It's amusing, in a cynical way, to watch the american public squirm and groan over steadily increasing gas prices. Troglodytes that purchased enormous and utterly impractical SUVs are rabidly replacing them at ridiculous losses for more economical cars, and often still end up losing money in the long run.

There's a lot of blame to go around, but of course the majority lies upon the public. We'd already faced OPEC shenanigans over thirty years ago, and although a great many "things" were done, precious few lessons were learned. Politicians, always thinking on the four-year (reelection) plan, cannot be blamed for economic and social irresponsibility on such a global scale.

It is amusing to see the literal forest of fingers being pointed in every imaginable direction. Even more hilarious are the solutions being bandied about by a suddenly fuel-conscious populace.

The old snakeoil standbys of fuel magnets and "HHO gas" are having a revolution, as are new DIY biodiesel kits and ozone injectors for sale over the internet. Five years ago an alternative fuel researcher couldn't have gotten the time of day from a funding body. Now that Joe McMoron is paying the same amount as his european counterpart, the funding dollars for a magical solution are practically falling from the sky.

Hell, I was involved in alternative energy before it was cool. It seems my curse is to always be ahead of the curve. It's for this reason I smirk when people ask "but why can't you scientists DO something?"

We have, you pasty white fatass, but you were as happy as a mud lark while gas was 97 cents to have noticed. Just like the fiddling grasshopper, now you want to come in out of the cold.

No, ethanol isn't a viable alternative fuel, but I can't even begin to explain to you why because as soon as I start talking about "energy density" your illiterate neurons shut down and I feel like I'm talking to a corpse. To be pedantic, ethanol comes from grain, the same stuff you eat. If said grain goes to make gas, you won't be getting 99 cent BigBurgers any more. With ethanol, you have two choices: cheap gas or cheap food, what'll it be Mrs. Mayonnaise?

Fact of the matter is, there are alternatives that your addled anti-intellectual NASCAR-loving brain can't even begin to wrap itself around. Nuclear power plants to drive mass transit units & generate hydrogen gas. Metal hydrides to safely store said gas so your negligent ass doesn't go up in a fireball when you rear-end someone while chatting on your cell phone. Hyper efficient hydrogen turbines and generators, and last but not least, Mr. Fusion.

That last one has been on the designing table for almost 40 years, but surprise surprise, it's never got anywhere because of that very thing you seem to cherish most: money. Bussard had a polywell fusor working as late as 2005, but I bet by now you can guess what happened to that - that's right, the navy dropped funding for it. Do you remember what gas prices were in 2005? A buck fifty. Not enough for any of those Tahoe or Explorer-driving soccer moms to give a damn, evidently.

Oh, but now everyone wants to know what "those scientists" are doing to make their pocketbook not ache so much at the gas pump. You know what, Mr. and Mrs. America? Screw you. Scientific funding is at an all time low. The average high school graduate can't find his ass with both hands and a map, let alone correctly spell "electron". You've elected (and here I am, sadly, complicit) not one, but two oil magnates to our highest office, and see nothing wrong with having "our" "representatives" bought and sold on the open lobbying market like so much chattel. Finally, you have the unmitigated gall to come waddling back and accuse the one group of people that could have helped you of "not doing enough".

Yeah, yeah, I know, all them durn lab 'quipment and fancy-schmancy instruments sure are expensive - you know what? maybe you would be better off riding a bike to your job at the local dollar store. God knows you could use the exercise.