Two months back I wrote about the Oil Speculation Bubble and speculated on what could cause it to burst. I must admit I was pessimistic in my timing despite my own gut feelings that we were going to see it burst sooner rather than later. I had nothing to base that feeling on, and felt it best not to comment on it.

Simply put, and to quote the better of two Bushes, "it's the economy, stupid." We have come to a point where it is impossible for the economies of the industrialized countries to keep up. Emerging economies in smaller nations have rammed a brick wall and are frankly not able to cope. The result has been increases in food prices, electricity prices, and finally in consumer goods.

One thing I have found quite curious about the Democratic party (and a number of liberals) is their knee-jerk reaction to gun ownership. The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has brought this issue into focus in this Presidential campaign, and it's something of a third rail for Senator Obama as it risks alienating a number of potential voters.

My apologies for a fairly short entry here. As some of you may have gathered by my signature, I review webcomics (comic strips that are put on the internet, mostly created by amateurs though several mainstream companies have started edging onto the web once they realized there was a sizable group of intelligent readers there who were willing to spend money on comic-related merchandise). One of the strips I have reviewed (and read regularly) is called xkcd, a strip that uses stick-figure art to express various thoughts on mathematics, language, and society in general.

There is a strong undercurrent that seems apparent when liberals start talking about NASA and the U.S. space program, and that is one of disdain. I have heard from numerous people the question "why waste time and money to send space probes to other planets and men to the moon when so many people are starving in America?" Other sentiments often ask what benefit the average person gains from the U.S. space program and why the U.S. spends so much money on "wasteful" scientific programs when we should be "taking care of our own people" back on Earth.

There are significant fears about the parabolic increase in the cost of oil. Even now that demand has started to drop, prices continue to climb and some believe that climb isn't going to end. But there are two reasons why prices aren't dropping for gasoline even as demand has declined.

Why are some women so upset with the concept of Senator Obama winning the Democratic Primary? It may be a matter of fear... fear that there won't be a second shot at the Presidency for women. Fear that if Senator Clinton loses, it will be a step backward for women across the nation. Fear that so much that women have fought for will be lost as people simply assume "women can't hack it" and buy into the "weaker gender" myth that perpetuates even in today's America.

A significant number of people are calling the Democratic Primary over. And indeed, barring some horrible tragedy, Senator Obama will win the Democratic Primary... a man who may have some significant flaws, but who has a vision and seeks to bring that vision to the rest of the country. As a result, Senator Clinton's continued insistence on running against Obama and her refusal to admit defeat has upset a number of Obama supporters here at Daily Kos (and elsewhere). However, when considering the person Senator Clinton is... and considering her pride and what she has accomplished, perhaps we should not see this as blind refusal to bow out, but rather an effort to exit with style and grace.

But when Clinton eventually bows out... show respect for her supporters and let them know that they fought well and that they are welcome as equals in this era of Change.

Is Senator Clinton a racist? Or is this a deliberate act of sabotaging her own political campaign?