My Country ’tis of Thee!!

I’m sitting in church today and one of the hymns we sang was My Country tis of Thee.  I was brought to tears to think of this great and wonderful country we have been given, and the lengths to which so many will go to tear it down.  And I wasn’t thinking of the terrorists who want us dead.  No, I was thinking of every liberal judge, ever liberal congressman and woman, every preacher (G..D… America comes to mind) and every mindless follower who sees the United States as a pimple on the butt of society.  We are not!  The US has rescued more innocents, given more food to the hungry, defended the lives of more victims of war and fascism, and brought more hope to the world than any other country currently existing, or having existed at any time.  We are the country God designed to bring hope, comfort, cheer, food, clothing, shelter, democracy, freedom, independence, and encouragement to the ravaged people of the world.

Anyway, here are the words to My Country ’tis of Thee, and following it, America, the Beatiful.

My Country, ’tis of Thee

My country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims’ pride, From every mountainside Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills, Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom’s song; Let mortal tongues awake; Let all that breathe partake; Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong.

Our father’s God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, With freedom’s holy light, Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.

America, the Beautiful

O beautiful, for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful, for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw; Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

O beautiful, for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Til all success be nobleness, and ev’ry gain divine!

O beautiful, for patriot dream That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!

Corn Ethanol, good news or boondogle?

I started reading what I thought might be an interesting study published by the US Ag Department in 1995, the title of which is Estimating the Net Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol.  Unfortunately, I got stuck on the Summary with the statement “Each gallon of ethanol produced domestically displaces 7 gallons of imported oil.”  I could only find one result on a Google search for “How much oil does it take to make one gallon of gas?” and admittedly I prefer not to use a Wiki response, but what can I say.  According to wiki.answer.com, it takes 2 gallons of oil to produce one gallon of gas. 

So, it appears that one gallon of ethanol replaces 3.5 gallons of gasoline.  This makes ethanol 350% more effecient that gasoline, right?  And yet, the same study concludes (and disagrees with Pimental’s 1991 study) that one gallon of ethanol has 125% of the btu’s that gas has. 

I don’t get it.  Is the study contradicting itself? 

Interestingly, there is a link prominent in the study to Governor’s Ethanol Coalition Homepage that appears 15 times, once after each section of the study.  What is the Governor’s Ethanol Coalistion?  “In September 1991, Nebraska’s governor asked other governors interested in creating a group devoted to the promotion and increased use of ethanol to join him in Lincoln, Nebraska. From that meeting, the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition emerged.”  The 2008 Coalition Chair is Rod Blagojevich, D-Illinios Governer since 2002.  Here is his record on Energy Independence and Security.

So, what are we to make of this?  Another boondogle and the expense of the tax-payer, in my humble opinion.

America’s untapped oil

In a recent article at CNN.com, Steven Hargreaves indicates that congressional democrats want to block additional oil leases in the gulf until oil companies have tapped out the existing leases.  However, and correct me if I am wrong, it is this same congress that does not want to remove the oil drilling embargo that has existed since the early 80’s to allow oil companies the ability to drill existing leases.  If I am wrong on this, I am willing to be corrected.

However, if I am not wrong, this is like saying to a child “No, you may not have ice cream until you have finished your cake.  What?  No you can’t have any cake, it’s not good for you!” 

Besides, and this is just my opinion, the gulf oil drilling issue is just a strawman to direct attention away from the oil shale that would fuel this country for 240 years.  Set up gulf shore oil drilling as a strawman, then knock it down by saying we should drill offshore so we must find alternative fuels, wind and solar power, bugs that poop oil, and corn ethanol that costs 1.29 gallons of gas for every one gallon of ethanol produced. 

I have been saying it for some time now- “Drill and Mine US Oil–Buy and Refine US Oil!”  This is how we will gain energy independence and security.

McCain offers $300 million for a battery

Which is why we are in trouble if McCain gets elected.  I can go to the local hardware store and buy one for $1.50.

No, all kidding aside, I am very conservative, which is why I find McCain’s idea balderdash.  If there is currently the ability to come up with the next great battery, the free market would take care of it. 

I know I sound like a broken record, but I am going to pound my fist until I am heard- Drill and Mine US Oil–Buy and Refine US Oil.  Our future rests in independence and security, which will only come from using our own resources and going back to the fearce, rugged independence on which this great nation was founded.

Now, I am not against alternative fuels to help fill the gap, and even remove some of the waste we currently fill landfills with, but come on, oil is king, and we have lots, and lots, and lots of it.  We should be using it.

Any I am not alone in my thinking.  Stop by Pajamas Media for a piece on McCain’s battery proposition. (http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-saving-grace-in-mccains-energy-policy/)

Renewable Energy Bill-

I wrote this in response to an ariticle at APP.com:

“According to Ariel Cohan, Ph.D., the bill is lacking in five major areas: Energy Sector Liberalization; Ethanol Trade Liberalization; Anti-Economic Warfare Provisions; Measures to Fight Anti-Competitive Practices; Transparency Provisions. He concluded “Threats to U.S. energy security and the international energy network have never been higher. Title VII fails to consider even simple solutions to counter real and emerging threats. The energy security of the United States requires a bill based on better vision, discernment of threats, and economics.”

