I don’t doubt for a minute that, had Hilary Clinton won the U.S. Presidency, she would be subjected to the same anger and heckling that Obama is experiencing. That is a common acknowledgment: in surveys, white men, having to choose between a Black man in the Presidency or a White women….would prefer a Black man.

Note: The “Possibly-related Articles” below are links to other Today.com blogs which may or may not include other posts here on Grugger’s Way.

Like so many other space travel enthusiasts around the World, along with science fictions crazies, we thought a new age had dawned and that space travel was just a few years away for the rest of us.

Such was not to be. Not only is space travel not available to any but the very richest individuals in the World, a Russian Soyuz trip is about the only way to get into space. A trip to the International Space Station for ten or twenty million dollars is not what we had in mind for the masses.

Space travel is very limited even for the few countries who have engineered a vehicle capable of reaching orbit and returning. In fact, AFFORDING a national space program has become a real question of priorities in virtually every country, including the USA.

Back in 1969, NASA officials probably thought they would be engineering trips to MARS by the beginning of the 21st Century. So did I.

Now, however, even a return trip to the Moon is being re-tooled to do it on the cheap. Forget about Mars; the economy is so bad and the NASA budget so tenuous, that the “return to the Moon” plans are becoming doubtful.

For the population at large, the exploration of space, and manned space travel in particular, has lost the romance it once had. We need to feed our people, educate them, provide for their health and for their old age, not spend billions to put a man on the Moon. BEEN THERE; DONE THAT!

What a JERK! How disrespectful! How disgusting!

Why is it that such people enter politics? Or is it politics and power that changes them into jerks?

I have no use for his kind. The State has no use for such a governor.

As a matter of fact, such behavior shows such contempt for his family that he is unfit to be a husband or father.

Get a divorce first!

To many Americans, me included, China seems even more foreign than Russia. The people look different. They eat different food. They have different social customs and manners. They use a different way of writing. We have much to learn about them. Language is just the beginning.

I think that the technology must exist to “mark” each legitimate merchant ship, electronically, so they can be identified from satellite. Merchants ships could be boarded and “marked” at the choke point off the coast of Djibouti. Then, by satellite, any vessel putting out a heat and noise signal that is not “marked” would be identifiable as a legitimate target for boarding and inspecting, and then engaged militarily if necessary. There are several navy ships of many different countries operating in the area, and the USA, with the technology, could coordinate these “inspections.”

Affect on arctic and antarctic areas: Melting of the Arctic icecap will result in a true “northern passage,” a summer time ice-free route from Europe to Asia and to the west coast of the United States. This could occur in a couple of years; even a year-around route will eventually be possible.

Affect on agriculture: Temperature extremes affect all sorts of crops that are now grown in America’s food belt. Drought will drastically reduce corn and other summer agriculture crop production. Warmer temperatures will reduce avocado harvests in California, as well as destroy the wine-growing areas in that State. The desert areas of Africa and Asia and North America will increase in size, further limiting agriculture production.

Affect on marine life: Water temperatures are so critical to habitat, and wild salmon in the Pacific, Lobster off the coast of New England, and Rainbow Trout in southern areas of the USA are all being devastated by warmer waters. Other trout species, like the Bull Trout, are even more sensitive to water temperature variations, and warm water will stress ALL these wild populations into extinction, another blow to the food supply. Jellyfish, which thrive in warmer and more saline waters, are invading coastal areas, evidenced by THOUSANDS of Jellyfish stings, which are increasing each year.

Affect on insect life: Insects will thrive; their range and habitat and diet will expand. Forests are already being destroyed by Spruce Bark Beetles and Pine Bark Beetles which used to be kept in check by cold winters. Hot dry spells also encourage increased breeding of mosquitoes.

Affect on wildlife: Grizzly Bear, Mountain goat and Bighorn sheep are negatively affected by smaller alpine habitats, particularly in the U.S. Glacier National Park area. Polar Bears are dying from lack of food; often resorting to cannibalism. They are also drowning from fatigue as the size and number of ice floes decreases. This situation also negatively affects penguins. Walrus too, are having difficulty with breeding and feeding cubs, and often strand the cubs on small ice floes. Brown Bear become aggressive when hibernation is delayed or shortened due to warm weather and they often become victims of civilization encroachment, and are shot when they seek food.

Enough. You get the idea. What the World and America has lacked in the past ten years is the Political Will to acknowledge the science, accept the evidence, and pay the price that will be required to “slow down” the global climate change process initially, then stop it, then reverse it. This will require GENERATIONS of humans with governments that are willing to change their priorities.

This is the real game of Survival. This is the real “war” to be engaged. There is no room for squabbling over the affairs of politicians, bankers, and the other myriad and trivial pursuits of mankind.

President Obama just completed his first foreign visits since his election. By all accounts he made a positive impression. The entire World looks to the United States for leadership. If the United States does not lead, the World’s governments falter and fumble around, looking for direction. Whether or not the World’s civilizations as we know them survive global climate change may well depend upon the WILLPOWER exhibited by Barack Obama, the U.S. Congress, and the American people and industry over the next EIGHT YEARS.

If nothing is done, it will be TOO LATE. The process of climate change is accelerating in geometric proportions. Some scientists warn that we have already passed the point of no return. Other scientists say that is “alarmist thinking” and they say, “Yes, We Can.” We still have time if we ACT aggressively and in concert with ALL the nations of Planet Earth.

