Why John McCain gets my vote.....

I have put myself out there by supporting John McCain, and now it is time for me to tie it all together, and explain why. While John McCain was not my initial choice a year ago, I think of it as picking a system, and not just the individual, so the whole package is what leads me to the McCain camp. Yes, this is an extremely long post, so I apologize now. If you do take the time to read all of it, thank you.

John McCain – This is a man who is a true American hero. While some might say it was 40 years ago, he had every right to be bitter and not want to put “Country First” after being a POW for 5 ½ years, but instead has always wanted to help his country by being a public official. He has been willing to work with Democrats as well Republicans over his career, and with a very heavy Democrat House and Senate, would know where to “pick his battles” in dealing with this Congress.

Sarah Palin – Yes, I will gush over this woman, and this will be my longest “reason”. Many think she is not intelligent enough, or ready for this position. They are wrong on both counts. This is a woman who took on her own party’s incumbent Governor, beat him, then went on to beat her opponent and become Governor. Two campaigns, one against “one of her own”, and she won. The people of Alaska know what they have in her. And for those saying, “it backwards Alaska”, and “she sounds like she came from the movie Fargo”, I will remind you that 16 years ago a Governor from Arkansas with a southern drawl, that might have come from the movie Deliverance, won the Presidency, and Democrats didn’t seem to mind his accent, lack of foreign policy, or lack of morals.

As for her lack of intelligence, does anyone think Barack Obama, or any politician just “knew” all the foreign affairs details, and other issues right from the start? For this I blame the McCain camp, as they should have come to the conclusion to choose her back in July, and that would have given them enough time to get her “up to speed”. A campaign season with 24 hour news channels and internet is not the time to keep her from reporters, and have her study up on issues that she normally does not deal with. Just listen to her now in interviews, or on the stump, and you see a different and confident woman, who has a much better grasp on the issues.

As for the woman herself, I remarked in a prior post that she reminds me of my wife, Morgan. She is strong, sure of herself, and not afraid to get in there, and “kick up some dust”. Sarah Palin is a strong Christian, and looks like a great wife and mother. Her, and the whole family seem to have great family values. (Quick story that a friend witnessed. The Palins showed up at his Stone Cold Creamery in Orlando, and when told they didn’t have to pay, the youngest girl took the $20 bill she had in her hands and immediately walked over the Make-A-Wish jar and placed in inside. No prompting, no words, just did it. BTW, they did have to pay, as the campaign would not allow freebies.)

I will state right now, that if on Tuesday McCain does not win, I will be first in line for her next national endeavor, if she decides to go that way. She gets a year or so to give her input on national affairs, while educating herself on foreign policy, and she will be a force to be reckoned with. Her Christian values are strong, but she does not look to force them down the throat of those on the other side, as noted any times during interviews when she always mentions that she understands that there is an “other side”. That is something non-Christians sometimes do not understand (heck, I didn’t for a long while), as they always think Christians are “our way or the highway”. Not so, and it is something we as Christians, and the Republican Party need to work on, and that is showing we are inclusive, not exclusive.

Iraq – This is not an argument on whether we should be in Iraq. That is a separate argument, and one I would not fight you on too heavily, except to say that there was intelligence, and even without WMD, us finding all those grave with hundreds if Iraqi civilians in them, would be enough for me.

As for now, we are there and we must finish the job we started. That may take 6 months, it may be 24 months, but in any case, we do not give a definite timeline and date. That is just inviting disaster. Progress is being made along all lines (being ignored right now with the Presidential race and economy dominating headlines), and we can’t leave until we are 100% complete, not 80 or 90 percent.

Also, for all the babble about the cost, there are some things missing from the rhetoric. First the $80 billion surplus was calculated when oil was $150 a barrel, so the number is now mute. Also, what is overlooked is that even if we pull out of Iraq tomorrow, many of those soldiers and equipment is going to Afghanistan. While we may not spent the full amount we are now spending in Iraq, there will not be a 100% savings.

National Security – I believe in the same Teddy Roosevelt theory of “walk softly and carry a big stick”. Others do not like us. They flew 4 planes into three buildings, and luckily because some brave Americans took action and did not talk to them, were stopped from even more damage. No attacks on American soil since 9/11.

