for those of you who think more government is the answer

.
i present for your delectation the following:

in their tireless quest to make life better for their state and thus the world, the california air resources board has announced that it is considering a proposal--the "cool paints initiative," they call it--to ban black and other dark colors for new cars sold here.

see, they figure that, since dark colors soak up more heat, it requires more of our precious natural resources to cool 'em down, and the future of the planet requires their swift action to rectify the situation.

think i'm kidding? no, they're dead serious--you can read about it here.

in the course of my time here on earth, i've come to recognize that there are certain personality types who are compelled by their obsessive nature to meddle, micro-manage and control the details of other peoples' lives--they really can't help it; it's in their dna. you know what i'm talkin about--every family has at least one, and they tend to make everybody's lives miserable.

and if they're ambitious, these people are just the types who tend to go into public service so they can really meddle on a grand scale--you know, protect the public from itself, because god knows somebody has to do it. the conservative ones generally want to regulate your morality, which, annoying as that is, often pales in comparison to what the earnest do-gooder liberal ones set out to achieve.

having lived in california for almost 20 years now, i've had a ringside seat to insanity of this sort for so long that i've almost become numb to it--it takes a humdinger like this one to even move my needle anymore.

scary thing is? this mentality is no longer confined to california--get ready, america.

* * * * *

update: in response to the uproar this story stirred up, the board quickly backed off its position, claiming its intentions were misconstrued or some such bullshit.

now, if only the public would get as worked up about the important stuff.