Ethanol

There was an interesting conversation I was having w/ The Wanderer, starting with the validity of economic forecasts, moving on to oil prices and finally ending w/ my triad against Ethanol (corn). Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I am anti green, just that my reasons for going greener are different from the much touted global warming. I would like us to use more fuel efficient vehicles to break the economic blockade the OPEC and other oil producing nations have imposed on our GDP and current account deficit.

There was an interesting article in Business week last week on the great ethanol scam, and while I wasn't too enthused about the writer's telling of the story by reciting people who had suspect problems w/ ethanol in their gas mix (much like those chain letters asking you to forward the email to 10 other people or suffer the consequences), the science behind the article is worth the read.

While on the topic of economics, what is the story with CA? Those bozos in the legislative assembly took upwards of 100 days to come up with a budget proposal, of which about $6 odd Billion was put to the ballot today. There seems to be a massive voter backlash against 5 of the main measures on the slate today, and if the backlash is carried through by actual votes, then expect the law makers to either have to come up with new proposal to balance the budget in way less time than their prior attempt, or go begging bowl in hand to Tommy G. In either case it is going to be bad but in the second, CA will have to give up some of its sovereignty in return for Fed help. Now that would be a shocker!

Streakers

Is it just me or has the world had a regime change in the name of social networking and reality tv, wherein everyone is classified into one of two camps the voyeurs and the streakers.

The streakers - obviously have an unquenchable thirst for shedding the trench coats, people normally use to keep thoughts/details of their lives private and broadcasting/foisting all the details of their lives (no matter how banal) on to their 300 best friends, acquaintances and their dogs. They do so in the steady, Chinese-water-torture drip of status updates on Facebook, Twitter posts or Blog updates. The very fact that the streakers have an audience has convinced them that every facet of their life must be inherently interesting enough to alert everyone to its importance.

The voyeurs - These more interesting and some what more complex personalities from the streakers. Part of them get suckered into being a 'friend-whore' on these social networking sites, adding people they barely spoke too in school / college / work / life to their friend list or accepting 'pokes' / 'friend requests' from similar people for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which being they don't want to be left out of the 'loop'. The rest of these suckers (voyeurs) lead such lousy boring lives that they feel the need to live vicariously through others, by commenting on the streakers pictures, adding a ROFL to an inane twit/post on someone 'having had enough to not give one or two shits' or another friend 'trying not to care too much'.

Blow that! I guess I am a streaker and I will just have to live with that. But that isn't what bothers me, it is the other streakers whose inane and banal conversations I have to put up with, unless I decide to 'unfriend' them. Until then 'Just got back from work' updates are going to have to be accepted as a part of life.

Apples

Now an Apple is a fruit I love to hate. Don't get me wrong, I really like the taste of Apples, it is just that I hate the fact little bits of it stick in my teeth post snack, and that drives me nuts! So unless I can floss right after I eat, an Apple is usually out of bounds for me.

Strange conversation, you say? What business does a feline have, eating fruits and even worse talking about them? Riiight, it was just a coincidence that I was extremely hungry to the extant that the growling in my stomach was indistinguishable from the growling in my throat and the only thing available right away was, wait for it, yup was an Apple. Anyway demolished it! Regretted it! Bitched about it! And now venting, post a 10 minute search to get a particularly gritty piece out from near the salivary glands.

In a happier frame of mind, Golf is out this weekend thanks to the rain (no really, I mean it, I am grateful it is raining), cause it frees me up for my favorite indoor sport. So the question that begs to be asked is why play something I am obviously not extremely enthused about. The answer is pure and simple, peer pressure.

Everyone the Tom Kat knows, colleagues at work, old school mates or even social friends, plays it, not playing golf is actually a social impediment in these circles. It is one of the few battles that the Tom Kat chooses not to fight and instead prefers to confine. Though to clarify, he does enjoy it to some extant, there is much to be said about being in the sun, green ways and the peace, on the other hand it is exactly that tranquility that he dislikes. The serenity is too taxing on his poor brain which thrives on chaos. A violent, fast, aggressive and intense game is right up his alley.

I have completely digressed from my planned post of the day, but as the old saying goes, 'the best laid plains of man and kat oft go awry'.

Happy Hunting! ME-ow!

Once upon a time ...

I have been thinking of blogging (again), for some time now, and I guess this is as good a time as any other. Facebook blurbs don't give me enough room to verbally stretch, while the less said about Twitter the better. For some reason, I never really bought into the concept that less is more, regardless of all attempts by my erstwhile adviser to convince me otherwise (but that is another story).

Any hew, I was tired of scrounging around on the floor of other people's houses (read commenting), and decided to get my own place (read posting).

If anyone should ask, why the anonymity? It is only because I want to reserve my right to be nasty, while escaping personal recriminations. Isn't that cowardly? Yup! No arguments there. But this is my blog, and if you don't like it, leave (it is nice to make the rules). Not that I anticipate being nasty to people anonymously, but there is much to be said about the option value of anonymity. Is this blog going to have a specific theme? Naw! Just a conduit that serves as a confluence of thoughts.

Enough of this blithering.

ME-ow!

Full disclosure: Just in case there is any ambiguity, this Tom cat's caterwauling days are technically over, think of him more as a domesticated family feline who has been declawed, than as a scent spewing wild cat out sowing his oats. Attribute any posts or comments contrary to the above mentioned notion to an alter ego.