Gibson Guitars get busted for breaking the law so they whine about the law.

Leave it to the modern GOP to rally behind a company that got in trouble with the feds for violating the law.  They are upset that Obama is actually enforcing a law they helped pass.
Gibson Guitar becomes cause celebre for conservatives

The feds were after contraband in Gibson's Tennessee factories that day — ebony and rosewood they suspected was illegally imported from India. But their actions against the company whose guitars have been strummed by B.B. King, Bob Dylan and John Lennon netted some unanticipated results: infamy on talk radio and from commentators on the right.

Weeks later, the raid has generated publicity worthy of a rock concert. Groups like the "tea party" and the GOP, and VIPs like House Speaker John A. Boehner and Rush Limbaugh, have grabbed hold of it as an extreme example of how government regulations are strangling American enterprise.

The regulations being referred to are the amendments to the Lacey Act which made it illegal to import the  wood for the fret boards because the export of the unfinished wood from India was not legal there. Gibson went ahead with the shipments anyway.  At the casino this behavior is referred to as "gambling".

As for the amendment to the Lacey Act that made the import of the Indian wood illegal, it was tucked away in the 2008 US Farm Bill that George Bush vetoed over the excessive cost to taxpayers.  In order to get enough GOP votes in Congress for an override the Democratic leadership allowed GOP House members load the bill up with pork.  In any case, the 2008 Farm Bill was passed and the Lacey Act was amended legally.

So now for the Gibson CEO to complain that the law is actually being enforced and for politicians to claim that the law is proof of environmental regulations run amok is silly.  If you don't agree with a  law, then by all means, work within the legal channels to change it.  If the corporate strategy is to just go ahead and flout the law then don't be surprised when the Feds show up to shut it down.  Imagine if Gibson had used illegal labor instead of illegal materials.  Would the same GOP cheerleaders be out front defending their right to do what it takes to compete in the marketplace?

And another note to GOP members of Congress.  The next time the other side gives you the green light to load up a bill with pork to buy your support, you just might want to actually read whats in the Bill that you agree to vote "Aye" on.  That way you won't look stupid a few years later complaining about what was in the fine print.

My own Gibson guitar was made in Kalamazoo Michigan. It has the now illegal fretboard wood.
It's not for sale.

At the speed of Nuetrinos?

GeekDad clearly understands this topic very well because he makes the concepts seem almost understandable.  An expert is someone who can explain it to anyone.  
Neutrinos and the Speed of Light — A Primer on the CERN Study

This is the group of physicists, together, stating that they don’t know how they came to a result that shows neutrinos apparently exceeding the speed of light. They are not drawing any conclusions in this article and are simply providing the finding and the methods used to obtain the finding. They are trying to find where there could be errors in their measurements. They do not claim that the neutrinos are actually exceeding the speed of light, only that the measurements to date show something unexpected. They are reaching out to the high-energy physics community to improve the experiment and data analysis. They are not looking to fundamentally change physics but to ensure that they are producing sound data. We may find that nothing comes of this. We may find that there is an effect known in physics that accounts for the difference. We may find that neutrinos are capable of moving slightly faster than the speed of light. It is simply too early to make definitive, wide-reaching conclusions.

OK, the experts won't propose any explanations, but what the hey, here's my $0.02 theory.  For the record I got an "A" in Honors Physics freshman year at the Illinois Institute of Technology from Professor Ernst and he was so smart they named an equation after him.  And I can spell Wikipedia.  So here is perhaps how a neutrino can be faster than the speed of light.

A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a small but non-zero mass. Being electrically neutral, it is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected, "like a bullet passing through a bank of fog".

And this..

The photon is currently understood to be strictly massless, but this is an experimental question. If the photon is not a strictly massless particle, it would not move at the exact speed of light in vacuum, c. Its speed would be lower and depend on its frequency. Relativity would be unaffected by this; the so-called speed of light, c, would then not be the actual speed at which light moves, but a constant of nature which is the maximum speed that any object could theoretically attain in space-time. 

