Tuesday, July 8th

My computer, whom I have named Earl, is sick. His motherboard (in a mac it is called something else but it is the same thing) has gone up and they don’t know why. The apple guy said it was probably a power surge or just bad luck. I’m thinking it was the bad luck. So I will not get my computer back till this weekend and I am going through withdrawal. That computer goes everywhere with me. I am really hoping that they don’t lose any of my files. I couldn’t afford the 150 dollars to back everything up. All in all yesterday sucked!

I had this really great blog entry that I was going to post yesterday but it was saved on my computer before I could post it. You all will just have to wait till I get my computer back to read it.

With the rising fuel costs affecting every single American with decreased spending and traveling, many businesses themselves have to make cuts. Driving in today to work, I heard AirTran would be cutting 180 pilots and 300 flight attendants jobs. This comes after all of the AirTran employees had to take a company wide pay cute. It makes me sick to think that we have built our economy on oil. Without oil, our economy shuts down and we all suffer.

Some of the highest paid CEO in this country work for companies that supply us with our energy needs. People have to decide whether they provide food for their family or heat their house and put gas in their car so that they are able to go to work. According the Associated Press in 2007, Bob Simpson who is the CEO XTO Energy Inc. brought home $56.6 million and Ray Irani of the Occidental Petroleum Corp brought home $34.2 million. Simpson was ranked the fourth highest paid CEO and Irani was ranked number ten. While some Americans put themselves in debt and go without heat in the winter, these CEO’s sleep warmly in their homes. There is no reason that anyone needs to make 56.6 million dollars. Maybe I have been corrupted by my sociological education or even my Christian nature but it does not seem fair that some live high on the hog while others live in poverty.

I have lost all faith in the American Dream. I do not think it is possible that someone who is at the bottom of our society is able to work themselves up the ladder and become successful. To get any where in this society, one needs a good college education. College tuition though is rising faster than the rate of inflation. If it was not for my parents, I would not have been able to go to college. It wasn’t easy for my parents to put both me and my brother through college and for some it’s not even possible. We are not making it easy to get a college education and if anything we are making it harder. Robert Messenger, a sociologist, has written many articles involving college athletes. To summarize his points, he states that all college students are being pulled in so many areas that it’s making college harder and harder for students. Students are now expected to work in college, they are expected to participate in activities outside of the classroom, and still complete all there assignments on time. How do we expect people to get an education when we are making it more and more difficult to get through college?

I am writing this entry with no idea how to fix the rising energy costs for our country. I don’t think there is one single person or entity to blame for the rising fuel cost. I believe it is a whole host of contributors to the problem. Our economy is the worst it has been in years and the decreasing value of the dollar is hurting us. I also believe that SUV’s with poor fuel efficiency have also led to the increased in fuel costs. Even with the poor economy and vehicles with a low mpg, Energy giants are most likely the major causers of this problem. Exxon-Mobile in 2007 made a record 11.7 billion in quarterly profits, according to CNN. Profit is defined as gross income minus, and I stress the word minus, expenses. 11.7 billion is excessive and downright wrong. OPEC may be raising their prices but oil companies are also making sure that they bring home a large profit.

I really hope November gets here fast. We need a change in leadership. Canada here I come…