Psychologically, I'm very confused, but personally I feel just wonderful.

The article below covered the Great Republican Youtube Tantrum yesterday in the House as they argued for offshore drilling and in the interests of big oil.

Notice which large corporation presented (i.e. underwrote the reporter's salary) the article.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!

For the last month or so the local radio stations have been playing an advertisement for Schuck's Auto Supply which mention that a good way to save gas would be to make sure you aren't carrying around junk in your trunk and that your tires are at the correct pressure. Sensible suggestions to most normal people on the planet who don't live daily suffering from the dreaded effects of Cranial Posterior Immersion.

This weekend the McCain campaign collectively mocked Barack Obama's recent suggestion that consumers do the same. McCain surrogates went so far as to carry tire gauges into interviews as props, claiming that demonstrates the sum total of Obama's energy policy.

This is part of the reason many of us work hard to try and avoid news of politics these days. If the presidential primary was largely made up of "silly season" then the general election has swung fully into "stupid season." Fueled mostly by the coordinated strategy of Republican political strategists working for McCain and a drooling, moronic media that continues to simply let them get away with the most outrageous bullshit imaginable.

In a sane world somebody like McCain supporter Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty would whip out tire gauge during an interview and claim this was Obama's energy policy the reporter would burst into laughter, turn off the mike and shut of the camera and tell Pawlenty to take a hike until he wanted to give an interview that wasn't composed of childish talking points.

This is what I let drive up my blood pressure. Not that these boneheads push this stupid crap but that the media doesn't call them on it. It's infuriating because it's a challenge to the very concept of objective reality, not objectivity.

Conservatives try an innoculate themselves from being called on this crap by trying to make it sound like those of us grounded in objective reality are elitist. It's considered bad form to call conservatives stupid or dumb.

Fuck that. Conservatives that repeat this stuff are slope-browed, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging morons. They're idiots who add absolutely nothing, zip, nada to the discourse. In fact---
Conservatives are so dumb they got hit by a parked car.

Conservatives are so dumb they tried to put M&Ms in alphabetical order.

Conservatives are so dumb they tripped over a cordless phone.

Conservatives are so dumb they got locked out of a motorcycle.

Conservatives are so dumb I told them drinks were on the house and they went and grabbed a ladder.

Conservatives are so dumb they think Taco Bell is the Mexican phone company.

Whew. I feel a little better.

If you have a milkshake and I have a milkshake and I have a straw and my straw reaches across the room and starts to drink your milkshake.

Does anyone else find in ironic that the go to tactic that Republicans always seem to roll out in a political fight is to emulate the terrorists they claim to hold in such disdain by taking hostages? Every debate on Iraq funding, for example, is met by the President pushing the troops between himself and the Democrats pushing for withdrawal and threatening their safety should the Democrats do anything he doesn't like.

This week the Democratic House passed a bill rescinding tax breaks for oil companies and the reaction from Republicans was utterly predictable--

"There will be less investment in American energy, there will be less production of American energy, we will have more dependence on foreign oil, and we will have higher fuel prices," said Rep. Kevin Brady (R., Texas). "Make no mistake: Politicians are shooting at Big Oil, but they're hitting American energy workers, and they're hitting families in the pocketbook."

Excuse me? The oil industry has continued to report record profits and any attempt to reign them in will automatically translate into oil industry workers getting the shaft? Don't even get me started on what it will mean to consumers.

If you check the website of any major corporation and read their statement of principles it will inevitably say something along the lines of "our success is a direct result of our focus on the needs of shareholders, customers and employees."

More often than not these days only the first part of that equation is true. It's not that way through the realities of the market, or some other iron law of capitalism beyond our control. It's that way by choice. It's that way because the people that make the decisions regarding whether their corporations will focus on shareholders, customers or employees are usually also the biggest shareholders in that corporation.

It's time for the oil industry and congressional Republicans to stop taking hostages.

Like an oil lease, you're easily disposable.

Still on vacation.

It seems easier to blog during working hours. Hmmm.

This is not a great record for the world to break and very bad news for everybody.

I'm personally worried that not only will society collapse but the Peak Oil disaster will force Overdroid to come live with us on our farm.

(Shiver)