neurological dryer lint

people, stop expecting gas prices to drop. sure, inflation over time has something to do with it, but even adjusted for inflation, prices are the highest ever. but we're all hoping for a miracle, and that they'll just suddenly drop. they won't.

not because of the government - lobbyists control most of our legislators, because they can afford to. it's why tobacco companies - whose product's primary result of usage is cancer and death - are still profitable. it's why laws are being made to protect the outdated interests of media conglomerates when the rest of the world is moving on to a sales model that works with, not against, the state of technology. it's why internet access is about to get way more expensive as telecoms push for a tiered internet, abandoning the equality for every IP address that the net was built on. foolish concepts that wouldn't ever have been introduced on the floor of congress - if their sole purpose wasn't simply higher profits for the companies that the lobbyists represent.

not because of our ex-oil-tycoon commander-in-chief. it would do much to restore my trust in President Bush if he were to take serious action against the oil companies - i.e. drastic economic sanctions or a serious price-gouging investigation. not this weak spitting at the problem.

not because we're spreading democracy (like a virus) in the middle east. they still hate us. it is an interesting theory - maybe in fifty or a hundred years things will look differently because we've grown friendly governments in our little sandy lab on the other side of the world. doesn't help out a lot now when many extremists hate what we stand for, and the rest can't stand our incredible arrogance.

and certainly not because the oil companies are going to get benevolent all of a sudden. everyone's shocked that their profits are obscenely high. i'm sure they're sitting in a boardroom, shocked that we will pay $4.00 a gallon. sure, we'll whine about it, but we won't take any action. we won't elect a government that takes it seriously. we won't change our habits. we won't carpool. and so, if we'll pay the price, they'll charge it - because they're a business. their goal is to make their shareholders money. anyone who expects them to be the salvation army or the red cross is delusional.

expecting that we won't be paying at least $2.50 around here for the rest of our lives just isn't reasonable. it certainly does suck, but unless we are willing to change our habits and elect people that will pass a little lobbying reform through congress, we have no right to complain about it. i personally am failing on the former part. working from home this week has helped out a bit in that department, though. maybe i can do that from now on - i'll do my part.