How long is your commute? What does it cost?

Ties to Far-Flung Homes Drive Commuters to Great Lengths By Alec MacGillis Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 25, 2006; The mountains -- Blue Ridge to the east, Massanutten to the west -- loom over Luray, Va., but their outlines are barely visible in the dark as the men gather in the park-and-ride at 3:50 a.m. The day's driver gets behind the wheel of the van, a nine-year-old Dodge, seven others pile in behind him, and by 4 they're headed up Route 340, the moon still a sharp white wedge and 77 miles of road ahead. [Washington Post]

It is ironic, perhaps, that on the same day there are two articles that serve to highlight a very serious problem. That being the high price of gas and the long commutes that large numbers of people are enduring day in and day out and the catastrophic crash that is coming our way.

From Washington to Los Angeles, there are always stories about the odd far flung commuter that for one reason or another chooses to commute horrendous distances for a job. What we are seeing in the suburbs and further out is that it is more the rule than the exception. Most people have an average two-way commute of about 90 minutes in the BosNYWash corridor any more and two hours for the round trip is really the norm on any given day for most. What we are seeing however is an increase in that rate to as much as four hours round trip, most of that time spent idling in congestion and stopped traffic.

For the lucky few, there are carpools and mass transit options and for the truly fortunate, there is the ability to work from home without having to get into a car, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Even high technology companies have very low rates of home based workers and the federal government, with perhaps the best reason to have people stay at home, can barely keep up with its infrastructure requirements let alone figure out how to have people work effectively outside the office.

And it will only get worse. The United States has become a nation to dispersed and decentralized to support. Paving roads is not the answer and it is too late to impose intelligent urban planning scenarios on the situation. House are being dropped literally on every unplowed stretch of earth with little thought for how those people will get out of their communities and to their place of work, how their children will get to school and where they will get their groceries from at the end of the day.

Is the end near? If you think gas at $5 a gallon is bad, wait until you start thinking about how much of your money is being wasted while you sit in stop-and-go traffic having paid $5 a gallon for gas. Implosion is only the beginning.

$4.00 for gas, $3.50 for a coffee. Welcome to 2000

Cost of Gas Puts Pressure On GOP By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Steven Mufson Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, April 25, 2006; President Bush and congressional Republicans are under mounting public pressure to reduce gasoline prices, but they have few if any policy choices that would cut them over the next few months as family driving reaches its annual peak and as the midterm elections near. [Washington Post]

Face it people, the days of cheap oil and gas are over and it is only going to get worse from here. While you might like to think the elected leaders can do something to reduce the costs at the pump, they really can do very little except reduce the overall tax rates on gas. The wholesale price is not likely to come down much. If you are reviewing your budget for this year, it is not out of the question to see $4.00 a gallon (here in the US) before the year is out and if you are budgeting anything less than $6 for next year, you are dreaming a dream that will never come true.

So the question remains - what is more important to you. Being able to get to work or seeing how many wrinkles your favorite TV star has on your high-definition TV. Time to start prioritizing, it will only go up from here.

Absurdities in the News

Those who hold NYC's doors might walk out them By Charisse Jones and Mary Pilon, USA TODAY Wed Apr 19, 12:12 PM A day without doormen might not paralyze this city of apartment and condo dwellers - but beware of New Yorkers who suddenly have to take out their own trash. [Yahoo News]

I am not sure if I should be concerned or not, but there are people that not only are taking this seriously, but are worried.

"The doormen are the lifeline of these luxury buildings," says James Taylor, 51, a porter from the Bronx. "They guide you home, take packages. There's a million and one facets of their jobs. ... Nobody wants to strike. No one wins."

Now, I understand that someone's livelihood (job) might be at risk here because of a potential wage freeze, but, I am sorry, in an age where many corporations expect most employees to answer their own phones, why is there even an issue with being expected to open your own door. No one is so important that they cannot do that.

Second silly article of the day:

Texas college bars students from posing for Playboy Wed Apr 19, 6:56 PM ET SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Baylor University in Waco, Texas, which bills itself as the world's largest Baptist college, has threatened to discipline female students if they pose for Playboy magazine, which is trying to recruit models from the college. [Yahoo News]

Not only is Baylor serious about this, they went so far as to tell their female students that "associating" with Playboy would be subject to disciplinary action. What is nice to see is that the students are taking it all in stride and with little more than a yawn. Wondered one woman, who professed no desire to pose, would the male students face similar punishment if they were seen reading an issue of Playboy featuring Baylor women? A very good question. The whole issue is still rather silly.

Mission: Space - When did you last go to the doctor?

Woman Dies After Going on Disney Ride LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A woman died Wednesday after going on a ride at Walt Disney World so intense that it has motion sickness bags. [Yahoo News]

I have ridden on Mission: Space several times. Is it intense? You bet. You are under stress for almost the entire minute to minute and a half that the ride lasts. Is pulling 2Gs scary? Yes, especially if it is not something you do for a living. Is the ride dangerous? Yes, if you are not in good health, but otherwise, it is not only very safe, unlike rollercosters, it is at ground level or within a couple of feet of it.