John McCain will finish the job correctly in Iraq, get us through Afghanistan, and keep us safe from any other extremes that want to harm us. That will done by keeping us a power, and also soothing over feathers the current administration has ruffled.

Taxes and Jobs – This is where my 22 years in business takes over. I believe that we all “go up or go down” together when it comes to taxes, and not this “some go up, while others go down” garbage. The rates are already graduated, to make it that those making more, pay more, and many don’t realize that there are penalties in place that reduce deductions for those that make over certain amounts.

While a married couple with taxable income (income minus deductions and dependents) of $50K pays $6700 (any children under 17 and you can knock that down $1000 for each one under the age), while the same couple with $150K pays $30,800, and raise that to $300K, and the taxes paid are $77,800. So the “rich” that makes six times the income, now pays 12 times the amount in tax (Without counting any children under 17. Give each two children and the $50K earner’s tax is $4700, while is 16 ½ times less than the person making $300K), and they want to raise that to make it “fair”.

McCain will keep the taxes as they are, and will not punish one group to appease another.

Also, there has been lots of talk about small businesses and the $250K threshold. Let me tell you that the Obama is correct about certain businesses, like mine, as I don’t make that amount, so I am not affected by the tax increase. I also don’t create any jobs.

Jobs are created by businesses that will be affected by the tax increase. Facts are that “small businesses” (those with less than 100 employees) do make up almost 50% of the new jobs created, but almost all of those jobs come from businesses that current employ at least 20 workers now. Those businesses with over 20 employees, are also the ones making over $250K, so if you increase their taxes, which increase their costs, they are less likely to hire new employees. I have seen this over and over during my career.

Overall, neither one of these two candidates will have an effect on the economy in any large scale manner, as the economy always goes in a cycle. A President’s policies may determine how fast we get out of this “low”, and keeping taxes low for all is the best policy to quicken the recovery pace.

Windfall Profits Tax - Barack Obama wants to put a “special” tax on the profits of oil companies, and while we all hate paying for gas and seeing oil profits at these large numbers, this is plain and simple supply and demand capitalism. Wanting to tax them more is plain stupid. The day this is proposed, the CEO of Exxon should get on the air, and make a statement that says, “The tax that is imposed is fine with us. Please be aware that the price per gallon will rise $X tomorrow to offset our additional costs”.

Exxon make about 10 cents per dollar in profit, so on a $100 fill up, they make $10. It costs Apple $100 to make a Nano that it then sells for $200, and nobody is talking about taxing them any differently.

Energy and Jobs – John McCain wants to drill for oil, while building nuclear facilities, and bringing other alternatives “online”. I have always felt that we would have a long transition period, so we need as many possibilities as we can open for use, until we determine, as a nation, how we are going to “fuel” ourselves. I would not be surprised if in ten to fifteen years we have gas, natural gas, hybrid, hydrogen, and battery powered vehicles all sharing the road, with the “old gas” auto slowly decreasing in number. Any US drilling is good drilling, as any dollar we keep for ourselves during the transition is one less going to those outside US boarders.

At the same time, we would start getting the other alternatives (wind, nuclear, solar, etc.) closer to being “online” and supplementing what we now use. I do not believe we would have a complete overhaul to a whole new “green” system for at least 20 to 30 years, and all those years would mean jobs for people that want them.

Federal spending – President Bush spent like a sailor on leave or a rich girl with daddy’s credit card. Whatever your analogy, it has been a disgrace. Senator McCain has always been a “penny pincher” when it comes to the budget, and I don’t see it stopping here.

Meanwhile, an Obama, Pelosi, Reid “trifecta” would make the Bush days seems like they were spending at the “five and dime”. Obama has already mentioned a $150 billion stimulus, and Pelosi has already stated that she would double it to $300 billion. That is before he has even been elected.

Abortion – Look at your son, daughter, niece, nephew, or grandchild. Now think about the issue. Now go back and look at that child again. You decide.

