Xpinionated

Again, my pertubedness is peaked reading an AJC blog today. The author is an honor of an old Saturn and was looking into buying a new car. Since he, or she, has a public voice, he, or she, decided to ask the readers for their opinion.

Opinions ranged from buy used, to ride various commuter options, and finally to buy whatever just don’t buy American.

As you faithful readers, all five of ya, are well aware, I am a pro-buy-American-Autos kind of fella. In fact, I tend to get rather adamant about it at times. Mrs. Xpinionated not so much so. It’s a common axe to grind between us so we usually don’t talk about it too much….

Anyway, here are some interesting stats for you anti-American car people….

Honda Accords, the prima donna of the anti-American crowd, is made with 70% U.S. and Canada parts. The Toyota Camry, it’s bowels contain 70% American/Canadien parts. Nissan Xterra has a whopping 80% yeehaw factor. In fact, Hyundai is the most imported of the imports with none of their listed models having more than 10% American/Canadien parts. My source is right here.

This begs the question, what is so foreign about these imports? After all, most of the ‘imports’ that have actually crossed water to get here are the luxury and high end models. And with import manufacturing plants dotting this fair land of ours and our northern neighbors like a prostitutes rash, it’s fair to say that the cars are being built by imported hands. So what exactly is foreign about these cars? Oh, the profit their parent company receives. . . . . . .

Perhaps I don’t get it. Perhaps I’m an unfeeling son of a gun. Maybe I should be more considerate of our equine friends.

Or maybe it’s time we realize that this was a horse. It’s disappointing that there will be no triple crown…again…this year. It’s sad that such potential is lost in such a freak incident. But it was a horse! I understand there’s a chance the horse could be put down if recovery does not go well. But we’re getting close to a week’s worth of sports headlines about a horse.

People are actually sending apple baskets, stuffed animals, and religious statues to a horse! The apples I can understand even though given the monetary advantages of the horse’s owner, I’m sure hitting up the local supermarket for some fruit wasn’t that much of an obstacle. But stuffed animals and religious statues, that’s just overboard…and silly.

Important PEOPLE in our communities are on the verge of taking their last gasp every day and there are folks sending gifts to horses? There are people being paid to ‘follow-up’ on the horse story?

The telecommunication companies are wanting to create a two-tiered Internet. In a nutshell, if you have a website, you can pay the greedy folks a premium and know that your website will load promptly. Otherwise, no pay off, you are sent to the ’slow lane’ of the internet.

It’s issues like this that make anything longlasting and great just short and sweet. For the past 15 years, the internet has been home to freedom in the truest sense. The internet was a place of virtual equality. Now, if you can’t afford it, your service deteriorates. You no longer reach your consumers, fans, etc at the same speeds. What does that lead to? Possibly losing some of your fans, consumers, ie less visitors to your website. This basically makes effective internet advertising a realm for only those with deep pockets.

And what effect would something like this have on technologies such as VoIP. Does Vonage now have to raise it’s cost to cover the hi-speed pipeline fee? Without knowing how this would be implemented, will it be in affect for both dial-up and broadband customers? Will this only affect sites in the continental U.S., since it will take an act of Congress to make this a legal move?

So I was talking to a coworker and somehow the conversation got into retirement. So I asked her jokingly, “If I say I’m retired and I’m only 38, will they give me my 401k money?” Of course, I know they won’t but I want my damn money when I say I’m retired, not when the gubment says I’m retired. Anway, my coworker gets all serious on me and says by the time you retire they may move the retirement age back again which would make it 69 or 70 years old to retire. Hmmm, they say black men have an average lifespan of 69 years (I know this can be argued ’til the cows come home from the land of honey but just go with it now). So, with this knowledge, I came to the realization that Mrs. Xpinionated (who recently got a promotion, GO HER!) gets my 401k money later and my current check now.

This revelation led to another discussion with a different coworker that hipped me to some other downer news! Social security as it currently works provides the most benefits to white women since they live the longest. As such, the least benefit goes to .. . .yep black men. So this coworker breaks it down for me like this, “Black men are paying social security for white women for all intents and purposes!” To which I respond…..”And then folks get mad when we chase one!!!