Thomas Friedman On Our Gas Tax Folly

In today's NY Times, Friedman pillories McCain and McClinton... er, I mean, Clinton over their proposal to suspend the 18.4 cent Federal gas tax. Read the article here.

In one section, Friedman notes:

Few Americans know it, but for almost a year now, Congress has been bickering over whether and how to renew the investment tax credit to stimulate investment in solar energy and the production tax credit to encourage investment in wind energy. The bickering has been so poisonous that when Congress passed the 2007 energy bill last December, it failed to extend any stimulus for wind and solar energy production. Oil and gas kept all their credits, but those for wind and solar have been left to expire this December. I am not making this up. At a time when we should be throwing everything into clean power innovation, we are squabbling over pennies.


My favorite part is when he quotes Peter Schwartz of Global Business Network, an energy expert who describes America's energy policy as:

“Maximize demand, minimize supply and buy the rest from the people who hate us the most.”

Fugitive Mom Busted After 32 Years

In this story from the LA Times today, we again see the madness of the so-called "war on drugs." The fugitive is 53 year old Susan Levfevre, a San Diego resident, married and mother of three children.

Back in 1976 she walked out of a Detroit correctional facility, having served 1 year of a 10-20 year conviction on "conspiracy and drug charges."

Basically this means she was busted at 21 years of age with an amount of drugs deemed greater than a personal use amount. Maybe she was really even selling the drugs. The point is, 10-20 is longer than you'll get for rape, assault with a deadly weapon (ADW), and even sometimes murder itself. The drug laws are Draconian and stupid.

Susan Lefevre obviously transformed her life and has been living a model existence ever since. She now has a family that needs her, but will be sent back to prison, possibly with an extended sentence due to her escape. This is wrong and insulting. Drug offenders need treatment and counseling, not hard prison time. Detroit is now retroactively destroying this woman's family, who had no idea she was a fugitive.

Isn't the ultimate goal of criminal justice that the perpetrators learn from their crimes and change their ways? This isn't the Middle Ages. Some crimes demand punishment without regard for reform, such as capital crimes, rape, child molestation, etc., but drug crimes are not among them.

I urge you to contact Michigan governor Susan Granholm to ask for clemency:

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
PHONE: (517) 373-3400
PHONE: (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services
FAX:(517) 335-6863

Manchester United FC 1 - FC Barcelona 0

Paul Scholes' 14th minute blast from 25 yards was the only goal over both legs against a fluid but toothless Barcelona, sending the Mancs to the Champions League final in Moscow.

Man Utd were without the injured Rooney and Vidic, and played a reshuffled back 4 featuring Hargreaves on the right, Wes Brown in at center back alongside Rio and Evra. The midfield was also a remix, with JS Park, Scholes, Carrick and Nani providing both speed and defense-shredding passes. In attack Ronaldo and Tevez were ever-shifting, unsettling Barcelona's defense, which saw captain Carles Puyol return from suspension.

Neutrals might say United scored against the run of play, but frequent observers of Barcelona would recognize the "carousel" passing that has been the Catalonians' undoing of late. Scoreless in their last 3 outings, Barcelona were content to knock the ball around the middle of the park dozens of times without any penetrating moves.

Leo Messi was seemingly alone against the Red Devils for most of the match, and his individual brilliance nearly cost United the tie, but Messi shot wide several times from excellent positions. His teammate Deco was also having an off night, rifling several shot inches wide.

The United changes after the half were Silvestre for the injured Evra and Darren Fletcher for Scholes, who had been imperious and magisterial most of the match. Scholes' performance was a masterclass in dominating play, and his goal surely will be remembered not only for its devastating accuracy well outside the box but also for the poignancy of who scored it. Paul Scholes will get to play in a Champions League final, denied for the past 9 years.

Scholes rightly should be MOTM, but I also rank Carlos Tevez as a close second, followed by a scintillating display by Evra and a near flawless defensive effort by Ferdinand and Brown.

The Champions League final will be April 21 against either Chelsea or Liverpool, who play tomorrow.

Galaxy Rampant

The LA Galaxy demolished a Chivas USA side that looked a shadow of its former self on Saturday night. The final scoreline of 5-2 includes a hattrick for striker Landon Donovan as well as a brace for Alan Gordon. Beckham turned in a blistering display, charging down loose balls, flighting 40 yard crosses like arrows, and providing Donovan with a devastatingly whipped in cross at the near post. The only Chivas player who looked threatening was Kljestan, who did have a peach of a goal.

The sides went in level at 2-2 and the second half saw Ruud Gullit's men come out with a new determination, and saw the Goats crumble. Alan Gordon came alive after the break and netted twice. The Galaxy's success this season will be down to guys like Gordon, Klein, Franklin and other bit players netting 4 or 5 times per season. Gordon had a great game and I'm looking forward to seeing more of what he can do when given proper service (cue Mr Beckham...).

They have been billing these LA derbies as "super classicos," somewhat ridiculously. There was a lot of shit-talking going on when Chivas USA joined the MLS, and their cocky owner saying how his team made up of the Mexican Chivas' b-team and reserves would steamroll all opposition in the MLS. The owner is also a notorious asshole, as evidenced by his claim that all Hispanics in LA would gravitate to Chivas USA over the gringo Galaxy. There was no rivalry and yet the powers that be determined the LA matches would be more like "real" soccer if we had a fierce rivalry with our stadium roommates. Voila!

It was alright the first couple seasons, because the Galaxy promptly handed Chivas their asses, but last year, Chivas stuffed us both times 3-0. Pretty damn humiliating. So this year's 5-2 really throws down the gauntlet.

This win propels the Galaxy up to 2nd place in the Western Conference and hopefully has righted their ship. It's no coincidence that our midfield finally had some teeth and that David Franchino was now a member of the Galaxy. Franchino looks stocky and thick, like he would more likely be shaking you down in the parking lot after a match instead of chasing down an errant pass inside the park. Regardless, Franchino is a terrier, playing the ass-kicking role of Roy Keane or Gattuso. Franchino is desperately what the Galaxy needed.