(Monday is myrln’s day to blog here at Kalilily Time.)
THISSA AND THATTA
Thissa: Moving into a greener world (as the term goes) is an urgent matter. But as we make that move, we ought to be careful about choices and making them fixtures. And speaking of fixtures, one of the green decisions is that which will move us from incandescent light bulbs to screw-in fluorescents to reduce energy consumption. A commendable objective to be sure, but is this a really good way to go?
It’s no secret (or shouldn’t be) that the fluorescents contain mercury, and we can only wonder what happens when — after they burn out — we start dumping millions of them into our landfills. Where do we suppose all that mercury’s going to go as the bulbs get crushed? Into our environment, that’s where. And a recent item in Parade Magazine this week also noted that the fluorescents with their barely noticeable flicker can cause migraines or seizures. They also can aggravate skin rashes for people with lupus, eczema, and other skin conditions. The makers say the new bulbs have been improved so we don’t have to worry. Wanna risk it?
It was also noted what to do if a bulb breaks. Don’t vacuum it up cuz the debris can spread toxic dust into the air. Nope. Leave it where it lies and depart the room for 15 minutes. Then with gloves on, put the “fragments into a plastic bag, seal it and take it to a recycling center.”
This is progress? Sounds more like stupidity. The neon manufacturers must have a good lobby.
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Thatta: Speaking of a greener world and good lobbies: Exxon Mobil reports a profit this past year of $45.6 BILLION dollars. That’s pure profit. Aren’t you pleased at how much you helped the company by paying their higher prices? Now we have to root for them to get a really good tax rebate from Dumbya and Darth…both of whom have been real good to the industry they have big ties to.
$45.6 BILLION in profit.
Oh, and while we’re on the oil business, some folks buying new cars to improve their gas mileage have found they’re getting much worse mileage than they’re supposed to be getting. Why? Cuz it turns out that E-gas — which includes the corn-based ethanol — doesn’t burn as well as plain gas. But let’s remember, ethanol’s our savior. And will improve the profit line of oil companies as we spend more cuz we burn more.
Be less corn on the cob next summer, too.

The following post is by MYRLN, a non-blogger who is Kalilily Time’s guest writer every Monday.
YOUR COUNTRY ‘TIS OF THEE
The original version of the movie “Rollerball” with James Caan, ostensibly about that mad, violent sporting event, actually depicted a country wholly under the control of big business. “Just a movie,” people said. Oh, yeah? Perhaps you missed the news last week that IBM had settled a suit filed by its employees. The company agreed to finally pony-up overtime pay it had been withholding from workers. “So what do you want?” you might say. “They’re paying it. Case closed.”
Not quite. You see, in order to pay the withheld monies, IBM decided it needed an infusion of fresh cash. So what’d it do? It reduced employee salaries by 15% in order to pay for the settlement. Honest.
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Then there’s the newly agreed upon rebate of tax monies announced the other day. To fix a lagging economy and avert a recession, we are told. How? Well, you see, the idea is for the government to give back some of our tax money to us. Then we’re supposed to go right out and spend it, thus infusing the economy with fresh cash. In other words, “Here’s your allowance, go spend it in as many places as you like, only spend it. Right away.”
In further other words, go get that money in the hands of big business so they get richer, even though they’re getting their own kinds of rebates in tax reductions and are already subsidized by the government at our expense. But what’s really important for us is to be sure that CEOs get their multi-million/billion bonuses so their families don’t suffer any inconvenience. Boy, are they breathing a sigh of relief that we care so much about their welfare…oops, forbidden word.
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Hillary-ous says South Carolina picked on her by defeating her so badly. Now she’s vowed to cry throughout Super Tuesday to be sure she gets a fair shot.
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Wonder why our national media have daily focused our attention mainly on Clinton and Obama, deciding they’re the only viable candidates in the Democratic Party? Easy, they provide fodder for tabloid-like sensationalism: first woman prez or first black prez. The hell with the real issues. What matters is media deciding who’s important and who’s not.
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Your country ’tis of thee.