Perhaps if Senator Reid would have included measures to address the above, the bill would have passed and we would be well on the way toward energy independence and security. However, in my opinion, any measure must include drilling and mining US oil, buying and refining US oil.” (knoyddotcom (me))

This is response to the APP.com post http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080622/OPINION01/806220340/1029/OPINION

In response to the measure (not the article) The Heritage Foundation posts this: http://www.heritage.org/research/EnergyandEnvironment/wm1514.cfm

What have I been telling you?!

This from Bloomberg.com “Along with lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling, Bush wants Congress to allow exploration and drilling in a portion of the 19-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, leasing of federal lands to mine and extract oil from shale in the Green River Basin of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, and accelerating the permit process for new refineries. ” (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=apUfWWAXmbuc&refer=home)

Get to www.knoyd.com and order your two t-shirts, and I will send one to congress telling them it is time to “Drill and Mine U.S. Oil–Buy and Refine U.S. Oil!” (copyright Knoyd.com, www.knoyd.com)

Send a t-shirt to congress!

Even a t-shirt can do better than who we have there now!

No, seriously, send a t-shirt to congress and let them know that it is time to “Drill and Mine U.S. Oil–Buy and Refine U.S. Oil!”  Join you voice with the millions of others in the US that believe that energy independence and security is an absolute must, and that the time has come for “US” to tap the 1.5 trillion barrels of oil shale in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming; the 250 year supply of coal throughout the US for liquid fuel, and the supplies of oil offshore and in ANWR.

When you buy 2 t-shirts, we can send one to congress.  Stop by www.knoyd.com and see how you can make your voice heard in congress!

Offshore Oil Deposits- a strawman argument

In debate, there is a category known as logical fallacies, and among them is the strawman argument.  One will set up a “strawman” argument as a serious possibility to the other side’s argument, and then knock it down.  Such is the case with Offshore Oil Deposits.  Because there is such a limited supply of offshore oil, one will argue, we must not even consider offshore drilling as realistic.

However, offshore is only one piece of the puzzle, as I explain in my comments to a rather biased piece in the South Jersey Courier-Post (http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080621/OPINION/806210307/1046)

“The focus seems to be only on drilling the offshore reserves and in ANWR. However, with coal to liquid fuel, a process perfected in South Africa 50 years ago, we can have as much as a 250 year supply of fuel. With mining oil shale in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, we can bolster our reserves of usable oil by 1.5 trillion barrels. The resources in the United States far outweigh the resources in the middle east.

“Yes, we do need to consider alternative sources of fuel (but not the corn2ethanol boondoggle), but the day that we are driving wind-powered cars is not going to come. Even electric cars require a power source that is usually from a coal-fired power plant.

“Anyway, we need to educate ourselves, and a great place to start is www.knoyd.com.

Drill and Mine US Oil—Buy and Refine US Oil! (copyright knoyd.com)”

RAND report on Oil Shale

I found this report to be very informative of the Oil Shale deposits and mining.  The following link will take you to the RAND Company site where you can download a free pdf report on Oil Shale in the United States.  http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG414/

Oil Shale must be considered one of the components in our arsenal of energy independence and security.  Please read this file and then come back here and post your comments.

Whose coast is it, anyways?

Gov. Arnold (r, but in name only) declared today ”California’s coastline is an international treasure. I do not support lifting this moratorium on new oil drilling off our coast,” the governor said in a statement after President George W. Bush called for lifting a moratorium on offshore oil drilling along the coast of California and other coastal states.

    ”However, I do welcome the national discussion about how to lower the cost of gasoline,” said Schwarzenegger, a Republican” (in name only).

The governator supports electric car technology, along with bio-fuels, however.  The problem with electric cars is that unless we boost production of nuclear power, the electric cars are most likely going to run and power derived from coal powered plants.

The argument that oil rigs are a potential spill waiting to happen is a farce.  Everyone cites 1969 as the disaster to be afraid of in the future.  We are talking about something that happened one time 39 years ago and has not happened since.  Even the rigs off the coast of Louisiana were unscathed in the worst hurricane, Katrina, to hit the gulf in a very, very long time.  Oil rigs are safe, create a new habitat for sea life, and provide much needed relief for the country from foreign oil rip-offs.

Its time to tell Arnold we are a knoyd, and we’re not going to take it anymore!

Again I ask “Whose to blame?”

