Under the Oak

The Cult of Green strikes again! This time against soft toilet paper. Surely this crosses some sort of line.

“At what price softness?” said Tim Spring, chief executive of Marcal Manufacturing, a New Jersey paper maker that is trying to persuade customers to try 100 percent recycled paper. “Should I contribute to clear-cutting and deforestation because the big [marketing] machine has told me that softness is important?”

Listen pal, I can assure you it wasn’t a big machine that told me that softness was important.

You don’t want to know.

But despite environmentalists’ concerns, they say customers are unwavering in their desire for the softest paper possible.

Go figure.

Also in this article is probably the most timely set of editorial brackets I’ve seen in a while.

“That’s a segment [of consumers] that is quite demanding of products that are soft,” said James Malone, a spokesman for Georgia-Pacific. Sales figures seem to make that clear: Quilted Northern Ultra Plush, the three-ply stuff, sold 24 million packages in the past year, bringing in more than $144 million, according to the market research firm Information Resources Inc.

Meanwhile, a SURPRISING study has revealed that “quality” toilet paper is pretty stinkin’ high on people’s priority list (granted the study was done by the folks that make Quilted Northern Ultra Plush…but still…is anyone disputing the findings?)

At least I know what brand to buy now!

Rowan Scarborough, of HumanEvents.com, is drawing attention to the fact that the White House is delaying making a tough decision about Afghanistan because it could hurt them in the Health Care debate on Capital Hill.

At the heart of the matter is spending. The White House has figured in big savings in defense spending over the next five years, creating more money for the president’s big domestic programs, primarily health care. Those savings come from, No. 1, terminating weapons programs, and, No. 2, bringing troops home from Iraq. . .But if troops freed up in Iraq simply move to Afghanistan, war costs will go up, not down, as will the huge federal deficit. And Obama’s whopping health care bill would likely run into more detractors on Capital Hill.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not entirely sure that I like the idea of us sending more troops to Af-Pak, but I definitely do NOT like that the President is delaying a vital war decision based on Obamacare’s floundering in Congress.

Think what you will about W, but at least the man could make bold decisions without biting his nails over his own political well being.

How on earth does something like this happen?

I’ve been thinking for a day or two how I might express my absolute disgust at the notion that strong opposition to Obamacare is based on race. This basic idea that opposing Obama = racism has been floating around almost since election night, but in the past week (out of desperation) it has been taken up by mainstream media (E.g., Dowd), former presidents, and congressmen. Thankfully, I don’t have to dig too deep to find the words because Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, has beat me to it.

I actually kinda like Obama as a person. He seems like the kind of guy that it’d be fun to hang out with…maybe shoot some pool…play some chess. That kinda thing.

His crazy-liberal agenda. Not so much. And many (the majority) of Americans aren’t too keen on it either. For instance, I don’t know very many people willing to pay $1761/yr to SAVE THE PLANET from CERTAIN DOOM. On health care, the president stood before congress and claimed that a program which brings 30 million new insured patients, government regulation, and no rationing is “deficit neutral.” Given that this is MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, I think it is safe to say that Joe Wilson’s outburst, admittedly inappropriate in the room itself, was appropriately echoing through living rooms across the country.

Does opposing the President’s outrageous agenda make Joe Wilson, me, or anyone else a racist?

If so…well…then I’ll just have to be a racist…who doesn’t judge people based on something as silly as the color of their skin…err…yeah…one of those…

In other news: Obama has decided that making Putin and Mother Russia happy is more important than protecting ourselves and our allies from nuclear tipped missiles.

And to think, we’re not even 1/4 of the way through Obama’s presidency.

I have plans for tomorrow. For one thing, I’ve got sermons to work on, bulletins to format, and class material to prepare. Also, I’m putting together a flier for a series of sermons that I will be starting on the 20th (The Hebrew Calendar). I’ll probably take the laptop and work at a Panera or something most of the day. Then, I’ll probably stop by the gym. Then, probably come home and relax, watching stuff on Hulu or maybe playing a computer game…probably do some reading. . .

…probably.

Thing is…I have no idea what will happen tomorrow. Eight years ago tonight, I had no clue what the morning would bring. The guys were horsing around in the dorm, playing console games, studying, writing papers. . . As clueless about September 11, 2001 as we all are right this second about September 11, 2009.

The world could change tomorrow. I sure hope you’re ready.