My predictions (for who's going to be eliminated from "American Idol," for who would be this year's Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, for the winning lottery numbers) should be legendary for their inaccuracy. But the fact that my crystal ball is forever in need of a good Windexing never stops me from going out on a limb. So here I am, up the tree, and ready to take my next step on the big branch:
Rioting in the streets. This summer.
Add it up:
$4.25-a-gallon gasoline. People can't afford to fill their tanks, or, if they can, they've had to sacrifice something they didn't want to sacrifice in order to do it.
$5.15-a-gallon diesel fuel. Which has caused the price of groceries to skyrocket.
The mortgage meltdown and the collapse of the housing industry. Even creditworthy people carrying traditional loans have seen the equity in their homes evaporate.
The collapse of the auto industry. The big news the other day wasn't that GM is going to shutter four plants or that four fuel-efficient compact sedans outsold the Ford F-Series truck in the month of May. The big news was that, in May, Americans bought new vehicles at an annualized rate of something like 14.1 million vehicles -- the lowest since 1993. Good-bye, sales tax revenue, in cities like Cerritos, California, that are anchored by "auto malls." The plants closings and job losses we heard about earlier this week are just the beginning.
The collapse of the airline industry. Fewer seats at higher prices on the planes that are left on the airlines that are left operated by the staff that are left.
Unemployment at 5.6%. Up a half-point from last month. In Dayton, Ohio, the unemployment rate is 30%.
Republicans voting for Democrats and Democrats voting for Republicans. There are Republicans I know who despise John McCain so much they have already vowed to vote for Barack Obama. There are Hillary Clinton supporters so bitter and devout that they have already vowed to vote for John McCain. There are millions of Americans who won't vote for an old man, and millions who won't vote for a black man, and none of those Americans will say that to the pollsters.
Global warming. Three weekends ago, it reached 102 degrees at my house. Less than a week later, we had snow, hail, rain and tornadoes within a 50-mile radius in Southern California. You think it's going to get better as summer wears on?
This is insanity. I am telling you: by August, after we've been battered by hurricanes and wilted in the oppressive heat, when gasoline is five bucks a gallon and millions more people have lost their jobs, and we're still stuck in Iraq and Osama bin Laden still hasn't been found . . .
Rioting in the streets.
Have a good weekend!
Rioting in the streets. This summer.
Add it up:
$4.25-a-gallon gasoline. People can't afford to fill their tanks, or, if they can, they've had to sacrifice something they didn't want to sacrifice in order to do it.
$5.15-a-gallon diesel fuel. Which has caused the price of groceries to skyrocket.
The mortgage meltdown and the collapse of the housing industry. Even creditworthy people carrying traditional loans have seen the equity in their homes evaporate.
The collapse of the auto industry. The big news the other day wasn't that GM is going to shutter four plants or that four fuel-efficient compact sedans outsold the Ford F-Series truck in the month of May. The big news was that, in May, Americans bought new vehicles at an annualized rate of something like 14.1 million vehicles -- the lowest since 1993. Good-bye, sales tax revenue, in cities like Cerritos, California, that are anchored by "auto malls." The plants closings and job losses we heard about earlier this week are just the beginning.
The collapse of the airline industry. Fewer seats at higher prices on the planes that are left on the airlines that are left operated by the staff that are left.
Unemployment at 5.6%. Up a half-point from last month. In Dayton, Ohio, the unemployment rate is 30%.
Republicans voting for Democrats and Democrats voting for Republicans. There are Republicans I know who despise John McCain so much they have already vowed to vote for Barack Obama. There are Hillary Clinton supporters so bitter and devout that they have already vowed to vote for John McCain. There are millions of Americans who won't vote for an old man, and millions who won't vote for a black man, and none of those Americans will say that to the pollsters.
Global warming. Three weekends ago, it reached 102 degrees at my house. Less than a week later, we had snow, hail, rain and tornadoes within a 50-mile radius in Southern California. You think it's going to get better as summer wears on?
This is insanity. I am telling you: by August, after we've been battered by hurricanes and wilted in the oppressive heat, when gasoline is five bucks a gallon and millions more people have lost their jobs, and we're still stuck in Iraq and Osama bin Laden still hasn't been found . . .
Rioting in the streets.
Have a good weekend!
1 comment:
Chip - Democrats will never vote for McCain. How many time do I have to go over this? You can't ask that question the week Clinton drops out. Trust me, if Obama gets a bump in the poles before July 1, it means the Hillaristas have weighed the alternatives and albeit disappointed will march in the party line. Furthermore - If he gets the bump soon and its a big one, she'll be on the ticket and the election will be a landslide with the Dems picking up the White house and seat in the House and Senate.
Mikey B
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