The AP reported on Tuesday, 6/17/08, that President Bush is seeking a lifting of the moritoria on offshore drilling for oil in response to the skyrocketing gas prices.  And again, congression democrats, and a handful of republicans, seek to thwart the effort.  According to the AP “Congressional Democrats, joined by some GOP lawmakers from coastal states, have opposed lifting the prohibition that has barred energy companies from waters along both the East and West coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico for 27 years.”  And what of Mr. Obama?  “Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for president, opposes lifting the ban on offshore drilling and says that allowing exploration now wouldn’t affect gasoline prices for at least five years.”

You may reference previous posts to this blog to see just where the democrats stand on energy independence and security.  It ain’t pretty. 

Mr. Bush also wants to lift the ban on ANWR, a move the John McCain, the apparent heir to the republican nod for president, opposes.  (Who are the knuckleheads that voted McCain, anyway?)

Sound minded, conservative, patriotic Americans will raise their voices to congress and demand that we begin using the oil that is within our boarders to stabalize and reduce prices at the pump, and provide security and independence, something worthy of the greatest nation on earth.

(AP article here: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5juoNspsulD1ZE8LPtWQI_6JtIVqwD91CBCE00)

My dog in the fight…

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I had a nice long conversation about the rising cost of fuel, and what we might be able to do about it.  We came to the conclusion that it was time to change our family website to a grassroots effort to raise our voice, and the voice of millions of US citizens to say “I’m a knoyd, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”  We started working on a preliminary website (www.knoyd.com) and our graphic artist son, Jedi, came up with our logo (seen at www.knoyd.com) “Drill and Mine US Oil!–Buy and Refine US Oil!”.  A local radio program invited me to come on the air for an hour, which was a lot of fun and proved beneficial to the cause. 

So, you can imagine how I felt when I heard Newt G on the Neal Boortz show touting American Solutions and his petition for Drill Here, Drill Now, Save Money.  Newt has a huge following, and his project is really getting the press, for which I applaud him. 

We must get congress to understand that there is oil and coal sufficient in the US to fuel our economy for 250 years, if congress will just loose themselves from the stranglehold of the facsists that have usurped the environmental cause to their own benefit.  We can, we must drill and mine US oil and coal, and we must do it now!

Whose responsible for today’s high fuel costs?

Year	Price	Increase	Percent	Sen	House	Average Increase
January
1999	1.17			R	R
2000	1.27	$    0.10	109%	R	R
2001	1.47	$    0.20	116%	Split	R
2002	1.12	$   (0.35)	76%	D	R
2003	1.44	$    0.32	129%	R	R	62%
2004	1.51	$    0.07	105%	R	R
2005	1.82	$    0.31	121%	R	R
2006	2.33	$    0.51	128%	R	R		$0.17	$0.30
2007	2.23	$   (0.10)	96%	D	D	85%
2008	3.11	$    0.88	139%	D	D
Jun-08	4.13	$    1.02	133%	D	D		$0.60
Source for oil prices: http://www.swivel.com/graphs/show/11909967
Source for Senate and House Control Statistics: www.senate.gov

Thank heavens for small miracles…

The senate today voted down a resolution to require windfall taxes on oil companies.  Thank heavens for small miracles.  I was driving to work this morning and heard the news report that the matter came up for a vote today.  I was really angry and said to my wife, with whom I have the pleasure of commuting everyday, “I am really pissed off about this.”  I am a little guy, our family income is not great, I drive a big pickup and get 15 miles to the gallon, and I suppose the dems in the senate thought they would be doing me a favor to stick it to the big oil fat cats.  Little do they seem to understand that the oil companies are not going to be paying the windfall tax; we are.  Oil companies will simply raise the price of gas to offset the tax to the extent possible, and you and me get stuck with it.

What a relief to hear that cooler and calmer heads ruled supreme.

I am a knoyd, and I’m not going to take it anymore!!!!!!

Out of control.  That pretty well sums up the state of affairs with congress.  I quote this from powerlineblog.com:

“

For several decades, the Democratic Party has pursued policies designed to drive up the cost of petroleum, and therefore gas at the pump. Remarkably, the Democrats don’t seem to have taken much of a political hit from the current spike in gas prices. Probably that’s because most people don’t realize how different the two parties’ energy policies have been.Congressman Roy Blunt put together these data to highlight the differences between House Republicans and House Democrats on energy policy:

ANWR Exploration House Republicans: 91% Supported House Democrats: 86% OpposedCoal-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

SUMMARY

91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American-made oil and gas.

86% of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American-made oil and gas.

 

PAUL adds: It’s useful to keep this sort of thing in mind when we hear (on something like a daily basis these days) that the Republicans have run out of ideas or that Republican ideas didn’t work. The truth is that most major Republican ideas weren’t tried because the Democrats blocked them. Increasing the domestic production of oil and gas (a move so obvious it barely meets the standard for being an idea) is hardly the only example. Social security reform and school choice also come quickly to mind. Republican-backed policies for increasing the number of Americans with health insurance were also blocked by Democrats. And so forth.”

http://www.powerlineblog.com/