Punishment/Reward

We have a very odd set of laws. Generally if you do thing "x" you will get a penalty. I have a friend who actually did jail time for dumpster diving.

I was thinking about this with all the downpours we are having today, and how few people actually turn on their headlights with their windshield wipers. For those of you in the know, it is actually required in many states including Connecticut. And I have to admit, it is actually annoying when a little grey car suddenly appears from behind a wall of water.

Now I do not know how many people have been ticketed for this, but it is certainly damn few.

And comes the question: what should be the fine for hurling a deadly weapon at oncoming traffic? I actually think that a $10 ticket would actually be sufficient. It is annoying enough to have to plead "nolo contendre" and send a certified check to the Superior Court for the first offense. If you can't remember to turn on your wipers after that, then you are ... an idiot and you deserve a harsh punishment.
 
Traffic inspections could set up for lights and also catch the no lights guys, the no seat-belt guys, the texters, the DWI's, the no insurance guys, and the unsafe/prohibited right on red guys. ( please note, I am using "guys" as a non-gender specific word).

I don't believe this is a quota system. Traffic stops are usually announced in the paper. So the only people that are actually caught are the people who have so little consideration of their community that they can't be bothered to keep up with the local news.

But heaven forbid a Police Union employee be assigned to stand a post in the rain.

And Hartford, please take note: If you are going to pass a law that says something that is just common sense include enforcement rules or else stop wasting my freaking tax dollars talking about stuff over which you choose to take no control.

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The reason I bring this up, is that there is going to be big election noise about subsidizing alternative energy projects. Isn't it awful that the Government invested taxpayer dollars subsidizing renewal energy sources. It is also my understanding that Big Oil also gets federal funds. Or at least tax breaks in the for of "depleted reserves". Thank you Big Oil for figuring out a way to get the government to help you pay for using up and burning a legacy from the rain forests of the dinosaurs that took millions of years to crush under tectonic pressure. It has been just a little over 100 years since Spindletop gushed crude oil, and it took 30 years to burn all that oil. Even if you are a Creationist,that means that all the oil that God gave us 6,000 years ago is getting burned up in 120 years.

So, how do we organize this in a more sensible way? Our Federal budget is decimated, and cannot afford another Solyndra. Or even a bank bailout.

How about this: we slowly take away the depletion credits, we add a little to the gasoline taxes and add this cash to the general fund. I believe we are approaching peak oil as the world population approaches 7 billion.
Then, let alternative fuel become part of the capitalist system! Let it compete head to head with Big Oil.  Reward the good behavior and take away the credits for bad behavior. More cash flow to pay off our debt, and new business to hire people with. Gee gosh golly, you don't suppose Government would work better with positive cash flow? Or at least breakeven?

Where is the downside?

Face Book

A quote from Morningstar:

"More than 500 million people use Facebook on a daily basis, spending more time there than any other  website, according to most third-party reports."

In 88 days, world population will reach 7 BILLION individuals.

A little quick math tells me that that is a 7% world wide market penetration. And I am actually beginning to believe it. I just got a Facebook Friend request from someone I thought did not even remember me. 20+ years ago, we used to hire nannies for our children. One of the most capable and memorable was a lovely young woman from Åland. (If you don't know, look it up). Most of her timeline is in Swedish, but ... hooray for Face Book, they translate it.

Can it get bigger? Certainly. May there be spoilers?  Possibly. But how really immensely hot must the spoiler be to get to 500 million users and growing.

I don't like Face Book, I hate the games. The timeline stuff is weird, and the latest iteration actually posts where you are if you allow it. My first take on it, it was a sort of unconscious voyeurism.

But I use Face Book. Go figure.