As I write this we're in the middle of another gasoline shortage here in North Carolina. Our governor stupidly declared a state of emergency which, while technically required to change the rules for gasoline transportation, has caused people to panic and hoard gasoline. I have to imagine there's a better mechanism that we as a society could come up with for changing the rules that doesn't involve the word "emergency."

All this, of course, is thanks to the fact that the United States is the land the car built. Back when we visited Switzerland, one of the joys of travelling there was the ability to get around using only public transportation. You could go virtually everywhere by taking a train, bus, boat, or other random forms of transit. I'd love it if we had the same opportunities here, but it'll never happen.