Local Musician - Michael Doman

While checking in on MySpace yesterday I noticed a bulletin from one of the local musicians in my "friends" list - Michael Doman (a singer/songwriter with a very distinctive voice and quality acoustic guitar) was to be performing in my area. I had to go and check it out.

The venue was Caffe Bella in downtown Ventura. The last time I walked in this place it was a little coffee shop off Main Street. It's now basically a wine bar that also serves Guinness, martinis, a small selection of appetizers, and (of course) live music.

Michael Doman was there with Michael Ann (a female singer/songwriter), and the two of them worked off each other to good affect - occasionally doing duets, at other times trading off on solo performances. Ms. Ann carried herself well with vocals somewhat of a cross between Sarah McLachlan and Reba McIntyre.

Mr. Doman was every bit as good live as he is on the recordings on his MySpace page, playing on a small-scale acoustic single-cut Fender guitar - which had amazing tonal quality for it's small size, made to appear even smaller in comparison to the tall Doman, who himself was made to appear even taller due to his proudly displayed afro.

I had the chance to speak with Michael for a bit while Ms. Ann was doing a solo performance. He was surprised that downtown Ventura had changed since the last time he'd been up this way, and asked if I was from here. When I told him I was originally from Philly he said, "I could tell from your accent."

*BUSTED*

Fourteen years living in SoCal, and people can still make out my Philly accent from a mile away. Not that I'm ashamed of it. It just cracks me up when it happens, a lot of times by people from the same region of PA. Sure enough, Michael was originally from Bucks County, PA - a northern Philly suburb.

He'd been involved in music for about a decade, but had been out of the scene for awhile. The music industry has been in an absolute shambles for quite some time. But this breakup of the industry, along with the explosion of technology, has opened up opportunities for performers to go DYI.

For the past year or so, Doman has gotten back into performing again and is taking things at a casual pace. No pipe dreams. No chasing the brass ring. No losing tons of cash trying to hustle your band from one big-name club to another. No convoluted contracts from a faceless major label.

Just enjoying the moments when they come, performing in varied intimate venues throughout the region and the country. Whatever happens happens. In the meantime, he just goes about doing what he loves to do - being independent, writing and performing his own music.

Go check out his page, and give a listen to the handful of tracks. "Shine" is a particularly strong selection.

Good Luck, MD!

Mini-Paris...

(Hat-tip to Ace of Spades)

Something lighthearted and very cool, a 29-year-old Frenchman built a miniature model of downtown Paris out of concrete blocks. The slide show (in the linked story, above) has some amazing pics.

P.S. I've updated my links lists on the left. Feel free to check 'em out. I'll eventually be adding more in the "Miscellaneous" section.

Now THAT was an a** whoopin'...

Even though I've been living in the L.A. area for the past 14 years, that doesn't necessarily mean that I've automatically become an L.A. sports team fan. I may be able to root for certain L.A. teams. But, to root for Lakers (or the Raiders - L.A. or Oakland versions) has always gone against my grain. It's like rooting for the Cowboys or Georgetown. I - just - can't - do - it.

So, it brought me a certain amount of glee to watch last night as the Lakers got SPANKED by the Celtics. I'm not a Celtics fan, either (in general)... but when you have to choose between the two... it's an obvious decision for me. I'm not a Red Sox fan, either. But I've cheered for them ever since Schilling and Francona (two former Phillies - pitcher and manager) joined Boston.

What I enjoyed most about the Celtics win is the way the players (and coaches) approached the game all season long. Old school. Defense. Fundamentals. Team play. It's why I'm a fan of coach Larry Brown. And all season long, all the way through to the post-championship interviews last night, all the "star" players talked about was their sacrificing their own talents and egos to work as a team to accomplish their goals.

Now, I don't know much about Kevin Garnett - as a player, nor as a person. I just don't follow pro hoops that much to really notice. At the post-game conference table last night, he was asked by a reporter what it felt like to finally be able to win it all after so many years of struggle and criticism. I loved how he responded, completely from the heart:

"You ever go to school and you have that bully mess with you every day? You know when you get out of your mom or dad's car that you're going to have to see him as soon as you walk through the door and he's going to be sitting there with his feet up waiting to pat your pockets.