Bill Ayers matters – I have heard the argument, “it was 40 years ago when Ayers committed his crimes, and he and Obama only were on some boards together”. It is a matter of judgment, and this was bad judgment. Obama should have excused himself from the board, or asked the Ayers be dismissed. This is a man that as recently as 2001, said that he wished he had done more damage to the country.

Again, if McCain was on a board, with a former Nazi, KKK member, or an abortion clinic bomber, there would be uproar from the left.

I don’t need a nanny – My basic philosophy is that you “take care of your own” and don’t look to others, in this case the government, to help you. I see and hear many that support Obama claim that their lives will be great if he is elected, and that the Republicans got us into this mess. Really? The Republicans ran up your credit card bills? Or made you buy a house you could not afford (and stop all the predatory lending garbage, as there has to be someone that actually looked at what they were signing), that was overpriced, but you figured you could “flip it” and make a buck. This was all President Bush and the Republicans’ doings?

Let me give you a hint. No matter who wins, it will not change unless you do something to make it change. Looking for the government to do it for you just makes you a child to their government parenting. Had parents, they taught me to get it myself.

Now again, as I have stated, I am for small and limited government. What possibly lies ahead, and what some people seem to be wanting is downright scary.

So, those are my main reasons that I support John McCain (I could go on, but I think this is enough), and hope that he is elected President of these United States. I don’t agree with everything he wants to do, or does not want to do, but for myself the choice is simple. We will rise up as a nation as long as each one of us as individuals does his/her best to make that possible. Sitting down and waiting on the government to do it for you, is not how we will get it done.

Will my world end if John McCain is not elected? No. I will be disappointed, but I am an American first, and a Republican second. My "house" is in order, so I am not going to be effected too much in either case, and in truth I will probably benefit from the increased business with so many tax changes possible. But again, my choice is made not only with me in mind, but the country as a whole.

Until the next time.....

sold for.....

So I put up all our items that we wanted to sell on Craigslist, and within a matter of a couple of hours we sold off the bunk bed and have two people wanting the outdoor table and chairs set. The bunk bed was picked up today, and the table/chairs is supposed to be looked at and bought tomorrow. If that person falls through, a couple really wants it, and has emailed me quite a bit checking on it (a little "stalky" :-) ).

Now, we just need to start getting some interest in the big items.

I set up estimate appointments with four different movers over the rest of this week. All seemed OK with our time frame of packing the house and loading a truck by December 23rd or 24th. I can already feeling myself stressing over this, and I have not even gotten to the cars, or setting up ours and the cats' travel back east.

I am working up a long post (probably broken up into multiple posts) of why I am voting for John McCain (I know you are brimming with anticipation). Figured after preaching about knowing your candidate, I should "put up" and explain my reason for the McCain / Palin ticket.

I will say that none of them have to with the fact the Obama is a black man (technically half black), but you would think from most on the Democratic side that being a racist is the only reason you would not be voting for him. I have seen, read, and heard more garbage pointed in that direction then I ever care to hear again. Seems that if you disagree with the proposed Democratic agenda, it is only because you keep a sheet over your head.

Now, I am not naive, as there are some nuts with plenty of hate coming out of them and towards Obama because of his skin color, but they do not represent even 1% of us who are voting for John McCain.

It has gotten so that Morgan will not let me put out my McCain / Palin yard sign in fear of the house or my car, which I leave in the driveway, being damaged. I have worn my McCain / Palin hat almost everyday for the past month, and I do get some funny looks. I also get some "nice hat" remarks, but they are always done in a whisper to me, like they are telling me a secret.

- Will they finish Game 5 in Philadelphia before next spring?
- And the ride now goes back up again.
- Hurricanes lose to Montreal 3-2 in OT.

Until the next time.....

and it starts.....

Somehow it is only about 8 weeks until we move back to NC. How did that happen? Today, a real estate agent that Morgan dealt with when we came out here, stopped by so he can list the house for rent. I will say that the owners have been real nice about this, and did not give us any hassle when I told them we were leaving early (that could be because they will probably get more rent then we are paying now). It would be nice to get this rented for them before we leave.

