Why We Are In This Oil Mess.

I've said it before. Here is why we are in the mess we are in.

Americans love cars. Cars need oil and gas in order to operate.

Americans have had a love affair with not only their cars, but with their favorite brand of service station since the 1920's. Americans use more oil and gas for their automobiles than any other country in the world--and more than most put together.

When the first Earth Day came around in 1970, if you even suggested that the oil companies were greedy bastards and polluting the planet, you were called a Communist. If you suggested that we need to find an alternative energy source, you were considered Un-American.

The government never seriously encouraged any alternatives to oil. The oil companies laughed at such a scenario and suppressed any development of alternative forms of energy.

They brainwashed existing Americans and future generations that oil was the only answer.

So they kept on drilling to keep up with the demand.

Looks like they've sprung a leak.

There's only one answer.

A government bailout in the billions to BP should cover any expenses they've encountered in trying to stop the destruction from 200,000 or more gallons of oil per day. And the cleanup, restoration and other costs--just send a bill to American taxpayers--they're accustomed to picking up the tab.

Art Linkletter

Even as a small child I watched Art Linkletter on both "House Party" and "People are Funny."

It was like watching your grandfather talk to both adults and children, except he would always do a come back with funny deadpan facial responses.

Imitating those facial responses always worked in getting a laugh when talking with other kids. He was a great teacher.

I interviewed Art Linkletter when he was in his 80's and his mind was still so quick it was like talking to somebody in their 20's. Watching him on Larry King when he was in his 90's was no different. He still had complete youthful enthusiasm, energy and outlook.

Maybe that's the key to almost making it to 100.

How To Blow Up A Pacman Arcade Game

Today is the 30th anniversary of Pacman. I had played pinball from the time I was a small child, growing up in Chicago, the machines were everywhere as they were all manufactured there as well. When "Space Invaders" came out, the first commercial video game, I found it quite enthralling. "Pacman" in 1980 was even more enticing. I spent hundreds of dollars in quarters trying to top myself scorewise.

The following story is true.

I played Pacman wherever I could find a machine. One day while driving I saw an arcade and immediately stopped in to get my Pacman fix for the day. As I was playing with great flair and energy, a group of kids came over and said, "you know about the hiding place don't you?" I said, "what???" The group told me that there was one place in the maze that if you hold Pacman there, the ghosts can't find him. I found this ridiculous, having played it so many times before.

I asked them to show me. They pointed to one dot on the maze next to a wall and said just hold him there.

Hmmmm. The ghosts started moving a little faster. And even more faster. They started searching the entire playing field. A few times they would even pass right over where I had Pacman standing.

Then Inky, Binky, Pinky and Clyde became psychotic. They were furious and wanted to know where Pacman was. Twice the normal speed. Five times the normal speed. Ten times the normal speed and all of us were laughing hysterically. Twenty times the normal speed as they came rushing in and out of the exits determined to find their yellow nemesis. Then they started moving so fast, you couldn't keep track of them.

BOOM!!!! You could hear the explosion throughout the arcade.

The monitor turned into lightning, it split in half and black smoke was pouring out of it.

Those kids went running out the door as fast as the ghosts had become and I was the only one standing there.

The manager came over, "what happened?"

"Uh....Pacman blew up." What can you say when you've just terminally decimated Pacman and all the ghosts?

Realizing that this information could become a national security threat, I kept it to myself.

I understand that the original machines were given software upgrades to take care of various issues.

James Taylor and Carole King

They have two of the most unique voices in pop music history.

And tonight at the Hollywood Bowl, they performed solo and together to a sold out crowd.

The amazing thing is they sound exactly like they did 40 years ago.
Their voices are the same.

Their combination of folk, rock, pop, blues and jazz was heavenly.

If you don't know who they are, check out James Taylor and "Fire and Rain" and Carole King and "It's Too Late" on Youtube.

When they performed, you'd swear you were listening to the "Sweet Baby James" and "Tapestry" albums in your living room. It was that close.

Carole King can still belt out her composition "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" and James Taylor can shout the blues on his own "Steamroller."

Of course basically everybody there was 40-70, but their response was like they were still 20.

Lena Horne

It's so hard to believe that MGM intentionally arranged the films she was in so Southern theater owners could edit her parts out and nobody watching knew the difference. They missed "Stormy Weather" and they were the losers as a result.

You Think It's Kent State, Right?

If I asked you to name the event where a group of American student protesters were massacred by law enforcement authorities in the turbulent 60's, you would say "Kent State," right?

Kent State, where four students were mowed down and nine injured by the Ohio National Guard is the one you know about. It was national and world news and lays heavy upon the conscience of America to this day. But that was 1970.

Even try and ask every baby boomer you know who lived through the time and they will answer "Kent State." They don't know about it.

The one that you should know about--you've never even heard of.

In February 1968, a group of students at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg decided to protest at a local bowling alley that would not let black people use the facilities. The local police shooting into the crowd outside the bowling alley, killed 3 of them and injured 28 others including a pregnant woman who had a miscarriage as a result.

There was no national media coverage. There were no songs from Crosby, Stills and Nash. There were no made for TV movies. You won't find it in history texbooks.


And here's the reason:



These victims were using their first amendment rights, but under the growing fascism and police state instituted by Richard M. Nixon in this country at the time, nobody ever knew about this event.

Now you do.