"Then one day you say to yourself, 'It's going to stop tonight.' You walk through there and as soon as he pats your pocket you lay his ass out. You see the expression on his face and you're sort of kind of shook because you know what, you just knocked the bully out and you don't know how he's going to come back.

"So the next morning you come in and he's not there, and it's like a sigh of relief... [and if you've never been bullied before in your life, you won't understand what I'm talking about.]"

Don't misunderstand him. He's not talking about the Lakers.

Congratulations, K.G.!!!


I understand.

Just a little "thank you"...

This certainly isn't a heavy-traffic blog, but I continue with it as a way to make my little voice heard (a "voice in the wilderness," so to speak). It was four years ago this coming July 6 that I started this fledgling little blog. It is what it is. Yet, I still get amazed when I receive the occasional comment, or when I check my SiteMeter stats from time to time.

For example, I've had someone comment to a 1-year old post about an Al Stewart concert that I attended. Or to a year-old post about my remembrances of vacations gone by in Ocean City, Maryland. I've gotten a comment 2-years after I'd made some reference to a remote little band that used to play in the Philly area during the 80s, and the commenter was surprised that anyone would even know who the band was, let alone post about them.

Here are just some of the locations from around the globe where some of you have recently "clicked in" from:

Maunaloa, Hawaii
Manila, Philippines
Cebu, Philippines
Melbourne, Australia
Dzelentsy, Ukraine
Tel Aviv, Israel
Jakarta, Indonesia
Kochi, India
Louth, Ireland
London, England
Derbyshire, UK
Batman, Turkey
Bangkok, Thailand
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Glen Falls, NY
Forth Worth, TX
Clearwater, FL
Phoenix, AZ
Walla Walla, WA
Sturgis, SD
Fresno, CA
Bronson, MI
Davis, WV
Atlanta, GA
St. Louis, MO
Thiensville, WI
Manchester Township, NJ
Warren, MI
Woodbridge, VA
Manchester, NH
East Providence, RI
Jamaica, NY
Springdale, PA
Miami, FL
Windsor, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
and Jasper, AL

Some of you may have accidently stumbled upon this place, then quickly left. Others have clicked through via Google or Yahoo search links on a specific topic. Still others have stuck around and browsed through my pages. Some have even returned from time to time.

The internet is an amazing place.

So, THANK YOU to all of you who happen to stop by my little corner of the world wide web.

And a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you Dads and Granddads out there!

Oregon Health Plan Covers Assisted Suicide, Not Drugs for Cancer Patient

Get the full article here.

Impeach Bush? The Anchoress has something to say about that...

Sometimes, The Anchoress just hits it right out of the ball park. Today, with this post, she does all that and more (with tons of links to back up her arguments).

Worth the read.

Like those high gas prices at the pump???

ANWR Exploration
House Republicans: 91% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed

Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed

Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed

As Gateway Pundit says:

Democrats have blocked the development of new sources of petroleum.
Democrats have blocked drilling in ANWR.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the coast of Florida.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the east coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the west coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the Alaskan coast.
Democrats have blocked building oil refineries.
Democrats have blocked clean nuclear energy production.
Democrats have blocked clean coal production.

Click here and here and here for three informative posts from Flopping Aces, Red State, and Gateway Pundit.

Church History Comes Alive...

First up, the necropolis (click here for the full article):

Touring a necropolis beneath the Vatican is a lesson in life and a chance to go back in time to see the faith of the first Christians, says the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica...

The crypt, which dates from the second century and is famous for its stucco decorations, is located in the middle of the route through the old necropolis that leads to the tomb of St. Peter...

... Cardinal Comastri stressed the importance of the Vatican necropolis: "We must make everyone understand that the basilica was not built here because of a whim, but because it has a history underneath that has been preserved, protected with extreme scruple, and it is the history of the Apostle Peter."

"Peter came to Rome," the cardinal continued. "Here he met with martyrdom during Nero's persecution. Then he was taken by Christians, because Roman law allowed the recovery of bodies of the condemned to give them burial.