This is only the latest death, and while it is spectacular in its scope, it is hardly statistically significant or even relevant in the grand scheme of things. In every case, the person who died had a medical injury that would have resulted in their death in a dozen different cases. The ride was not designed for children (sorry, the parents that let a 4-year-old boy ride were negligent, medical condition or not). In the other cases (with this one pending) the victims either did not have regular medical check-ups or knew they were not fit enough to go on the ride.

The rides at amusement parks (those ones that set up in shopping malls on weekends) are more dangerous from a mechanical standpoint than the rides at Disney or any of the other theme parks. Disney won't let a car out of the gate if there are not a half-a-dozen green lights and mechanical checks performed. They are engineered to exacting specifications and made with the best money can buy. You are more at risk on a public street than you are a theme park ride. Yet a person dies and it is news. Not that a half-a-million people went through the gates that day and had a wonderful time, thanks.

Wild Speculation? Who does he think he's kidding?

Bush: Iran reports "wild speculation" By Matt Spetalnick Mon Apr 10, 2:41 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Monday that force is not necessarily required to thwart Tehran's nuclear ambitions and dismissed reports of plans for military strikes on Iran as "wild speculation." [Yahoo News]

You will pardon me for saying this but everyone who believes the President, raise your right hand (not you Mr. Cheney, we know exactly where you stand).

Maybe I should do a Google search on the term "wild speculation" but I suspect that a similar phrase will show up as being attributed to the discussions just before the United States invaded Iraq. Oh, but wait, Iraq had weapons of mass distraction while Iran just has a nuclear program. If you want me, I will looking for my Selective Service number. I suggest you start cleaning your Kevlar and getting ready for deployment.

Is there a Scout in the house?

Woman, 82, Gets Ticket for Slow Crossing Mon Apr 10, 4:12 PM ET LOS ANGELES - An 82-year-old woman received a $114 ticket for taking too long to cross a street. Mayvis Coyle said she began shuffling with her cane across Foothill Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley when the light was green, but was unable to make it to the other side before it turned red. [Yahoo News]

I realize that the City of Angels runs on gasoline and not pedestrian power, however, at some point, we all have to get out of our cars and walk, even in Los Angeles. The sergeant in the article says "I'd rather not have angry pedestrians, [b]ut I'd rather have them be alive" which is all well and good, but in order for them to be alive, there has to be some expectation and allowance for their ability. If the lady in question was really feeling vindictive, the City could be looking at an American's with Disability Act suit for failing to provide adequate provisions (ie: long enough lights) for the disabled to get across the street. Further on it reports that a person in a scooter and even high school students could not make the crossing. Rather than issuing tickets, perhaps the lights need to be examined and retimed before someone really does get killed. After all the population is not getting any younger.

How do you move 12 million people that don't want to go?

Cost to Remove 12M Illegal Immigrants Huge By MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer
As Congress debates immigration reforms, some experts say the most extreme proposal - deporting millions of illegal immigrants - would be a huge legal and logistical morass, and ruinously expensive, too. [Yahoo News]

I guess at some point a brilliant person would say "If we deported them all, what would it take..." The answer is that it just is not a realistic position to take.

Estimates are that it would cost $215 billion dollars and I have seen reports that the bus convoy would stretch from the California/Mexico border all the way to Alaska (one assumes through Canada) where there are no less than 21,000 latinos said to be living and working illegally.

The government says they have no intention of trying to deport them, which begs the question, why bother at all trying to limit what they can do then? If you are not going to deport them, then you are essentially allowing them to remain legally, which, quite frankly defeats the entire purpose of the argument.

Go ahead, be evasive...it's only your job.

DHS Background Check Questioned By Spencer S. Hsu Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, April 7, 2006; Page A04 The Department of Homeland Security official arrested Tuesday on charges of seducing a minor over the Internet faced disciplinary action at his previous workplace, Time magazine's Washington bureau, for misusing company equipment to download pornography, friends and former colleagues said. [Washington Post]

There are a couple of issues here that need to be addressed. I will start with the obvious and work my way to the less obvious.

First, the security check mechanism in place in the United States is severly flawed. It is based on an unrealistic web of trust that starts from a false premise - that being that an American Citizen makes one more trustworth than a non-citizen. I can point out more cases of problems caused by the trusted American than I can for the untrusted non-citizen. And non-citizens have as much access.

Secondly, there is not enough investigators in the United States to do even a cursory background check on even the most important of Federal civil servants, much less the ones that have to be done. Top Secret and Secrect clearance checks, new citizen checks, resident alien checks and a half a dozen others are tying up all availble and trained investigators and will have them tied up for the next decade. And that is before the investigations required under HSPD-12 begin for every fedeal employee and contractor. The realitiy is it cannot happen.

