toy?
So my question is: will we ever learn not to blame the mirror for what we find abhorrent in ourselves? C'mon, people. Try find a little personal responsibility.
Salazar Promises Response to Judge's Ruling
In case you've been under the rock of real life, here's a recap: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar imposed a six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the U.S. in response to a BP oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. Rig related companies cried foul (HA! That's rich, huh?) citing loss of profit, jobs, etc., and took it to court. The judge, with ties to big oil, sided with the oil companies and voided the moratorium. (Can he do that?) Anyway, Sec Salazar promised to reinstate soon.
My question is: If deepwater drilling has another accident, and people die, to whom will the victims complain? Could they march into that courtroom and lynch that dumb-ass judge? The government would be right if they were to wash their hands of the responsibility with a well-placed "told ya so", but of course, that's what we have a government for, right? To protect us from ourselves, and those who want to do us harm? I can hardly believe this. Have we no ability to learn from our VERY RECENT past?
The judge said something ridiculous like: do we ground all planes when one blows up? (Well, actually, yes, we have done something similar, if it's thought to be a mechanical problem.) Do we take all the cars off the road when there's a deadly crash? (Was he alive during the recent Toyota mechanical mishap?) His examples were ridiculous, because, yes, we do stop doing certain things in response to them blowing up, in order to find the cause. We stopped sending folks into space when the Challenger blew up. Wonder why.... oh yeah! IT BLEW UP. And they didn't want it to happen again! So Judge, that's exactly what we do. We stop and try to figure out why. I find that reasonable, even smart. And President Obama got BP to pony up for those rig workers put on hiatus, exactly as he should. Smart. But you, Judge, with big oil ties, NOT so smart. Certainly not smart enough to recuse himself, much less make such a stupid ruling. But thank you for trying to let us kill ourselves.
That's all we really want, anyway. The freedom to kill ourselves and each other, while making tons of money. And then complain if the government doesn't let us.
