I have a very small stash of $2 bills. No real reason why; since they are relatively rare I just felt like keeping them rather than spending them. Perhaps I there’s a good reason not to spend them after all.

Apparently in Florida the first to draw his side arm is the winner!

The Schiavo memo evidence has finally surfaced and it turns out that a lot of people were simply blowing smoke. Surprise, surprise.
Some people faulted news outlets for poorly sourcing the memo story when it first ran. But if those journalists running a correct story “blew it,” what credibility do we assign those mouths who denied the story, offering no contrary evidence to support their false theories?

All this coverage of the Schiavo episode and the Pope has got me to thinking of a new cable station venture (if it doesn’t already exist): The Death Channel.
It could feature death watches, funerals, mourners, obituaries, executions, autopsy shows (how about some classic Quincy, M.E.?), combat/catastrophe specials, murder trials, on and on.
People are naturally fascinated with death, and there would never a shortage of new content for this concept.

It’s a bit doomsdayish, but this James Kunstler article on the world’s energy future is quite thought-provoking.
It’s unclear to me when the world will reach peak oil production, but it could be within a decade. And when we do, Mr. Kunstler’s piece gives an indication of the kind of changes which could be in store for us. The days of the SUV/Suburan Sprawl Era are likely numbered.
Kunstler has an interesting prediction for the southeast U.S.:

I’m not optimistic about the Southeast, either, for different reasons. I think it will be subject to substantial levels of violence as the grievances of the formerly middle class boil over and collide with the delusions of Pentecostal Christian extremism. The latent encoded behavior of Southern culture includes an outsized notion of individualism and the belief that firearms ought to be used in the defense of it. This is a poor recipe for civic cohesion.

That’s not very difficult to imagine.
Recently someone, who I consider to be in the know on political/economic trends, told me the day is not far off when government will be mandating much tougher fuel efficiency and the use of hybrid technologies in vehicles. It will probably start out in California and spread from there.
This sounds 180 degrees off the energy industry-authored talking points we hear from Washington these days. But it probably wouldn’t take very long with $3/gallon gasoline to generate a shift in the political landscape.