So here's my hypothesis.  The measurements from Cern are correct. By showing the neutrinos are slightly faster than photons it demonstrates that neutrinos have ever so slightly less mass than photons even though both of these quantities approach zero.  By making instruments precise and accurate enough we have determined which massless particle is less massless than the other.     

Mitt Romney won't carry Michigan in 2012

Mitt Romney is in lala land when it comes to his analysis of the federal bailouts of GM and Chrysler in 2009.  If he does go on to win the GOP nomination, the following quote from him earlier this year will haunt his Presidential campaign here in Michigan and beyond.  I can see this quote on a billboard paid for by the DNC.  Mitt is just plain wrong.  I can't decide if he's just pandering to the far right for support or if he's actually dumb enough to think this way.

"It would have been best had the auto companies gone through the bankruptcy process without having taken $17 billion from government."

I have written on this subject before and explain and reference things more fully here.  Blinfolded law professor swings and misses at the auto bailout pinata.

In short, there was no private financing available and/or willing at that time and both companies would have been tossed into liquidation where lawyers would have fought over the scraps for years and by the time they were done none of it would matter.  Yes it was unprecedented and legally questionable. But the alternative was utter economic chaos. 

GM and Chrysler would have been joined in bankruptcy by many other struggling automotive suppliers due to the loss of business and the turmoil would have disrupted all the other domestic automobile companies as well, sending hundreds of thousands if not millions of people into sudden unemployment in an already staggering economy.  The shock waves would have decimated cities and entire States and eventually the entire American economy.   Kaput. Instant Depression. 

So for Romney to look back now and compare the $17 billion cost to some Utopian alternative reality he dreamt up that had zero chance of happening in order to criticize the Obama administration is just silly.   It shows how it doesn't take a very sophisticated message or even a coherent one to impress the GOP base these days.  The rage and anger have diminished the cognitive skills.

I voted for Mitt in the 2008 GOP primary in Michigan.  But based on his analysis regarding the auto bailouts, I don't think he's smart enough to be President.  

Court smacks down lawyer for writing unintelligible gibberish.

Wow, how convoluted and unintelligible must a legal document be to actually get the lawyer who wrote it in trouble with the judges who had to read it.  I mean, its so bad the Court might just take away the guy's license.    
7th Circuit Slaps Lawyer for 345-Word Sentence and Briefs Full of ‘Gibberish’

Lawyer Walter Maksym was “unable to file an intelligible complaint,” despite three tries given him by the trial court, according to the opinion by the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “Each iteration of the complaint was generally incomprehensible and riddled with errors, making it impossible for the defendants to know what wrongs they were accused of committing,” the appeals court said. In addition, “Maksym’s appellate briefing is woefully deficient, raising serious concerns about his competence to practice before this court,” the court added...

Here is one example of Maksym's writing provided by the court: 

The plaintiff and concert goers "were stunned on the day of the family-oriented event, when an even more menacing law enforcement presence was created when [the sheriff's] armed deputies, without prior consent or permission, warrant or probable cause, arrived, not a part of any agreement and a surprise and upset when it arrive, uninvited, on and entered and trespassed on Plaintiff property with drug-sniffing ‘K-9’ dogs, obviously and unfortunate that Defendants were ‘looking for trouble’ where there was none as distinct from 'looking to serve.' "

Wow, it sounds like someone was taking dictation of a drunk, angry person rambling. I can't wait to read his response to the Court.

So what's it like working in a factory?

I've been working as an engineer in and around factories and assembly lines for about 27 years now.  Oh the crazy sh*t I have seen.  Maybe that's why I think this scene from the 1936 film "Modern Times" starring Charlie Chaplain as an overworked and stressed out factory rat is so freaking hilarious.  And notice how so much future technology that had not been invented yet was written into the storyline. 
 
I rate this as one of the funniest scenes in Hollywood history. For your viewing pleasure, I present the factory scene from Modern Times..

and part 2..

