Scott L

Gen. Casey suggested that if diversity in the Army was a "casualty" of this situation it would be worse than the murder of 13 Soldiers.

There is no evidence that this is taking place, if anything all the evidence suggests that we took diversity too seriously in the military--allowing a radical (who ranted to fellow Soldiers multiple times) to continue to serve.

Now, I know he's in Obama's graces, but is this really the man we want defending our nation from our enemies?

We give back FIFTY cents per gallon of ethanol mixed with gasoline. This is an example of a hidden cost. The people who drive E85 cars pay almost no tax. As we increase the use of ethanol in this country, there will be less money for roads and we will have more degradation. But of course if we don't subsidize ethanol it will be more expensive.

Does the Prius come with a plug? Not yet.

So where exactly did this electricity come from?

The answer is from either: (1) the alternator which consumes GASOLINE to turn it or (2) the regenerative braking system when slowing down.

I'm not saying hybrid technology doesn't have its use, I only want to understand how so many people think that the hybrid "runs on electricity."

The only thing you ever put into a hybrid is gasoline. (Though I guess a diesel hybrid and a hydrogen hybrid will probably out soon.)

Finally, what exactly is the range of a Prius without a gasoline engine? Someone suggested this had been done by someone and I would think it would only be a few miles.

Just research it really, nothing large scale.

That's 1.5 BILLION to research compressing carbon dioxide and pumping it into various places in the Earth. One of the projects must be done "outside the US" presumably so we can employ more foreigners.

Imagine the price tag on actually pumping large amounts of CO2 into the Earth. And the energy necessary to compress all of that.

They take PRIVATE planes everywhere people. Hundreds of us could stop driving and it wouldn't be as much CO2 as a couple of their private plane rides.

So quit telling me how green they are because they use a hybrid. The plane is way worse.

I'm not a hypocrit, I don't mind them flying wherever they want, because I know we can't stop or even significantly alter the climate changes that will occur. I'm pretty happy half of the US isn't covered with a glacier. All I'm saying is if you believe in global warming and want to preach it, don't ask me to stop driving until YOU stop flying.

I just read that health care is a right.

I've heard that driving is a right.

I've heard housing is a right.

That freedom from intolerance is a right.

Jesus, how my rights have expanded. What about my right to be free from the judgement of those who don't accept my intolerance of certain morals?

Should alcoholics have a right to drive?

Why do people keep claiming that all these things are rights?

The basic rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and defined by our first documents. You don't have the right to murder someone, because it deprives a right of another. You have the right to PURSUE happiness, not the right to have it placed in your lap at the cost of another.

From what I read, Andrew Jackson has been judged by historians to be the worst. I have no knowledge of why they say that.

But more recently, Jimmy Carter, while president accomplished the goals of making double digit inflation, having us wait for gasoline that cost, adjusted for inflation, what it did this spring (we broke the record), had extremely high interest rates which discouraged home ownership, and had a stagnant economy with high unemployment. Lets not forget about his buying of hostages telling the world the US WILL negotiate with you.

I don't agree with alot of what Bush has done, especially the Patriot Act and his spending tendencies. But he is far from the worst.

Not to mention currently Jimmy Carter is certifying elections in Venezuela and calls Bush the worst president. A man who lives in a glass house shouldn't cast stones.

Current even mid-size sedans do not achieve 35mpg.

A new test is coming out next year that will reduce the estimated mileage of every vehicle. The Prius will most likely be rated at 40 or 45mpg after this change.

With SUVs and trucks included in this 35mpg average do you believe it will possible without a majority of vehicles produced being very small and lightweight?

There should be rights specifically associated with citizenship.

Non-citizens (whether illegal or legal) should not have the same rights. They should not be entitled to benefits of our government.

I say let people come to the country. Let them pay taxes for 10 YEARS before they can become citizens. Before that if they make even ONE mistake regarding our laws--go back to where you came from.

Most people I work with have college degrees, we have quite a bit of money and wealth.

The military is all volunteer.

Almost everyone in the military now has had a chance to leave or not join since the war with Iraq began.

Anyone that opposed to the war could get objector status and get out with a general discharge.

So what is the huge outcry? Is it really that we need to deploy our military to another purpose or is it just that it makes a good political position?

I mean, solar is only during the day, there is only so much reliable wind power we can tap (due to landscape concerns and such), so something will be needed at night or when the wind stops for a day right? The technology is proven and I'm pretty sure every other technology has a higher rate of fatalities than nuclear (even including Chernoybl which was a gross failure of human beings to follow safety procedures as well as a completely deficient design for safety).

I mean we can put the waste back where we found it and we really haven't changed anything. Or, we could re-process the waste we currently store and power the country for years.

All the global climate change fear-mongers seem to think that the Earth is warming precipitously and that it is a crisis that must be addressed now.

But 1998? was the warmest year recorded?

If this is truly crisis worthy, based on the large increase seen in the 1990s, then why isn't temperature going up every year?

I'm not denying that the Earth is warmer, I'm not even denying that is being caused by CO2 levels (though I don't think it is). I'm simply asking why, if this is a CRISIS, temperature doesn't go up each year?

And if temperauture isn't going up each year, why is it that we must reduce CO2 levels below what they are currently?

Furthermore, please answer the following if you choose.

Do you earn:

A) Less than $30,000/year

B) $30,000-60,000/year

C) $60,000-150,000/year

D) More than $150,000/year

Do you think you pay too much in taxes?

Would you rather have a higher salary or would you rather work less?

If you look at the data, the bottom 50% of American taxpayers only pay 3% of the federal income taxes. I'm pretty sure that is almost no money per person. I'm actually positive that a large portion of those people actually get more money in refunds than were taken out of their paychecks (i.e. they get paid by the government). Now, I guess if you include the Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security contributions (not taxes) then they pay a bit more, but no one every talks about reducing those contributions.

Do you even know what percentage you pay in taxes? I do.

Do you even know if you are in the top 10, 25, or 50% of income earners in the country? Most people don't think they are rich, but if we assume that the last tax cut only benefitted the "rich" or benefitted the "rich" the most, then there are only two classes--and I definitely don't consider myself to be poor.