Less obvious, but no less important is the change in behaviour of companies when it comes to background or reference checks. Most companies today will only give out dates of employment and position, basically confirming that you worked there. Some will not even do that much. The reasoning behind this is lawsuits. Several employees have filed suit against their former employers for divulging things that are private or worse, have cased them not to get the job they were applying for. The simple fact that Mr. Doyle's co-workers knew about this does not mean that the human resources department did, or if they did that they would divulge it with anything less than a court order, federal investigator or not.

The people on the Hill can rant all they want. Until there is a better system in place, they are stuck with the one of their own making. Perhaps the amount of material that even requires a background check to access needs to be reassessed. Either that, or the Federal Civil Service needs to be downsized until the investigation staff can be improved.

The Greatest Story Ever Covered Up

Long-lost gospel of Judas recasts 'traitor' By Dan Vergano and Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY Lost for centuries and bound for controversy, the so-called gospel of Judas was unveiled by scholars Thursday. [Yahoo News]

Now, let us be clear here. The gospel of Judas was not lost like no one knew it existed. In point of fact, "[t]he text's existence has been known since it was denounced as heresy by the bishop of Lyon in A.D. 180, but its contents had remained an almost total mystery.[Washington Post]"

Already the established Church is jumping on the "big deal" bandwagon. Rather than embracing the opposing points of view that will continue to be unearthed as more and more of the "missing" parts of the Bible come to life, they are going to bury their head in the sand and hope it all goes away without upsetting their 2000 years of carefully crafted fantasy and, more importantly, financially lucrative story telling.

How much longer?

Libby Says Bush OK'd Leaks, Filing Alleges By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby apparently had serious qualms about leaking classified intelligence to the press, but he was quickly persuaded to drop them. There was pressure from his boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, who advised him that the president had authorized Libby to do so. End of discussion. [Yahoo News]

At this point, we may never know who is telling the truth, who is lying and who is covering up for whom. However, there is a certain amount of reasonable doubt being generated in my mind. President Bush may have authorized the leak and it would not surprise me if he had, but I am more inclined to believe that the President had no knowledge, either of the leak, the source or the material leaked and the Vice President is the one pulling the strings on this particular embarrassment. This is not to absolve the President. I have no doubt that embarrassing any critic of the administration is top on his agenda and I also believe that Cheney is very much in charge of that part of the operation.

However, if the President not only knew, but authorized it, then he should be impeached, removed from office, along with his Vice President and then brought up on criminal charges like any one else that discloses classified information. Not, that this is ever likely to happen. After all, this President has never knowingly lied.

Security checks are only for the masses

"If security of the House of Representatives is based on how members of Congress wear their hair...that is ridiculous," said Rep Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga) to CNN's Wolf Blitzer. [Washington Post 4 April 2006]

Not to put too fine a point on this, but I would expect that security at the House and the Senate, like the security around every other government building in Washington, DC and the nation would be exactly the same. If you want to get through the doors, you show a proper ID. I would hope that security on the House would not be based on how anyone looks, but on whether or not their ID matches the standards as set down under HSPD-12.

The problem is this - every single person that wishes to enter a federal building (who is not a member of Congress it seems) has to have a proper ID. This ID, as of HSPD-12, has to contain certain verified items, the finger prints of the individual being only one of many. Why is it, then, that the members of Congress are not required to follow the same procedures? Do they also get a pass on the background checks that everyone has to undergo (under HSPD-12). Are they allowed to carry weapons (the answer should surprise you - it is yes) with out being searched but everyone else has to bend over and take it?

Rep. McKinney is feeling put out because she blew through a security check point an was stopped like everyone else. She is claiming it is race related. The Capitol Police are proffering charges of simple assault against her (as they should, although I would like to have seen the more serious charge of assaulting a police officer). While it may be a he said/she said case, the basis is still the same. In Washington, you do not blow through security, whether elected, appointed or a humble civil servant. No exceptions. Otherwise, why bother in the first place?

But mom, I want to blow things up...

Judge Rules Mich. Video Game Law Illegal DETROIT - A federal judge has ruled that a Michigan law that bars retailers from selling or renting violent video games to minors is unconstitutional.

The Entertainment Software Association, Video Software Dealers Association and Michigan Retailers Association, trade groups representing U.S. computer and video game publishers, filed a lawsuit in September, charging that the law is unconstitutionally vague and limits First Amendment rights. [Yahoo News]

One of the great freedoms of the Constitution is the right of free speech. It is also one of the hardest to argue against when trying to ensure the safety of young people. More and more however, the government, whether at the Federal, State or local level, is trying to do what parents should be doing, and that is protecting their children. The law was an admirable attempt to protect young people. Frankly, I see little social or developmental value to shooting at something (especially when that something is law enforcement) and as a parent, I will not have those sorts of games in my house. But that does not mean I want the government making the decision that as a parent is my purview to make. What is happening though is that a large number of well meaning parents think that it should be the government's job. This is a classic misunderstanding of the roll of government in society, and more importantly, a complete disregard for the roll of the parent.