Another "domestic variety Southern redneck" said it far better that I ever could. The name of this song is "Political Science", but I've renamed it:
"Ballad for Wouter"
No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens
We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them
Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us
We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too
Boom goes London and boom Paris
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono
And there'll be Italian shoes for me
They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now
- Randy Newman
Whattya think o' that Wouter! 
Those of you interested in more of the genius of Randy Newman can go here:
http://www.sing365.com/music/archiv...
yup, typical republican... anyone who doesn't agree with them they threaten violence..
The song is supposed to be satirical! Come on! Laugh a little!
And they are trying to convince us that a nuclear Iran is an unacceptable risk.
Wouter
(lets see how you come back on that one)
Wouter,
Do you think that a nuclear Iran IS an acceptable risk?
Wouter:
Try the Randy Newman link I provided; I think you will find his wit nearly as acerbic as your own. If you go there, look up the lyrics to "Lousiana", they are particularly apropse and wrtitten by "domestic variety Southern redneck".
In the U.S. we have laws protecting freedom of speech; in Iran I think they just cut off your head! And with nuclear weapons who knows!?
I fear that in a short time you may have reason to ask the Danes there opinion in these matters. 
Perhaps this might be better discussed outside a sailing forum.
How about going over to www.web.co.uk ? Catsailor.com is a sailing forum where we talk about sailing, and cat sailing in particular.
(Rick, if you don't approve of me linking off site, please remove it, or let me know and I'll remove it.)
Who is this "we" you speak of!?
...thanks for the great link Scooby!
Yeah, I also don't want this crap on a sailing forum. If I wanted to hear of one's political agenda or opinion, I'd turn on CNN or the like. You guys are really starting to piss off quite a few of us that come here for sailing. Let it go, or get out!
Political debate doesn't bother me as long as it is on a thread like this that specifically states the intention. Threads are like radio stations, and if you don't like a station's content, you just don't tune in. Personally, I find it kind of interesting to hear how sailors in various parts of the world feel about political situations.
What annoys me is politics sprouting up in the middle of a thread about sailing.
P.S. I don't have a clue how the forum administrator feels about it.
Iran is the worlds fourth largest oil producer. Globally, there is very little spare oil production capacity. Any action against Iran which caused Iran and/or countries sympathetic to Iran to reduce oil production would send oil prices sky high. As with the Saudi oil embargo in the 70's, this would be very disruptive to world economies. Iran knows this, which is why they are feeling so bold about the nuclear issue.
So, when talking about acceptable risk consider: Is our extreme dependence on imported oil an acceptable risk? Let's hope President Bush means what he said in his State of the Union Address and does something about it.
More info at - http:/
My apologizes to Matt and any others disturbed by any posts I placed in the "monohull/mutihull" thread.
But not in this one!
I think this is a double-edged argument that may be our salvation.
We have a significant domestic reserve, if we act NOW, rather that later in developing energy alternatives, that reserve can see us through! At this time a kind of parity exists, we need their oil, they need our money. That will not be so much longer, particularly in view of growth in the Chinese economy.
btw- this is very sailing related, you can't drive to the beach if there ain't no gas!
Of course he doesn't mean it. If he meant it, he would talk about energy conservation as a priority first, not just about alternative ways of domestic production, wouldn't he?
Lipservice to voters in the conservative base who are genuinly concerned with energy dependence / global warming.
Catius:
Indeed, everything will be alright! Ol' W maybe counitng me as part of his "conservative base", but I see nothing conservative about paying lipservice to this energy problem and allowing the Country to go down the drain!
We can, and should, do much more than conserve, lots of hope here: http:/
This is only part of the solution, but it is a significant part.
Catius:
Even lipservice can be helpful when it's the president talking: (Investors are Tilting Towards Windmills - http:/
The gist of the article is that GE is actually making a profit in its wind energy business (wind energy - another weak link back to sailing), and that investors are starting to take alternative energy more seriously.
It doesn't constitute the crash program for energy independence that some would like to see, including Representative Bartlett (R. Maryland), but it's a start.
****.
Are you talking about increasing the minimum MPG requirement for new cars to 40? (Because you'll have to pry the keys of my 12mpg baby out of my cold, dead hands buddy 
)
What do you suggest the detroit auto makers do to increase the mileage on their trucks and SUV's to 40mpg? Hybrid? Diesel?
Either way, its going to cost *someone* a lot of investment to implement that change in such a short amount of time.
I don't see any reason to NOT tap domestic resources for oil while new measures are planned and implemented for auto makers to prepare for. I'm all for oil rigs off the coast of NC! They make things interesting for navigation 
Good words to hear! Maybe we should all start writing, congressmen, Presidents, City Councilmen, the whole schmere and tell them to get on the stick.
Very soon, I will be sending a letter to my local Republican Party stating that if I don't hear "national security" and "energy" linked in a significant way I will be sitting home on election day or voting for Hilary! I think it's that important.
"What do you suggest the detroit auto makers do to increase the mileage on their trucks and SUV's to 40mpg? Hybrid? Diesel?"
The politicians just pandered to oil and car companies. If they did not do that and realize that in giving us cheap oil the mideast was basically making us "addicted" to it 20 years ago we WOULD be driving cars (and trucks) that got 40 mpg (or alt energy)
"I don't see any reason to NOT tap domestic resources for oil while new measures are planned and implemented for auto makers to prepare for."