Clean energy and dirty politics. the Solyndra scandal

I try to avoid getting wrapped up in the daily political scandals and the barbs tossed back and forth across the aisle. I typically have more productive things to do.  But the Solyndra scandal isn't going away anytime soon so I figured I'd read up on it.  Here's the gist of it..

The Solyndra scandal involves the Obama administration's giving a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra in 2009, with the promise that the company would create 4,000 new jobs. Instead of creating the news jobs, Solyndra reduced its staff to approximately 1,100 employees. In early September 2011, the company ceased all business activity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and laid-off all employees...

According to e-mails which were released exclusively to the Washington Post, the Obama administration had tried to rush federal reviewers to approve the loan so Vice President Joe Biden could announce it at a September 2009 groundbreaking for the company’s factory. The company was a hallmark of President Obama's plan to support clean energy technologies.

Imagine that. Politicians who use their influence to benefit individuals and companies that donate to their political campaigns. Wow. Who woulda thunk it could ever happen here in the USA. / 

But maybe there is a deeper conspiracy at work here. (cues the mysterious music..) President Obama has a horrible approval rating. He has lost all his mojo with the Democratic base and he's got no trick cards left up his sleeve to get it back. He could potentially lose the White House in 2012.  He may have already been dubbed an albatross.

There are people out there, in his hometown no less, wondering aloud if Obama should just step aside and skip the 2nd term for the good of the party. Why Obama Should Withdraw

His approval rating is at its lowest level ever. His party just lost two House elections — one in a district it had held for 88 consecutive years. He's staked his future on the jobs bill, which most Americans don't think would work.

The vultures are starting to circle. Former White House spokesman Bill Burton said that unless Obama can rally the Democratic base, which is disillusioned with him, "it's going to be impossible for the president to win." Democratic consultant James Carville had one word of advice for Obama: "Panic."

Could the Solar Panel scandal actually cause enough of a problem for Obama that it forces him out of a 2nd term?  Under normal circumstances I would say no, Obama will likely win reelection whomever the TeaOP runs against him.  But then Hillary is not interested in being anyone's secretary for long and by 2016 Obama's policies may have caused irreparable damage to the Democratic party and the US financial system rendering Hillary's patience all for naught.  2012 just might be her best shot at not only winning the presidency but also being able to lead the US out of the multiple crisis we face at home and abroad.

If the Solyndra Scandal can somehow pave the way for Hillary, the Ablest Person in a generation to the Democratic ticket in 2012, the GOP will get a lot of free help focusing sunlight on the shady dealings by the Obama administration.  Jes sayin..      

Some ideas for old fashioned newspapers..

My first job was working for a newspaper.  I had a Detroit Free Press route in Lincoln Park back in the late 1970's in 8th and 9th grade.  I had around 100 daily and 125 Sunday papers to deliver. I got up at 6AM, picked up the papers at the Lawson's, walked or rode the route for an hour or so and went back home to start the day.  Every day, rain or shine, even on Christmas.  I had to go door to door in the afternoon every Friday to collect the $2 from everyone.  I never once needed the book to know how much every customer owed.  Paperboy's got a lot of time to think about who didn't pay last week.  

Anyway, I grew up with newspapers and I want to see them survive in the digital age. The internet can't totally eliminate the need for print news, but it certainly has screwed up the traditional business model.  But I can already see the signs of strain on the internet news media as well.  Heck when you call up most online newspapers now, your PC gets jammed with bandwidth sucking banner ads, pop-up ads, commercials, etc.  At least in the old fashioned newspaper you could skip past all the ads and go right to the story.  I'm not sure this medium has a long term business model any better than the print media.   How much bombardment with internet advertisements will web surfers tolerate?  Not much.

So I have a few ideas for the newspapers to maybe help drum up some interest and maybe new fans.  In no particular order. 

First, make sure the layout for printing is done carefully so that the color pictures are sharp and defined.  Blurry photos are a sign of sloppy work in the printing process.  Customers expect quality.  In my mind this is the number one perceived quality issue with newspapers I see for sale, with one exception, the Toledo Blade which I must say, always has clean and sharp color pictures.      