Morgan and I also listed a bunch of items on Craigslist. Already have a few replies, and the stuff has not been up for more than 45 minutes. Hopefully we will be able to sell them quickly. We were discussing it last night, and we will probably mention this to people at church, in case somebody knows someone still looking for furniture or households due to last year's fires. If we don't sell the items, we might think about donating them, just to not have to move with them, and then try to sell again back in NC.

Kellie mentioned that we have our drywall up, so that means we should be able to move up the closing to December 31st. Just waiting for the builder to call me back and confirm it. Then, I will start calling movers, and try to get the cars set up for the move. The cars are the biggest hassle, especially the Viper because it needs to be put in a special inside carrier. As for the motorcycle, I will either "pack" it in the moving truck (I know Allied Movers will do it), or have Harley Davidson come and get it with their trucking service.

Otherwise, it is pretty quiet around here. Like moving isn't enough.

The Hurricanes won their game Saturday night over the New York Islanders 4-3. Cam Ward stopped 57 shots! I know they were not good shots, but still, they took 60 shots. That is one a minute. Think we might need to tighten the "D" a little bit. The Canes also suffered two new injuries. As Brandon Sutter suffered a concussion and will be evaluated, while Joni Pitkanen tore his meniscus (my knee injury) and will be out for about a month.

One of my favorites, Bret Hedican signed a contract with the Anaheim Ducks. He and Kristi had moved to California after last season, so it was a good fit.

- Saw a Shell station at $3.09 yesterday. Below $2. Wow.
- Have a feeling LittleBigPlanet is something Morgan and Cassie will enjoy.
- Really? High School Musical 3 was #1 at the box office. I'm shocked. ;-)

Until the next time.....

sharp dressed (wo)man.....

To borrow and edit an old ZZ Top song title. This is referring to the AP's investigation (wish they worked this hard on Obama's background) and finding that the RNC has spent about $150K on clothing for Governor Palin. No, I am not going to defend this amount, as it is absolutely ridiculous. If it around $50K or so, I probably would not have minded, and it is probably not a story, but once it crossed the six figure threshold, there is no good way to spin this, especially 2 weeks from voting day.

Again, I ask what are the McCain people thinking? Every time they take a step forward, something comes up, that could have been avoided, and they take a step back. I mean with this climate, any Democrat should be 20 points ahead, but this is still a race (extremely slim, but I will not write an obit on this yet), because as the sport phrase goes, "Obama can't seem to put away the other team", but everyday, the people in charge of this campaign keep finding another way to make sure they don't close the gap. Unbelievable.

I will say this in defense of Governor Palin. She was a late choice, and did not have 6 months to prepare for the possibility of campaigning non-stop since September 1st. Again, I am not defending this money, but I am saying that if she, or the RNC, thought in June that this was a possibility, her personal closet would have been updated, and we would not have a story (not that is really is a story).

Of course on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Senator Biden telling Democratic donors that the United States and world will have an extreme problem after Obama is elected, because enemies will test him, and even his supporters will not like President Obama's response, but that they need to "hang tight" and be with him. I have had to read his remarks numerous times to believe what I am reading, and this is getting no real play in the media at all. Think it would be different if Governor Palin said the same thing.

We had our first little "bump" on our travels back to NC, as I was told that there is no room for Cassie in 5th grade at WCA. Kind of felt like a bit of a kick in the stomach, as she was really looking forward to going back there, but it is only for the last half of the 5th grade, and we are applying for the sixth grade, and feel pretty confident that she will get in if a space opens up. Cassie was pretty upset at first, but we told her that as soon as a spot opens for her, she will be returning.

Otherwise, not much going on. I need to get some pictures taken of the large furniture items we are trying to sell on Craigslist, so we can get them posted. Want to try and sell them here (including our bedroom set, Cassie's bunk bed, sectional couch, washer/dryer, and elliptical machine), so we don't have to pay to move them, and then sell them in NC.

- Phillies win Game 1 over the Rays.
- For Star Wars and gaming geeks.
- Blu-Ray DVD player that can download and play NetFlix. Cool.

Until the next time.....

nice ride.....

