Voter intent on bailing out automakers

Since I am a citizen and we in Minnesota are so focused on voter intent ( or is that just for the U.S. Senate race? ) then I will show my support for the Big Three bailout. Below are the years since 1990 and how many cars I purchased ( including non Big Three ) :

1990 = 0
1991 = 0
1992 = 0
1993 = 0
1994 = 0
1995 = 0
1996 = 0
1997 = 0
1998 = 0
1999 = 0
2000 = 0
2001 = 1 ( Daewoo Lanos 2-door hatchback - not a Big Three car )
2002 = 0
2003 = 0
2004 = 0
2005 = 0
2006 = 0
2007 = 0
2008 = 0

I foresee this trend going for some time, as I sold my car in March of 2003. I have no intention of owning a car, so why are my taxes expected to bail some car-makers out and not others? Toyota and Honda deserve a fair shake at a bailout if the Big Three get one.

But this is just one voter's intent. I would like to see an overall analysis of the US voter opinion on this issue.

Happy 22nd Day to me

I read a horoscope stating that the 2oth and 21st of this month would be difficult for me. They weren't, but that is not like me to truly believe in such predictions. I do, however, have a favorite lucky number: 22. ( and no Dani, you can't steal it back! )

Yes, it is quite a number for me. Not sure why. My first bus in primary school was number 22, and my fortunes have been tied around such a number remains mysterious. But it seems to follow me. Even living in Minneapolis, I have always lived a couple blocks from 22nd Street. I am fortunate to live near bus #22, and even when staying in Chicago, the #22 went along where I was staying on Clark.

Today is the 22nd of July, and I just won a pair of Adidas shoes just after 22:00 using my 22nd bottle cap of Mt. Dew. ( and I don't even drink the sugar-laden stuff ) To prove it, I will upload the photos. So happy 22 day to me, hopefully it's been good to you! :P

Why should I own a car?

I have been asked repeatedly by many friends, acquaintances, and family about why I do not own a car. Many think it a necessity in the United States, like drinking water and breathing air. One cannot be truly "American" without owning a car. If true,when oil prices continue to rise and wages do not keep up, the definition of "American" will need to change.

Having successfully lived carfree 4 years, I am unsure how it is necessary to own one. I can walk to any store I need to get to, or take the light rail to Target or Cub if I must. Every type of business I need items from are within a mile of where I live. That leaves getting to work, which thankfully my employer provides.

Dureti asks me all the time "If others who make less than you own cars, why don't you?" It makes sense within a Western mentality, even though she was brought up in Ethiopia. Obviously Africans own cars too, but few can afford to. Just because one can buy a car, doesn't mean one has to.

It is the mentality that Dureti and the West have that understands why the rich spend excessively. "They have money, so why not spend it lavishly?" This is why Al Gore need not conserve, he has money. He can throw money at "offsetting" his luxurious lifestyle, while asking those who cannot afford that to simply live with less. In the eyes of the West, this mentality is acceptable and just.

But what if a billionaire decided to live more simply? Just live as the middle class did in the 80s, and own one car ( not three). There would be one family TV, not one in each room of the house. Perhaps the computer monitor would BE the TV. Maybe a landline phone instead of a cell-phone for each member of the household. Instead of buying a library full of books, they would actually go to the library. And where would these meager savings go? Perhaps they could invest in various ways: for future generations, research, philanthropy, religious institutions, etc.

There is a new book out for the West and its more conservative perspectives on car ownership. How to Live Well Without Owning a Car: Save Money, Breathe Easier, and Get More Mileage Out of Life by Chris Balish. Chris is a TV anchorman and used to be editor for Reader's Digest. He's a pretty mainstream guy, but lives carfree.This book focuses on the financial and social costs of car ownership. Perhaps I will have to get this book for those skeptical of my environmental and ethical beliefs.

As Dureti, Ruth, and other Africans claim,"You will get a car once Phanice gets here." We will see, as I am not dictator when it comes to relationships. I am rather attached to the idea of not owning a car. Perhaps if I am coerced to own one, I will end up working more to pay for one - while rarely using it. I would rather use HourCar or Zipcar, and rent one for a few days than own one.

I was not born in America to be lazy. I want a life of meaning and purpose. I do not want my life here to take away or detract from others currently living or will live in the future. If anyone out there can find a solution to Global Warming and oil depletion that includes a car for all of humanity, please let me know. But just because one can waste resources, doesn't mean one has to.

The affluence America has become accustomed to is immoral and unethical. We have the ability to improve the lives of all future generations, in addition to reducing world population to sane levels. But we are passing by the opportunity so we can buy cheeseburgers in the McDonald's drive-thru 24/7. Each individual is still responsible for their own lives, but we all affect each other collectively. Thus is the karma of mankind.