"Peter was brought to the point where at present the papal altar is erected. He was buried there and we can say that for 2,000 years, that site is the justification of the presence of the Bishop of Rome next to the tomb of Peter, that is, of the Pope."

In fact, "we can almost touch with our hand the tomb where the first Christians of Rome placed the body of the Apostle Peter," he added. One can see, "extremely clearly, around the place of Peter's burial, a whole series of testimonies of devotion" to the apostle in that precise point, for example, the most famous inscription in Greek: "Petros eni" (Here is Peter).

For Cardinal Comastri, the visit to a necropolis "is a lesson of life, because death is part of life, it is inseparable. The ancient peoples respected the dead, and in this they were surely more civilized."

They "would never have violated a tomb, something that happens today and is a sign of a civilization's sickness," he reflected.

Second, is the recent discovery of the world's first Catholic Church (click here for the full article):

Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday.

"We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said.

Common Sense 101: The Hybrid Version...

So, you're thinking of getting one of those spiffy and fuel efficient Hybrid cars. Let's take a look at the numbers by comparing like-for-like models:

The Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid is reported to get approx. 45 MPG (so they say).

The Honda Civic Sedan DX is reported to get approx. 36 MPG (again, so they say).

That's a difference of 9 MPG. *woo-hoo*

The average driver drives 12,000 miles per year, which means that the standard Civic will use 333 gallons over the course of a year. The Hybrid model will use 267 gallons over that same period. That's a difference of 66 gallons a year. Gas is currently going at a national rate of $4.00 per gallon. That's a "saving" of $264 per year. Nice! Over a lifetime of 12 years, that's a saving of $3168. WOW!!!

But, the purchase price of the Civic DX is $15810, while the price of the Hybrid model is $25020. That's a difference of $9210. That means that you would have to drive that Hybrid for 35 years before you begin to recoup your initial investment. I doubt the car will last that long. Even if gas prices were at a steady $10 per gallon, it would still take you 14 years before you would recoup your investment.

"But, I'll be getting that cushy tax rebate," you say.

Uhhh, no you won't. That was only for the first 60,000 models purchased, and Honda and Toyota have already reached that sales mark, so... NO REBATE FOR YOU!

"But, I'll be saving the environment by using less gas," you say.

Ummmm, yeah... but that Hybrid has a lot more of those batteries with all those toxic chemicals that will need to be replaced on a regular basis just like your regular car battery. So, "six of one, half dozen of the other" as they say.

R.I.P. Tacoma...

'Tis truly a sad day. My friend and colleague, Todd, had to put down his ailing 16-year old cat, Tacoma, today. Todd, as you may recall, is the writer and director of the hilarious mockumentary, "An Inconvenient Penguin" which was previewed in Hollywood last month. Tacoma was a very talented feline and was the inspiration behind Todd's film career; he even appeared in the starring role in Todd's first official short film. After many months of poor health, it was now time to send Tacoma to that Great Scratching Post in the sky, where catnip is plenty and dogs are few.

So, in honor of the fine feline and his memory. I give you this link for you to view Tacoma in his debut and starring role in the short film, "The Silent Partner".

Hillary supporters are a bit miffed right now...

(Major hat-tips to PowerLine and Flopping Aces)

Hillary may have won Puerto Rico by 36% today. She may have won West Virginia and Kentucky by similar margins. She may have won key, crucial states such as CA, NY, NJ, PA, OH, IN, TX, TN, NH, MA, AZ, NM, AR, OK, FL and MI. She may have won the "popular" vote when all is said and done after Tuesday's final two primaries. But the "bosses behind closed doors" of the Democratic Party are doing their best to make sure The Obamessiah is the nominee.

Fine by me. Not so fine for Hillary supporters such as these three ladies:

Defining Marriage in California...

The Granola State just got fruitier, nuttier and flakier.

Last week I linked to a commentary by Dennis Prager on the recent California Supreme Court's 4-3 decision to allow same-sex "marriage" in the state (thus overturning the will of 61% of Californians who voted for Proposition 22 in 2000). His commentary summarizes, in part:

"[H]eterosexism," [will be considered] a bigoted preference for man-woman erotic love, and therefore to be extirpated from society.

Any advocacy of man-woman marriage alone will be regarded morally as hate speech, and shortly thereafter it will be deemed so in law.