I believe the "Strategic oil reserve" is so that if OPEC did decide to cut us off completely then we would have some time to get our sh-- together. If you get rid of the reserve (or use a lot of it) then we could be in trouble when the mid east makes its play.
"I'm all for oil rigs off the coast of NC! They make things interesting for navigation"
Until there is a problem and turns your launching ramp into slime.
hey - I am all for alternative energy sources. I read through the transcript of the State of the Union, and there's mention of funding for research cleaner technology. Good. Calling for more innovation on a voluntary basis is painless though. Why there is no demand for legislation that forces better gas-mileage on car manufacturers (just an example of a "hard" measure)? It's not like market forces will make drivers massively shift to fuel efficient cars anytime soon, unless fuel prices really oo through the roof. But that would cause our economy to collapse pretty much - so not an option to let that happen.
<****.
Hell yes! You go Tiger!
Brainstorm! How 'bout we sail a letter demanding action, all the way from Texas to the Statue of Libery, in time for their regatta! I'll take the leg from here to Naples, further if need be!
"you'll have to pry the keys of my 12mpg baby out of my cold, dead hands buddy" - no way! We need your heart, wallet, and vote! I know you won't give it up willingly, but would you sell it? And for how much? If we can wage a war with deficit money in the name of National Security, Why can't we buy up all the gas hogs!
Speaking of deficits, what happens to the economy if all the money we send out of the Country to buy imported oil is reinvested in jobs and industrial capacity here!(big American Flag Graemlin)
eh...can you just make a stop on the way and drop off that letter in Washington? We'd rather keep politics as far away from our race as possible... 
Catius:
No guts, no glory!
How about you all, that are complaining about gas/oil production blah blah, get off your lazy buts and do something about it.
Instead of driving how about riding a bike. I sure do it. It hasnt killed me yet. Goin onto a month now.
Although lets be realistic, I wont tow my cat with my bike blah blah, so save yourself those type of comments. But commuting to and from work is an awesome way to save over $100 of gas every week and a half. Plus the health benefits are off the charts. And a very effective way of helping the environment by having ONE less car on the road. AND NO I am not a tree hugger either.
Remember that such things are generally in terms of fleet averages, so some vehicles will do better and some worse. There have been some recent breakthroughs in Lithium ion battery technology that are very promising for plugin hybrids. Such vehicles would charge their batteries overnight and would have a range on battery power alone compatible with a typical commute, thus replacing gasoline with electricity. Toyota and Honda are already on track. American car markers may be slowly catching on (Ford Freestyle and maybe a hybrid Saturn this year). But none of them have got a plugin hybrid just yet. Average together practically no gas usage for plugin hybrids with more efficient trucks and the results start to look pretty meaningful.
We might all be very unpleasantly surprised in the not too distant future just how little our govenment can do to prevent that from happening. Remember the Arab oil embargo? That's why the "oil addiction" problem is real and urgent.
Look to Norway..(or Europe really, we are lagging behind due to horrendous taxes on new cars)
Fuel effciency technology is already happening, as is public transportation or even *gasp* cycling and walking.. I know, it's alien, but the technology is available. You just dont want to let go of what you are used to.
I tow our Tornado behind a Ford Focus 1.6litres (yes, yes, please spare me the jokes) when going to regattas. Fuel efficient, cheap and we get there fast enough as it is powerful enough to keep well above the speed limits. But it is not just about cars and transportation, diverse industries lean heavily on oil as basis for their products. Weaning them over to other raw materials will be far tougher. If you look around your home, 75% of your things are probably somehow containing oil derivatives. The same goes for your boat and sails, oil is everywhere as it so, relatively, inexpensive.
I commute to work on my cycle spring/summer/fall, it's a nice 12km tour each way.
When my sister was in Miami last winter, she was walking from the beach to her apartment. It was about a 4km walk. She only did it once, becouse she was stopped twice by cops driving by. Why was she stopped? Becouse they could not imagine someone walking 4kms voluntarily and they wanted to help if she had trouble with her car or something. My family which is very sports oriented had a real laugh when we heard this. But if our western society has come as far as that, perhaps we need a new energy crisis to start using new technology (or old, like they bicycle). A new energy crisis might be just around the corner, as the chineese also want to drive cars and consume like we do.
The dutch have some great cycling technology (it's a flat country) and have come a long way in developing what's called HPVs.
http://www.ihpva.org/
http://www.recumbents.com/home.asp
I really want one of those recumbent cycles with an aerodynamical fairing for commuting!
Cotton or flax sails anybody?
Rolf:
Well said! But, the industrial use of petroleum just makes the need for alternative fuel that much more important.
If I remember correctly, an oil field barrel is 41 or 42 gallons and yields only 17 gallons of gasoline. Add that to poor mileage and it is not a very efficient use of a valuable raw material.
Posterity may well be incredulous that we burned the stuff up instead of making things out of it! 
Also, I think bikes are great, but I just don't want to ride to work in 96 degrees F. and 96% humidity! Lord bless all who do!
Still waiting for that Hydrogen car he promised us several years ago.
Wouter
Ahhh, those annoying Dutch people again !
Wouter