Standing on the Corner of the Third World

Today's headlines:


The inexplicable gasoline shortage in Atlanta continues, with some residents waiting in mile-long lines for hours to buy what little gas is available (at average prices even higher than in traditionally expensive California and New York).

The official story is that it's a result of Hurricane Ike shutting down refineries in Houston for a couple of days more than two weeks ago. But I must ask - if that is the case, why, oh why, is there plenty of gas in Houston? In fact, why is there plenty of gas everywhere from here all the way to Texas?

Meanwhile, our governor is on a week-long trip to Europe. Fiddling in Rome, I presume.


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Meanwhile, Congress developed a backbone for the first time in the modern era.

Wall Street (clutching the ample supplies of rope provided by the aggressive deregulation of the last decade): "We'll hang ourselves, if you don't hand over the keys to the treasury! We'll do it! And we'll take your economy down with us!"

GW Bush: "Yeah, uh - what they said! Please?"

The general populace: "WTF?"

Congress (after much wringing of hands): "Umm, well... No."

Of course this means the sky is falling and the world as we know it is coming to an end. At least that's what we're told. We'll find out, I guess - at least until Congress reconvenes and reconsiders, which I'm sure will be about this time next week.


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Meanwhile, back on skid row...

We're starting to see Nouveau-Hoovervilles springing up around the country, with a nationwide homeless population greater than that of the city of Seattle. And that's without the untold numbers who were excluded because W's people have changed the way they're counted.

Oh, look - if I erase this zero - that's much better. See - we don't have a problem here!

See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.


Well, the first two, anyway.



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And some backblips:


Shoemobile

Puppetry