Run for your lives the end is near. NOT!

I don't know if this stupid widget will work or not. It doesn't come up when I check it in compose. Thanks again blogger. At any rate there is a neat little widget from Oilprice.com that gives a running total of the energy consumption around the world. Who do you think is in first place? We in our glorious piggishness are no longer head of the pack but come in second place behind China. Shouldn't be surprised since they now make up 1/5 of the worlds' population and growing. As I mentioned yesterday we have this inherent need to aquire more even when we have enough. There is always an underlying fear that somehow it will magically disappear and we'll be left in the dark literally speaking.

Another widget displays energy consumption compared to production. We, meaning the world, are consuming 135,000 billion BTUs more than we produce. And the lions' share is done through oil and coal dumping tons of carbon emissions into our air. There is a near steady stream of pollutants that drifts our way from China while the U.S. sends out its' gaseous present for Europe to deal with. Deny all you like about climate change and global warming but the increase in respiratory illness and weather pattern changes is
undeniable.

Then there is the debt widget. That can be somewhat deceiving because most of us have personal debt but nothing like the debts of a nation but before you run around yelling the sky is falling like chicken little and most republicans consider that it's a matter of percentages. No one could expect to pay of their mortgage in a year or three or ten. And yet somehow our congress wants it done yesterday. Funny how it wasn't a problem when the boys from the last administration were busy spending on two wars, a homeland security system and massive tax cuts to their buddies. So in order to solve that problem it should be a matter of backing up and cutting programs in reverse order. For us on a home front level it's a matter of dumping the cable TV, skipping the bistro latte and brown bagging it for a year or two. And let us not forget revenue enhancements (tax increases) as Reagan called them. After all the cutting it's prudent to seek out another part time job at night or on weekends if ends don't meet.

And one last comment on the big scary "Fiscal Cliff". Remember they created it to begin with and they can change it just as easily. There's nobody standing over them with a gun waiting to pull the trigger and contrary to what is believed programs must be funded. I'm sure we won't be seeing any ten percent pay cuts to their salaries either.