Provide some blank space somewhere in the newspaper. Not much, maybe just an 1/8 of a page.  There is nowhere in the entire newspaper on which to jot down a note or just doodle if you're bored at the airport.  Apparently the object of newspaper layout is to fill every square centimeter with either an ad, a graphic, a wire story, a picture, anything at all except for blank space.  I think people would like some doodle space in the paper.    

As a daily feature present a timely news story in English and then along side that in Spanish, French, or other language.  Over time it will be a convenient way for some interested people to learn a basic knowledge of another language.  Might even get some school language departments to buy the paper once a week.

Have something like a Quack's Corner to expose the nut case radicals on the internet, debunk the common internet based conspiracies and Snopes the current chain e-mail string nonsense.  Print media should get a dig in at the net where it is due.  The Internet is full of quacks.  Have some fun ridiculing them. 

Car Pool page.  The paper could do a community service and help build sales by organizing and sponsoring car pool efforts in the reader community.  A place where people who want to share a ride can find others nearby.  This can also be the place where road construction projects that will cause delays can be listed.

Just a few thoughts.  One thing is sure, the newspapers have to do something to retrieve customers.  Otherwise it will be a slow long march to complete oblivion and no one wants that.

Congratulations to the Detroit Tigers and their fans including me.

W00t! Congratulations to the team and the fans. The Detroit Tigers have clinched the American League Central Division title and are headed to the 2011 MLB post season and run for a World Series Title.

And the way this team is flying right now, who could possibly be favored over them.  We have the pitching, hitting, defense up the middle, and coaching to win it all.

 It's been since 1984 when the Tigers won a championship.  I remember it like it was yesterday because it seems like yesterday.   Also, Shelly and I were there in 1987 for all three games the final weekend against the Blue Jays and for the one home playoff game that year.  Heck, I can even take credit for starting the emotional tribute standing ovation for Darrell Rogers when he first came to bat in that game even though he had been made a goat in game 2. 

One of my prized possessions in the world is a baseball that was signed by the players and coaches of the 1972 Tigers that I got for my 8th birthday from my Aunt Stella and Uncle Stanley who both worked at Tiger Stadium back then.  I spent many hours as a kid downriver in Lincoln Park listening to Ernie Harwell call the game on WJR radio while I kept score in a homemade program so I could keep track of the stats myself.

I know from watching this sport for decades now that its not easy to come out on top in a 162 game season.  So if you are a fan of the Tigers, now is the time to enjoy and celebrate just a bit.  But don't get too excited.  Lots of work to do to win a championship.        

‘Bill Belichick: A Football Life’

Here are my favorite moments from the first hour of 'Bill Belichick: A Football Life' that debutted on the NFL Network last night.   They wired Belichick for sound and video throughout the Patriots 2009 training camp and season and NFL Films has gone though hundreds of hours of film to have enough background material to weave a tale that tells the whole story of the guy in the hoodie with V Rings, which happens to be the name of his fishing boat. 

So, in no particular order.

• When the Jets scored on the very plays Belichick warned his coaches about the night before.
• When he told a trash talking Derrick Mason "f* you Mason, have you looked at the scoreboard?"
• The emotional pregame visit to the empty Meadowlands locker room and the Big Tuna stories.
• When he sarcastically told Wesley Welker "Way to compete.." after the Lou Gehrig story fell flat.
• When he played catch with his son.

If the first show was any indication, this series is going to be great.  I highly recommend paying the few extra bucks a month to Comcast for the NFL Network if for no other reason than being able to watch it.  This is how a five-time championship coach prepares his team, conducts himself, and treats other people.  We can all learn.

What if a third party run for the presidency ended in a tiebreaker?

I saw this question raised in an WSJ online forum.  hmm
 Should the Tea Party become a formal political party with an ability to field its own candidates?