Been a few days, but really there has been nothing too exciting going on around here. We are settling into a gameplan about the move, but otherwise not much. Now, I could have done four days of politics, but I decided to spare you and give you a few days off before I go full bore these last two weeks of the campaign. ;-)

On Sunday morning the Eternal Riders from church had our monthly ride. We were joined by our Pastor, Harry, as he is also an avid rider. It was a nice sunny, cool day, as I was able to stay in a long sleeve t-shirt for the whole ride, and never really got warm. After the first part of the trip (about 60 miles) we stopped for lunch and watched the rest of the Charger game (they lost).

Then after lunch, some stay to ride longer, while others head back to their homes. I was asked if I had even been to a place called, The Hideout. I had not, so that was where we were going, including Pastor Harry. Little did I know, until I rode up on it, that it is up in the mountains, tucked away off any roads (hence, the name), and real life Biker Bar. Oh, yes. Here is this group of riders with our shirts bearing The Cross and our church logo, along with our Pastor, parking and enjoying the atmosphere. Not a place I would normally go, but it was nice to look at all the different rides, and we were asked by a few who we were, but were not bothered at all.

After that was over, we headed back up the mountains, and made a long route home. By the time we were done, I had logged over 130 miles for the day. As Pastor Harry and I were the last two after the group started breaking off, it was real nice to ride with him for a while, talk a little, then say our goodbyes.

It was a very good day. I also made me think about the events in finding CRB even more. First we are out here in 2004, live near the church, but never come across them in our short time here. But in truth, at the time, we were not looking. Then for really no reason, have it tug on Morgan and me that we need to try it again here. Within a month of the decision, we are here. I attend a few different churches, the last one with Morgan, but nothing "sticks", and I am getting really down (Go back to beginning of this blog. I was a mess.). Then only after an accidental conversation with another swim parent, am I told about CRB. We make our first visit in December 2007, and the rest, as the say, is history.

As much as I have missed friends, family, etc., I would not trade the past eleven months since we stepped in CRB for anything. I feel so much better about everything, that I really can't describe it. I will apologize in advance, as I will probably repeat this quite a bit in the coming weeks, as we get closer to leaving.

OK, rant time. :-) As you know from reading these posts, I am a news junkie. But, I mean real news. Good journalism, with good research and "digging". I don't care what it is about, I like a story that goes deep. Personally, I feel it is gone in journalism (24 hour news networks, internet, etc. part of the blame), and I am starting to see that I am not the only one. Do I feel there is a bias in the media. Yes, I do, and I am not the only one, as even members of the media say there is a bias, but does not seem willing to do anything about it.

Sunday morning on CNN's Reliable Sources, the question was brought up about Senator Obama broken promise to take public financing, like John McCain, and the incredible amounts of money that he has brought in. The editor of Time Magazine admitted that if this was switched, and John McCain had broken his promise and was getting all this money, journalists would be all over the story. He said it was "mark" on them for not doing it. Well, thank you, but 2 weeks before the election is not when this admission should be made. Oh well, maybe we will find out about some of this money after November 4th, when there is nothing we can do. :-(

This link about bad mortgages and how the media is reporting it comes from a Geezer buddy, CyberKnight's blog. Ask the "average American" and they will tell you it was President Bush's fault (and John McCain, because they are one in the same person according to the Democrats), because there is nobody standing up to what is being said out on "the stump". Why what is in this piece has not been brought forward to the American public makes my head explode.

OK, picking up the pieces, and wrapping up. :-)

First, it was nice to see the Hurricanes grab 3 of 4 points while here in Southern California. Very sloppy defense on Friday night cost them from winning both games.

- I have had this email spoofing happen to me.
- HSM3 opens Friday, but I can hear the girls screeching already.
- Who had Tampa Bay against Philadelphia in their World Series pool?

Until the next time.....

back and forth.....

So now it official, except for signatures, that we will be back in NC by January 9, 2009. Morgan got the final OK, and now it is just a matter of "transferring" her over the the NC part of her company.

I have already spoken with the builder, and while he is not 100% positive, he thinks we might be able to move the closing from January 9, 2009 to December 31, 2008. We are going to speak again in about a week or 10 days to see if the sheetrock is up. If so, he does not think moving it up 10 days would be a problem.