Companies that advertise engagement rings will have to show a man putting a ring on a man's finger -- if they show only women fingers, they will be boycotted just as a company having racist ads would be now.

Films that only show man-woman married couples will be regarded as antisocial and as morally irresponsible as films that show people smoking have become.

Traditional Jews and Christians -- i.e. those who believe in a divine scripture -- will be marginalized. Already Catholic groups in Massachusetts have abandoned adoption work since they will only allow a child to be adopted by a married couple as the Bible defines it -- a man and a woman.

Anyone who advocates marriage between a man and a woman will be morally regarded the same as racist. And soon it will be a hate crime.

Indeed -- and this is the ultimate goal of many of the same-sex marriage activists -- the terms "male" and "female," "man" and "woman" will gradually lose their significance. They already are. On the intellectual and cultural left, "male" and "female" are deemed social constructs that have little meaning. That is why same-sex marriage advocates argue that children have no need for both a mother and a father -- the sexes are interchangeable. Whatever a father can do a second mother can do. Whatever a mother can do, a second father can do. Genitalia are the only real differences between the sexes, and even they can be switched at will.

Yesterday, Frank Pastore had a commentary of his own, which is also worth reading. Frank summaries, in part:

Same-sex marriage will inevitably lead to polygamy and perhaps “consensual” incest. The collective wisdom of Western civilization, and the Judeo-Christian value system beneath it, have always restricted marriage to two people, not closely related, one man and one woman, of legal age. For over 2,000 years, there have been laws against bigamy, polygamy, incest and minor marriage. No society in history has ever granted same-sex marriage while maintaining prolonged prohibition of polygamous and incestuous relationships...

If the 2,000 years of Western tradition was insufficient to maintain this court’s prohibition against same-sex marriage, how can this court appeal to that same tradition to prohibit incest and polygamy? If past generations have found incest, polygamy and same-sex marriage “inimical to mutually supportive and healthy family relationships” because of their “potentially detrimental effect on a sound family environment,” how can this court accept the traditional prohibitions against incest and polygamy, while rejecting the traditional prohibition against same sex marriage? If this court can overturn tradition and find a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, what will prevent future courts from similarly overturning tradition to find a constitutional right to incest and polygamy?

UPDATE: Per a recent California poll (after the court decision), 54%-35% (with 10% undecided) are for an Amendment to the State Constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. This follows the Prop 22 numbers of 2000 which were 61%-39%.

As Frank says in his last sentence:

We must turn around while our course is still reversible.

Currently reading "The Everlasting Man"...

I stumbled upon G.K. Chesterton first via his fiction. His novel "The Man Who Was Thursday" was on some list somewhere, and the subject matter intrigued me - so I bought the book and read it. Needless to say, I was baffled after turning the last page of the tome. Chesterton tends to do that to people. I then read his novel "Man Alive" and chuckled as the storyline progressed.

That was the extent of my Chesterton experience until my cable TV service started airing EWTN about five or six years ago (I now get EWTN via DishTV satellite). EWTN would begin airing this 1/2-hour series entitled "G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense", hosted by Dale Ahlquist. This broadened my world to the even broader world of G.K. Chesterton. I bought Dale's introductory book of the same name, which then lead me to reading "Orthodoxy", "St. Francis of Assisi", "The Flying Inn", Dale's second book "Common Sense 101", and then joining the American Chesterton Society (with it's offering of "Gilbert!" magazine).

When I started this blog some four years ago I chose the title "Arbiter of Common Sense" as a hat-tip to Chesterton. I even met Dale Ahlquist once about a year and a half ago when he came to my town to give a talk on all things Chesterton; had the chance to chat with him over breakfast at that morning's event, and bought his second book (which he graciously signed).

I've given a copy of "The Complete Father Brown Stories" as well as "Common Sense 101" to my Dad, and "The Everlasting Man" to one of my brother's, as gifts. Finally, I got around to buying that last book for myself - having just started reading it this past week (only a couple chapters in) - and have been struck by the powerful precision with which Chesterton presents his arguments.

