Why are Gas Prices so High? Part two .... et al.

Okay so I have been thinking some more on this gas prices thing. It seems to me to be very obvious that we need to get away from oil, both foreign and otherwise. But there is no real progress being made. See my previous post on the electric car. I think this needs to be a three prong approach. First we need to conserve as much as we can. Higher MPG, renewable power sources etc. Second we need to develop alternate fuels for our vehicles, like ethanol. Third we need to set a goal, similar to our space race in the sixties, to get into a hydrogen economy. Until we can get there we need to make more gasoline and oil available, while at the same time reducing demand. For now though we have people like you and me feeling pain at the gasoline pump and in our homes when we fill our heating oil tank. So I find it frustrating when Our Fearless Leader, (you knew I would get to him didn't you?) actually asks OPEC to increase their production to help lower the price of oil. While that in itself isn't actually a bad thing, it's something he should have been doing all along. We won't bring up all that cheap oil we are supposed to be getting from Iraq. We were supposed to get oil from Iraq right? But he also has it in his power to release oil from the strategic oil reserve and that would have a much quicker and more immediate effect on oil prices I think. So realizing that almost half of the price of a barrel of oil is speculative then steps to help investors speculate on a lower price would be a good idea, huh?
On other topics; apparently the Bush administration isn't happy with just one Guantanamo for torturing our 'enemies' they need to have one in Afghanistan too. Why aren't people outraged yet?
On Health care it is funny to note that one of the popular stories making the rounds was conservative pundit Glenn Beck's visit to the hospital. Apparently this is not an unusual event as emergency rooms are getting worse. I will write in more detail on another post. But let's just say I think Mr. Beck's conclusion was way off.
In order to end on a more humorous note, I thought I might mention those folks in Texas that apparently have witnessed a UFO. They witnessed a flying object one mile long and 1/2 mile wide. That is one big ship. A lot of folks saw it I guess, many of them very reputable people. Of course realize this, UFO seen in Texas, President Bush 'from' Texas....Coincidence?