That means ten more days before we can set up definite dates, but at least we can start little things, like selling off items we will not be moving with (anyone need a brand new sectional couch, bunk bed, elliptical machine, or outside picnic table?), getting Cassie's paperwork started to return to WCA (if they want her back ;-) ), and a couple of other things. Everything else will have to wait until we have a definite date.

I also need to inform my NC clients, and will do so later tonight or tomorrow in a mass e-mail. Although the clients I retained was very good last tax season, that was people trying it, so if anyone was not thrilled with the "long distance", this will get them settled to know they can come to the office again this year. Besides them having "sit down" appointments again, I do not plan on changing anything I started out here. I will still be paperless, regardless of where I am located.

A good debate last night, and I mean that in overall terms. I would much rather have them sitting at a table and "going at it", then podiums. Even the town hall format, which I like, seemed stiffed, but that is because these campaigns set so many ground rules, it just takes away from any real chance of debate.

My understanding is that in Europe they have debates this way, with the candidates sitting next to each other at a table, and they are much longer than 90 minutes. Basically a moderator throws out a question, and let's the two candidates truly debate. From what I have heard, it is fascinating. Doubtful we would ever see something like that here, but it would be OK with me if it was tried.

That's it for now. Morgan and I have our couples "small group" at church to attend.

- Josh Hamilton has written a book describing his darkest days, and his "comeback".
- Oh no. Even Southwest Airlines lost money.
- Even the World Series will "change" for Barack Obama.

Until the next time.....

as Tom Petty would sing.....

..... "the waiting is the hardest part".

Today was supposed to be the day Morgan's bosses gave the word about her setting up the studio back in NC. Although we understand it is out of our hands, and all indications are that it will be "a go", I will admit to being anxious about it. Instead, around 10am, Morgan sent me a text message telling me that they will be talking tomorrow. Ugh!

Morgan has updated her work blog.

It has been a pretty quiet week over here. Finally lost that "fuzzy" head feeling last night, and today has been fine. It was either a quick bug in my system, or these winds kicked up something that played with my head.

The winds were enough to kick up some fires around the county, and yesterday we had one about 5 or 6 miles from the house. Luckily, the winds have calmed down, and the fires are being contained.

The third and last Presidential Debate is tonight. If the polls are to be believed, all Senator Obama has to do is show up tonight, and this race will be over. I am amazed that he is as "Teflon" as he is. He has given no details, and lately just swipes aside ideas of Senator McCain as "no good", and everybody just shakes their heads in agreement. I understand he has the lead and can "play defense", but really, where is the scrutiny.

He is proposing large tax decreases, but never during his political career (as short as it is) has he ever followed this path. He talked about tax breaks during his campaign to be a US Senator in 2004, but once elected, he has never once proposed tax break legislation. Now he wants to "give away the house", and nobody questions his 180 degree turn on the issue.

But that is not what bothers me. It is the free pass on Bill Ayers that really gets to me. This is a someone, who along with his wife, were linked with the radical group, Weather Underground, but were let go from prosecution because of a technicality with wiretaps. As late as 2001, he was quoted as saying that he wished he had done more during his time with the group.

Obama and Ayers served on an education board together. If they were together for a short time, and then Obama excused himself from the board because of Ayers, that would be acceptable, but that never happened.

Want to make a bet that if Senator McCain was on a board with a known abortion clinic bomber that a stink would be made, and it would be front page news everyday.

The Obama campaign is brushing this off, and saying that people are not and should not be concerned with these stories. They are saying the only thing people care about is the economy. And while that might be correct, I do believe that some would be concerned about this connection, if it was examined closer than it has been.

Some of the reason I have been reading on why it is not brought up now, is that it was brought up during the primaries. Umm, excuse me, but the only people paying attention during the primaries are political junkies (nuts) like me. The majority of people now getting ready to vote were not reading these stories back in February or March.

And if that doesn't get you a bit riled up, how about the petition by academic professors (including some at UNC) that endorses Bill Ayers, and his work in education. If forty years forgives bombing your own nation's people, I guess instead of executing him, we could have held Timothy McVeigh for forty years, and then let him teach.