Sitting on my bookshelves are several more G.K. tomes waiting patiently for my fingers to split open and turn their pages, including: "The Ball and The Cross", "St. Thomas Aquinas", "Heretics", and the "Collected Works" Volumes 4 and 5. Eventually I'll get his to his "Collected Works" Volumes 3, 20 and 21, "Tremendous Trifles", "A Miscellany of Men", and "The Well and The Shallows", but I think it might be awhile before I get to them.

If you haven't read any G.K. Chesterton, START! For fiction, start with "Man Alive" or the "Father Brown" stories. For non-fiction, delve into "The Everlasting Man". For a great overview, read Dale's two books. Watch the TV series on EWTN, or buy the DVDs. Join the American Chesterton Society and not only get "Gilbert!" magazine, but also member discounts on all the books!

You can thank me later.

~Trubador: The Arbiter of Common Sense

Back in the saddle again...

I have returned from a brief trip back east to attend my brother's wedding (third go-round for him... long story). Good times were had by all, though I am exhausted. One day to fly. One day to recover from jet-lag. One day for the wedding. One day to fly back. Back to work the following day. Ugh!

Anyways... while that event was going on, another momentous event occurred back here in the good ole California courts regarding the re-definition of marriage.

Rather than expressing my own thoughts on the subject, I refer you to Dennis Prager's excellent commentary.

Heterosexism. Wow! Now that's exacting precision.

EC:WC FCA - Three DVD Recommendations...

I’ve got three film recommendations for you that are out on DVD. All three are powerful films, with the first two having subtle/distant connections to 9/11.

“The Kite Runner” is based on the best selling book of the same title, set pre-9/11 (mostly in Afghanistan). It follows the long friendship and struggles of two childhood friends. It’s a foreign language film with English subtitles. It’s dark and powerful, yet finds its way towards hope and redemption.

Next is “Reign Over Me” starring Adam Sandler (yes, that Adam Sandler) and Don Cheadle. This is NOT your typical Sandler flick. It’s a drama with many moments of subtle and poignant humor. The premise is of two old classmates meeting for the first time in many years; Cheadle is a successful orthodontist, while Sandler has been “lost” after the national tragedy of 9/11 has crumbled his world.

The last film is “Bella” - a small, independent flick about a famous soccer player who retreats from his career and the world after being affected by a tragic incident. While working at his brother’s restaurant he observes one of the waitresses as she loses her job after arriving late one-too-many times. He suddenly feels the need to lend a helping hand, and the film explores their burgeoning relationship.

Enjoy all three! They're all better than most of the crap that's shoveled at you on both the big and small screen.

The Mary Jane March - 2008...

You just can't make this stuff up.

Dateline: Palm Springs, CA:

About 10 people gathered today in Palm Springs to take part in the Global Marijuana March, a police watch commander said.

"They walked a couple blocks and that was about it,'' said Palm Springs police Lt. Don Fallon. ``No problems. They were very cooperative.''

According to a website for the 2008 Global Marijuana March, people in 239 cities in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas signed up to take part in the event today.

Organizers billed the global effort as the 10th annual march to legalize medical marijuana. Marchers in Palm Springs gathered about 11 a.m. near Indian Canyon Drive and Baristo Road.

Ten people showed up... 10! Uhh, I gather all the others were so stoned they forgot about the march.

I guess the reason why it ended after only a couple blocks was because they all suddenly got the munchies and headed into the local Wienerschnitzel for corn dogs.

Classic! Just classic!

An Inconvenient Penguin...

Tonight I am going to the premiere of my friend & colleague's, Todd Lampe, new short film "An Inconvenient Penguin" in West Hollywood.


Todd creates these hilarious short flicks, and this is his biggest project yet. In this one he spoofs two sets of films at once - the plethora of penguin movies like "March of the Penguins" with Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth". I've seen a rough cut already and was laughing my a** off. Two showings tonight @ Lammle's on Sunset Blvd.

You can catch the trailer here. The official website is here. And you can check out Todd's previous short flicks at his Precipice Productions website. He's planning on submitting it to many of the film festivals throughout the country.

Good luck, Todd!!!

Lame attempts at being artistic #5...