I think if the Tea Party split from the Republican Party for the 2012 election and fielded their own presidential candidate, a three-way race might just give us a chance to witness an epic political circus. That would be the historically elusive tie-breaker election in the House.

The electoral college system essentially eliminates a third party's chances of winning the presidency because a majority of electoral votes are required, not just a plurality. When a party splits into two factions it typically just hands the election to the other party. However it is feasible that a third party run could sway the election such that none of the candidates won a majority of electoral votes. Then we would have to dig out the 12th Amendment for the rules of the tie-breaker election.

The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote

That would be interesting to watch. California gets cancelled out by North Dakota. New York gets cancelled out by South Dakota. Texas gets cancelled out by Rhode Island. If you look at the House roster that will be in place if a tiebreaker happens in 2012, the clear advantage is for the Republicans. In 34 of 50 states, the Republicans have more representatives than the Democrats so if the votes were along party lines, the GOP would dominate the tiebreaker. The Dems have an advantage in 15 states and in one state there is a tie.

Now if it ever came to a tiebreaker election, then the GOP and the Tea Party might make a deal to unite their support behind one candidate in the tiebreaker. Its a long shot, but then who knows what can or can't happen in US politics anymore. The President might win a landslide of public votes and lead the electoral vote contest, but if he doesn't win a majority of electoral votes, then he becomes vulnerable in the tiebreaker.
And that would be a full-blown circus.  Oh the humanity..

Traits of a good coach in youth athletics..

1)  The coach speaks to the kids using the same words and tone if the parents are there or if they aren't.  If a coach has to tailor the message and vocabulary based on who is in the audience, be very suspicious.  Predators use this same tactic.  Don't tell your folks what I just said or else.

2) The coach puts the kids health first and foremost.  The coach should never be so preoccupied chewing them out for what happened in the first half that they don't have time to stretch out and get ready for the second half.   Stretching prevents injuries.  And the coach shouldn't put a kid he just took out of the game for a concussion back in the game just because the team needs a score.  

3) The coach is at least as smart as someone in the stands who is watching the game for the first time ever.  The ability to make good adjustments in the game plan is key.  If you have to get all the way down to 5th string looking for a cornerback who can cover a receiver in man to man coverage it just might be time to consider a different coverage scheme and not just blame it on the kid(s).

4)  The coach should use more positive feedback than negative feedback.  If he isn't, well than that just means the team hasn't been coached very well and they aren't sure what to do next.

5) The coach doesn't need to use profanity to make a point.  Anyone who needs to sprinkle profanity into their speech to make a point doesn't have much of a point to make.  It is a litmus test for low intelligence.  If the coach needs to use profanity to make a point then he is a dummy.

Marbled Orbweaver on the pool cover

Nice picture of a Marbled Orbweaver I spotted in the backyard yesterday.  It is convenient for measuring purposes how the spider is resting on a grid. I measured the width of the square to be 2.67 mm.  One interesting observation is how each of the spider's legs are attached to the thread that makes up the grid.  The tarp itself is probably too slippery for the spider to grip, but the edges made by the small thread seem to work just fine.

10th anniversary of 9/11

9/11/2011   Ten years later.

This was the scene today in the front yard of the house belonging to some friends of mine, Kevin and his wife Karen.  Oddly enough, a month ago I posted from this same front yard in Dearborn Heights Michigan when my band played at their Summer bash.  Why not set up the band on the front yard?  

Kevin and Karen wanted to make a pro-America statement to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  The 10' x 16' flag hung from the stately old trees lining Colgate street in the old neighborhood does a nice job of doing that.

We all remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news.  I remember thinking, maybe even fearing that major terrorist attacks like the ones on 9/11 would become the new norm for America and the world.  It seemed way too easy for a few evil people to hatch a plot that killed thousands of innocent civilians and totally disrupted our way of life and our sense of security.  Surely there will be more of these monstrous attacks on our homeland.

But they never happened.  Credit or blame who you like for what happened or didn't happen, but there is no denying that the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq killed a lot of fanatics who would have killed us if they had the chance.

