Wilson: How do you know that, Mr. Chairman?

Ervin: Because I can understand the English language. It is my mother tongue.
Sam Ervin during Watergate hearings

I used to feel that way, that I understood the meaning of words. Lately I've been having my doubts. As a young child I was a bit behind in learning to read, and much of what I read in grade-school was dreadfully boring (see Spot run). In Jr High School I read my first novel and I  was hooked.

Now I see my language, a wonderful precise tool for communication becoming as squishy as the handling on an Oldsmobile station wagon. For sure some of the blame goes to our current President. If forcing so much water into someone's lungs that they believe they will drown isn't

Torture: the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession

, than I clearly don't know what that word means.

But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.
George Orwell

Like most of you, I struggle with the high price of gasoline. Personally I have been making changes to cope with the new economic reality. For a while I was able to absorb the increased expense by depleting my savings, but that is not sustainable. This diary will be a discussion on what bigger changes are in store for the global economy to deal with the imbalance between oil production vs demand. Please join me over the jump.

Like many of you I have been reading a lot about FISA and what this means for the future of a constitutional government in America. Many people I have come to respect hold conflicting views about where the congressional capitulation will lead. Since I don't have any special understanding about what the most recent developments portend, I  will try to stick to things I do know a little about. More after the jump.

Some friends and I recently went to Yosemite National Park to hike up Half-Dome (man is that a tough hike). When we left the Park the first Gas Station we saw had gas for over $5.50 a gallon. Eventually we found a cheaper station, but like many of you I am cutting back my gas usage. I'll go into what I'm doing after the jump.

I know many people here are hesitant to even think about what is going to happen many months from now (we all know what happens when we take our eye off the ball), but I am interested in hearing what members of this community think we will need to do after George W. Bush is out of office. Is the enthusiam we are seeing sustainable? Will we need 60 Senators to get anything done?