No, no, no, not the Mini!

I suppose that everyone has their dream car. Personally, I've always loved the Mini. Slick, small, sporty -- the Mini has it all. So even though I don't own a Mini (another story for another time), I do plan on acquiring one in the future. In the meantime, I subscribe to their email newsletter.

Imagine my disappointment to see this advertisement in my inbox. It's not really surprising that Mini is succumbing to the enviromental movement. They are after all owned by BWM, and the Beemer boys are doing what every international business conglomerate is doing these days. Being politically correct is just good for business, if for no other reason than that you don't have to deal with the harrassment that the environmental nutjobs will give you if you go against them.

Of course I believe in being a good steward of the planet. I just have a hard time accepting what doesn't make sense to me. So let me get this straight -- instead of using my car to do what I need to do, I should do what? Bike with the bike I don't own? Take the train that doesn't exist? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to do the Bob Marley thing -- "my feet is my only carriage." If I were feeling well, I might consider it. The fresh air and exercise could do me some good. But I am not walking to work; I live to far away to spend the time it would take to walk. And since I didn't go to work today due to a head cold (which for some strange reason now always makes me think about swine flu, which I don't have), I am certainly not going to get to the store to get medical supplies and foodstuffs in any other way but my car!

I have trouble seeing the modern environmental movement as anything but a scam. If the science is so legit, then why not have a public debate and end the controversy? Why not help everyone to see the reasoning behind the argument? Because the real reasoning behind the argument is simply a power grab on an international scale. That's why anyone who disagrees with the "scientists" on global warming gets rejected and harrassed. What I have seen so far regarding "evidence" leaves me with more questions than answers; I see too many things that don't make sense to me, that just don't jive with my understanding of scientific laws and statistical principles. And apparently some of the questions I have shouldn't be asked. Without any real substance to the argument, rhetorically the only recourse left is name-calling, hence the introduction of "global warming deniers" on par with holocaust deniers. Those who question the "science" of the cause are treated as apostate heretics in much the same way that heretics were treated in Western Europe during medieval times. Science has become the new religion of the secularist world, and its technological priesthood are not to be questioned or challenged. This combined with the diametrical opposition of the actions of leading global warming proponents to what they preach doesn't exactly create confidence in me regarding their intregity.

Despite the blemish, I can't hold too much of a grudge against Mini. After all, my employer is one of the country's strongest proponents for cap and trade. And I still want a Mini. I love their website. You can customize your new Mini right in the comfort of your own home! So every now and then I take a quick peek at my dream car -- the Mini Cooper Convertible in nightfire red! Oh, baby! I know what they say about red cars and speeding tickets, and I tend to believe it since my last car was red and I got pulled over a ton, even when I wasn't speeding. But this is a dream car, so in addition to having my favorite color it should be able to avoid tickets. Ever see The Italian Job? "You got yourself a sweet ride now." Now that's what I'm talkin' about!