And ten years later, life is back to pretty much normal, if that is life can ever be considered normal.

None of us can ever forget, but the awesome flag does make one pause for a moment and think, wow its been 10 years and we're still here.  Thanks to all the American heroes who were there that day and to all those who fought in the war since then to get us here.

Rick Perry strategy: Cut the fire department budget, pray for rain, call FEMA.

Rick Perry promises that as the 2012 GOP Presidential nominee he will bring the successful programs he championed in Texas to the rest of the country. Well he might want to add a disclaimer about the some of the actions he took regarding preventing and fighting wild fires. Turns out that part of his record isn't so good. Texas pleads for help as fires sear state

He noted that Texas fire district funding is capped by the state at 10 cents per $100 valuation in property taxes. Linardos said that in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where he served as fire chief, he had five times the funding. State Sen. Kirk Watson, an Austin Democrat, has proposed doubling the state funding cap.

Volunteer fire departments, which cover much of the state, have also faced a 75% state budget cut this year under Perry and the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Then again, why waste money taxpayer money on fire fighting resources when you can just pray for rain.  Texas Dust Bowl Drives Cotton Rally as Perry Prays for Rain

Withering fields in Texas, the largest U.S. grower, led Governor Rick Perry, a Republican presidential candidate and the son of a cotton farmer, to ask supporters to pray for rain to end a “monster drought” shrinking cattle herds and killing crops.

And for a backup plan for the prayer, there is always the US Taxpayer and FEMA who will come to the rescue the Texans who have lost their homes, businesses, farms, etc to the torturous Dust Bowl II drought conditions..  Obama phones Perry to discuss wildfires 

"..This call came a day after Perry reiterated his request for a Major Disaster Declaration from the federal government for response and recovery, as Texas is still battling more than 50 wildfires.

"Because so many fires are burning across the state, our resources are spread pretty thin,”

 And I am sure they will claim the wildfires were an act of God.  The same God who didn't answer the prayers to make it rain.

Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult

Mike Lofgren hits the nail on the head.  I completely agree with his assessment of just what the hell has gone wrong with the Republican Party.  Highly recommended reading for any other formerly Republicans wondering when the kooks took over.
 Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult

It should have been evident to clear-eyed observers that the Republican Party is becoming less and less like a traditional political party in a representative democracy and becoming more like an apocalyptic cult, or one of the intensely ideological authoritarian parties of 20th century Europe.

You know It didn't used to be this way, at least I didn't see it this way. I have voted GOP every time since turning 18 because I thought in the balance the Republican agenda was less damaging to the future of the USA than the one proposed by the Democrats.   However, the last few years of willful ignorance and religious fanaticism on proud display in the GOP from the grassroots level all the way up to party leadership have made me pull the cord to tell the bus driver I want off at the next stop.

Who in the GOP today could even play the role of William Buckley when he called out the John Birch Society radicalism lurching into the GOP in 1962.   Any party leader who tried that now would be skewered by the pack of zombies the GOP/Tea Party has become.  These days, Bill Buckley would have the word RINO tattooed across his forehead.

But I know who can help purge the GOP of the new lunacy.   An army of  relative nobodies who take the message to their own small circles of friends, neighbors and co-workers.   None of us are worth a single spear hurled in our general direction from party leaders, but collectively, we can expose the lies, educate the misinformed, ridicule the clowns, and make the road for the radicals a little tougher.

There is no worse adversary to a cult than the ones who left the fold because they know what drove them to leave and know how to get others to leave as well. 

HS football highlight: QB leaves a trail of defenders in his wake.

Yeah that's my kid.  Nice run Daniel.

What can the Government really do to create jobs?

This is an interesting topic. What can government legislators and bureaucrats do to actually create jobs. Productive tax-paying jobs in profitable private enterprise, and not just government make-work jobs funded by tax dollars. 

