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Much has been made about the accelerator cable problems which have plagued several Toyota models recently but this type of problem has been decades in the making for the automaker.  In 1985 Toyota introduced a ground breaking sports car, the MR2 and it had cable problems of it’s own.  Specifically the emergency brake cable was susceptible to moisture infiltration.  If you lived in a Northern climate this was especially problematic in the winter.  An emergency brake set during a warm day would be frozen solidly in place the next day when the owner tried to move the car.  Conversely the emergency brake would frequently be frozen such that it could not be applied after the owner drove the car around.

Toyota knew about it’s cable problem then also but did nothing to fix it.  It knew that it needed to develop better technology to prevent these types of problems from occurring in it’s vehicles.  Unfortunately, almost 24 years has passed since the MR2 cable issue surfaced.  It still remains unfixed by Toyota.  One can only wonder if Toyota had investigated the problem further back then if the lessons learned could have made a difference with it’s current problems regarding moisture infiltrating mechanical cable systems.  Perhaps lives could have been saved?

Toyota quality & it’s response to those situations simply isn’t what it used to be.  In recent years it’s Tacoma model has suffered from frame rust issues which forced a recall of entire vehicles.  There is good evidence to suggest that it’s Tundra model suffers from a similar problem however nothing has been done on that front.  The cost of recalling entire vehicles is just too high and Toyota has put it’s bottom line ahead of customer safety again.

Whenever the economy starts to go south policies such as welfare, extended unemployment assistance and food stamps come under attack.  The problem isn’t because we don’t want to feed or house our neighbors but rather there is a perceived unfairness in it all.  It takes relatively few abuses for people to think that all welfare recipients cheating the system.  Like wise the number of people out there who believe people are getting fat while eating filet mignon they bought with the food stamps is also way too high.  Issues such as this are compounded by the perceived unfairness of how these programs are implements.  We see someone getting food for free and we want the same benefit.  We don’t see it as a system giving help to people who need it.
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Apple, as it is with most of it’s products, has not been very forthcoming with details about it’s expected touchpad device.  Speculation has abounded about the software it will use, the size of it’s screen and it’s other capabilities.  However, to Apple the iPad is all about capturing a new market it has not ventured into very much, that market being books and other written media traditionally delivered to us in hard copy printed form.  To put it more succinctly, the iPad will be the device which launches the iTunes Bookstore.

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“Discriminate:  To mark or perceive the distinguishing or peculiar features of.”.  The definition seems simple and innocent enough.  We discriminate between things all the time.  Clothes, cars, and food… We are by our very nature discriminatory in selecting things.  Discrimination in and of itself is not a problem until we apply it to the people around us based on their race.  The United States has been mired with this problem since it’s very beginning.  Attempts to legislate away discrimination have only caused more problems and resentment on both sides of the issue.  Policies such as Affirmative Action have sought to rectify past discrimination by discriminating against the current generation.  If you don’t think that is what Affirmative Action is then read the first sentence of this paragraph again so you really understand what the word ‘discriminate’ means. (Read On…)

Since the election of President Obama the word “Socialism” has been on the tongue of many Americans.  Socialized health care, socialized retirement, socialize anything you can get your hands on.  After all health care should be free and universal right?  No one should ever go hungry or be homeless.  Let’s not forget that no matter how you may have wasted your life away you should be entitled to receive money when you get older so you can retire.  You’re an American after all, retirement is your God given right.

The problem is as Americans we want a great deal but when it comes time to pay up, no one wants to do so.  We need to decide, do we want lower taxes or do we want more services?  There is a trade off between the two.  If you want “free” health care for everyone then be prepared to pay for it.  If you want Social Security then be prepared to really pay for it.  Recently the Peterson Foundation calculated the federal government accumulated $56.4 trillion in total liabilities and unfunded promises for Medicare and Social Security as of September 30, 2008.  That is $184,000 for every man, woman, and child here in the US.  To put it another way that’s $483,00 per household.  Do you have that kind of money?  That money is going to have to come from somewhere so be prepared when your taxes start to go up.

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