Jen's post about art (which I referenced in the previous post) made me realize that it's been awhile since I've posted some art pix of my own. They're simple shots; nothing fancy. Hope you enjoy 'em.

CROSS BEAM


SAND FINGERS


LADYBUG SERIES 2 (purple)


LADYBUG SERIES 5 (yellow w/ bee)


LIQUID GROOVES 1


LIQUID GROOVES 2

The Definition of Art...

(Hat-tip to Paragraph Farmer):

Jennifer of Et Tu? (a former atheist who is now a Catholic, and has been chronicling her journey on her blog), has an interesting post about poetry and art:

"At some point after my conversion, I heard about the concept that true art is beautiful, in some form or another, and that in order to be beautiful it must convey truth. I didn't get it. How can art be true?..."

She goes on to discover:

"Art is the secret handshake of the children of God, the inside joke among those with souls. The spark that is ignited within us when we are touched by a work of art is a spark of recognition: the artist has brought us a souvenir from our homeland beyond the material world, the place that none of us should know about, but all of us do. To connect with a piece of art is to connect with the artist as a fellow traveler, to realize that you are both walking the same rocky road, and that he is homesick too. And it matters because true art, art that seeks a connection of souls, makes it harder to devalue and dehumanize one another. It reminds us what it means to be human."

Read the entire post here.

On a related note, it's time again for the Ventura ArtWalk - what was originally a tri-annual event on Saturdays in downtown Ventura has now become a bi-annual event that covers the entire weekend. This weekend is the Spring event, and the Autumn event will be in mid-October. For more information, click here.

Oil prices have NOTHING to do with supply & demand...

... nor do they have much to do with the "weak" U.S. dollar. Read between the lines from the comments of the OPEC chief:

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah el al-Badri said Sunday oil prices would likely go higher and that the group was ready to raise production if the price pressure was due to a shortage of supply — something he doubted.

"Oil prices, there is a common understanding that has nothing to do with supply and demand," al-Badri said on the sidelines of an energy conference in Rome.

Oil prices reached a new high Friday at $117 a barrel.

A host of supply and demand concerns in the U.S. and abroad, along with the dollar's weakness, have served to support prices, even as record retail gasoline prices in the U.S. appear to be dampening demand. Crude prices have risen as much as 4 percent last week.

The OPEC chief said the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries "will not hesitate" to increase production if the group thought the higher prices were due to shortages. But he said more oil will not solve the high prices.

OPEC's production levels were just one of many factors, he said.

"But how much higher it will go, of course it depends on a number of things: the political situation, whether there is a natural catastrophe, whether there are speculations in the market, whether there are strikes in certain producing countries. So there are many other factors other than OPEC production," al-Badri said.

As I have always suspected, the increase in prices have less to do with supply/demand or the status of the dollar, but more to do with the OPEC nations (most of which are in the Middle East) who are doing this to spite the Western World by using it as another "front" on the war with radical Islam.

How to deal with this problem? Easy!

Drill in ANWAR (upper Alaska, only two square miles of land out of 500,000 in that state), drill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, extract oil from shale - extracting in place, not via excavation - in the four-state region of Colorado/Utah/Wyoming/Montana. These three things alone would supply us with 1/3 of the total amount of oil we annually export from overseas.

In addition, build new refineries (something which hasn't been done in over 25 years).

Build new nuclear fission power plants (one thing that France has done right. Notice that no accidents have occurred anywhere in the world since Chernobyl and 3 Mile Island? The industry has learned from these incidents and have become much safer).

Dump the stupid, corn-based ethanol fiasco (which is inefficient in that it takes too much energy to extract and convert ethanol from that source, plus it raises the cost of all other corn-base products as well as corn itself - for food and also for animal feed, which raises beef and chicken prices). Instead, import the more efficient sugar cane-base ethanol from Brazil and other South American allies.

Invest more in fuel-cell technology, nuclear fusion technology, and other alternative energy technologies (provided that they are promising, efficient, and cost-effective).

And, finally, break up OPEC and make individual producers do their bidding in a true, free open market system. This will foster competition while also letting the world know which oil-producing countries are doing suspect dealings (i.e., making known which questionable regimes they support by analyzing the pricing deals they make to sell their oil).