Some of my right wing friends and co-workers might jump in right there and point out how anytime the Government even tries to help free enterprise, it only makes things worse and that its silly to even think the Government can do anything to create jobs.  On the other hand, some on the left think that all we need to do is increase taxes on rich people to fund make work projects to get the economy rolling again.

Neither side is correct and maybe that's why these initiatives never measure up.  The Government has a beneficial role to play for jobs creation, but its not as simple as throwing taxpayer money around and wait for the jobs to just appear.

What the Government can do to help private enterprise create jobs is to remove the impediments to profitability to help the business that employ American workers to become more profitable.   On another front, the Government could help private enterprise by finding ways to increase American consumers' disposable income so they have more money to spend.

I like the plan from Jon Huntsman.  Jon Huntsman's jobs plan: lower taxes, simplify code I hope that even if Huntsman doesn't become the nominee the basic elements of his plan are adopted by other GOP candidates.  The plan removes some of the impediments to profitability which is the only way to create long-term jobs.  The best part about great ideas is that they propagate on their own so look for Huntsman's plan to influence and work its way into the others.
   
But because I like to think out of the box here are a few other thoughts about how Government can help create jobs and get the economic engine spinning again. 

1)  Gasoline should be treated like a public utility.  It is the universal raw material with its price baked into every product on the market.  There is excess oil production capacity and excess oil refining capacity as well.  Speculators buy and sell tankers of oil like its a game of poker and they're gambling on a jackpot.  They track oil and gasoline inventory levels as if they were some sort of independent bellwether for future demand while refineries control production to manipulate the inventory levels to psyche out the speculators.  Who can tell what controls it all, but one thing for sure, its not a free market so free market forces don't apply here. 

We don't allow speculators to buy and control futures in the municipal water supply so they can make windfall profits during periods of emergencies.  Gasoline is just as important to us as all of the other public utilities and it makes sense to stabilize and regulate the supply in a manner similar to the other utilities. 

2) America needs to become conserve-ative.  I've made this point many times before.  We need to find a thousand ways to cut waste in our fuel usage to create a glut in the market.  It wouldn't be that hard to do.  Improve traffic flow by timing traffic lights, 4-day schedules for public schools and Government offices, 3-day US Mail delivery, carpooling, public transportation, etc.. Through the housing crisis, we have all seen first hand what happens to the market price when there is a glut in supply.  Lets make a glut happen in the oil market.   

3) We need to minimize the trade deficit. We can't sustain any economic recovery while the trade deficit is $40 billion a month.   That equivalent to building a new Dallas Cowboy's Stadium every single day.  How can any economic expert not recognize this is a huge problem for a nation hooked on debt to support operations?  The dollars need to roll around a few American paychecks before heading offshore.  And no we don't fix it all by across the board protectionism.   We should eliminate tariffs on incoming raw materials (like sugar) and energy (like ethanol) because these make manufacturing here more costly and kill jobs.  But we should increase them on high value products that were subsidized by developing market labor rates and lax environmental laws.  However we do it, it needs to happen or any jobs plan will fail.

4) We need to close down many of our US Military bases in Foreign nations.  We won't need to worry about our global influence if our financial system goes belly up.  Besides, its time to do some Nation building right here at home in the USA instead of borrowing money every month to maintain these bases all over the world.

5) We need to allow long-term homeowners who have been chugging along with their payments through the recession some leeway to refinance mortgages without requiring a current appraisal exceeding the loan value.  Mortgage rates are at an historical low and many homeowners could lower their house payments by refinancing but due to the housing crash, the comparatives used in the home's appraisal are foreclosed homes sold at auctions, so for most home owners the current appraisal will negate the chance to refinance and it is going to be that way for years to come.   This is holding a lot of money out of the recovery. 

Add to that the effect from American consumers who were squeezed in the last recession and when their job went away and their savings ran out they lost their good credit rating.  Now even as they regain employment and purchasing power, they are still considered bad risks and are not allowed back in the economy to make major purchases that require financing.   Main Street can't get back to full speed with so many re-employed consumers stuck on the sidelines because of what happened to them during the last recession.