The recent missile test, which is regarded as highly provocative by both Japan and South Korea, underscores the continuing power play that Jong Il believes will strengthen his position in nuclear and economic negotiations with the West.

Although the missile test was overwhelmingly condemned, there was no attempt by the U.S. to “shoot down” the missile, evidently, trajectory data confirmed a course that would not threaten any other country. The U.S. says the missile splashed down in the ocean, North Korea press releases claimed that a satellite had been placed in orbit.

There is also an internal power play in North Korea that is of concern to Japan, South Korea, and western nations as well. Just how long Jong Il can hold on to power in view of his health problems is a question that remains to be answered, and just how firmly he remains in control will largely determine who will hold power upon his death and if a power struggle is likely to erupt. The possession of nuclear weapons (of any sort or degree of sophistication) by an unstable government will keep the U.S. military presence nearby and on alert.

President Obama’s surprise visit to Iraq shouldn’t really have come as a genuine surprise to anyone, it simply wasn’t announced and was “unscheduled” on his travel agenda. He stated that it was time for Iraq to be accountable for its own future. A great deal depends on the leadership of Prime Minister al-Maliki, President Jalal Talibani, and the new General in Charge of U.S. forces, Raymond Odierno.

General Motors has been around for a long time. Are we now in the situation where the American car industry will not only take a back seat to European and Asian car manufacturers, but simply leave the American market for them to enjoy?

I know that many foreign car manufacturers are now producing automobiles in the United States with U.S. labor, but those company profits go to overseas owners, primarily. And I understand that automobile parts for virtually ALL automobiles in the World are usually produced somewhere other than where the auto assembly plants are located. But I think American workers, labor unions, stock holders and loyal CUSTOMERS deserve just as much consideration as some financial services giant or bank.

Is it time for the USA to become more socialist? Should the U.S. government become the de facto owner of the means of production? If the alternative is turning over our industries to foreign ownership and foreign investment (more than we currently have), I think that U.S. government ownership, partial ownership at least, will give the government more muscle in directing these industries.

Socialism works in Europe and Great Britain and Australia, to some extent. I think we need to separate ourselves from the notion that Socialism equates to Communism. Perhaps what the American public needs is a better understanding of world economic systems, but I doubt that most Americans would be willing to listen and learn about things that go against the conservatism, protectionism, and isolationism that talk-show hosts pander for hours on end.

When I ask the question of “Bigness” being “too big,” I am coming from a position of ignorance. I saw an article today wherein a U.S. government official has stated something to the effect that:

AIG is a globally interconnected colossus, with 74 million customers worldwide and operations in more than 130 countries. The government decided it was simply too big to let fail.

There are CORPORATIONS with assets and annual revenues that are bigger than the gross domestic product of some COUNTRIES!

A financial crisis in a small country can be bailed out more easily than these huge “conglomerates.”

I don’t know a great deal about American history, but there were so many problems with monopolies during the early years of the Industrial Revolution, I thought the U.S. Government had put measures in place to control these “giants.”

I think the problem may now be that the “giants” have become so BIG and so POWERFUL that the CEOs or Presidents wield more power in the World than many–(yes MANY)–government leaders. Corporate CEOs fly around the World in private jets that put many a country’s elected leaders to shame. Corporate CEO’s and other top officials earn salaries (oh yes, and bonuses too) that FAR exceed the incomes of all but the most corrupt World dictators.

I just hope it isn’t TOO late to put the Brakes on and exert some Control over these “TOO-BIG-for-their-own-good” corporations.

SPIDER superstitions:

Spider Webs can be seen as traps that ensnare people, like flies that become stuck fast. Spiders in history have often represented human fragility as well as enticement for evil. In Africa spiders are often associated with tricksters.

(In all fairness to the world’s spiders, most spider superstition is actually favorable and they are often associated with good luck.)

What I can’t get my mind around is how a “bonus” can be over $1 Million! Even if we discount the QUAINT NOTION that a “bonus” should be CONNECTED in SOME WAY to PERFORMANCE, I am mind-boggled at a one-year bonus that exceeds what a lot of working people earn in their ENTIRE LIFETIME!

Something is seriously wrong with our society–with our SYSTEM–that pays some people millions and millions in regular salary PLUS such an outrageous amount as a “little bonus,” while millions are unemployed or toil at jobs that pay $7.00 per hour, AND where heads of household are working two or three part-time jobs to make $20,000 a year and pay rent, utilities, car payments, gasoline, and buy food for a family of four.

Here’s the part that is really hurtful and offensive to most of the working people: the recipients of these multi-million dollar salaries and million dollar bonuses often take it for granted that they DESERVE it; that the company, or society, or the country OWES them this kind of compensation.

In my humble opinion, NOBODY is worth that kind of money and it doesn’t matter WHAT they contribute to society. These people are SUCKING CHEST WOUNDs on the World’s economies!

There was one time that I saw a statistic from Japan that showed the ratio of the salary from the highest paid company executive to the lowest paid employee was only FIVE to ONE! That was some years ago, and things have changed. (AND HOW!)

It is no wonder that our entire financial system, as it currently functions, is not sustainable. There is no value added at each step of the financial management process; but rather there is a “rake off the top” for these privileged individuals, and the cost is passed on at each step, with the large numbers of us poor bastards at the bottom of the taxpayer food chain picking up the cost.

I am totally fed up, and the only thing I can do is pull our annuity out of AIG and put it somewhere else.

Perhaps this is too obvious, but the problem here is finding ANY FINANCIAL organization that is any different!