- Time for the Wall Street ride to go down again.
- Salute a serviceman (or woman), as they keep getting the bad guys.
- That Dodgers / Red Sox prediction doesn't look so good.

Until the next time.....

in the air.....

So, my "dashboard" is telling me this will be post #200. Time for a party. Well, maybe not today for the party. Around noon I all of a sudden got a little light and "fuzzy" headed. Not sure if it a cold coming on, or something in the air bothering my head and sinuses.

Could be in the air, as the Santa Ana winds have started up here in Southern California. There is already a fire going on near Los Angeles, so now you start keeping an eye on the news around here to see if anything else pops up. The winds are supposed to calm down around Wednesday, so hopefully this will be a "nothing" event.

Last year's evacuation due to the fires (before I was blogging), was more than enough for me.

Still waiting on word from Morgan's bosses concerning a "yea or nay" on us going back east this year or next. I'm getting "itchy", but understand it is out of our hands.

Thanks to Kellie for the updated pictures of the house.

- Another wild day on Wall Street.

- Casey did not enjoy this, but Morgan did.

- I enjoyed Life on Mars, but not completely hooked yet.

Until the next time.....

no pumpkins here.....

This is a "do nothing" weekend, which will not be said about the next two, so we started out early this morning to the local farmers market for pumpkins. Well, they had no pumpkins. There were a few small ones, and Morgan picked up three of them, but no large ones for carving. May need to travel to where we went last year, or just pick up from one of the local stores.

The investigation in Alaska about Governor Palin and the firing of the Public Safety Commissioner came back that she abused her power, though it also said she did not violate any laws. Very strange, but it will be just a blip on this campaign, and more than likely something she will need to deal with if she runs for re-election as governor (assuming McCain does not make a comeback).

Reading pieces of the investigation, and also seeing reporting on it, while I will acknowledge she did something wrong (it was actually her husband, Todd, who did the "pressuring"), who amongst us in the same situation would not have tried to do the same. It was a nasty divorce from her sister, plus the guy admitted that he used a stun gun (made the admission in a CNN interview) on one of Governor Palin's nephews.

The funny thing is, the gentlemen that was fired, has said that he was never told to fire the trooper (ex-husband), but it was readily known, they were unhappy the trooper still had a job. It must take quite a bit to fire a trooper up there, because he has a "write-up" of drinking while on duty, and that was not a fireable offense.

That should be the end of it, and like I mentioned it will probably be up to the voters in Alaska to decide her "punishment" on this if and when she is up for re-election.

Just as I am typing this, my "McCain-Palin" hat has finally arrived in the mail. They had such a backlog after she was named onto the ticket, that it took a month for me to finally receive it. At least I will get 3 weeks of usage from it. :-)

The Hurricanes won their season opener last night 6-4 over the Florida Panthers at the RBC Center. While I like the offensive show, giving up four goals is not a good thing. Tim Gleason had 3 assists last night. I have always liked Tim, and I am really hoping for a big season from him. He plays with an "edge" that I really like, and if he adds some offense, that would be huge.

The Canes are in Tampa Bay tonight to face the new-look Lightening, coached by Barry Melrose. The Tampa Bay Rays also host the Boston Red Sox in game 2 of the ALCS at the same time, so I am wondering about the Lightning crowd tonight, and if it will be "light" because of the overlap of events.

- My Dodgers are in a bit of a hole down 0-2.
- Chrysler & GM talking merger.
- Outdoor NBA game tonight.

Until the next time.....

adjust some more.....

So after yesterday's post about McCain's plan, Chris commented on it and how we are still helping "bad homeowners", while not doing anything for those playing by the rules. I agree with him, but as I mentioned, I was going by what McCain's idea was, and using the cards we now have in front of us.

***BTW, while not perfect, this is at least a plan. Of course the Obama campaign was against it today, claiming it helps banks and Wall Street, and not people. How? They didn't say, but they just kept repeating it all day today. I'm no genius, and no matter what you think of the plan, but if people behind on their payments start making payments again, I think that is a good thing, and helps people, not Wall Street. I swear if McCain said the sky was blue, Obama would say no it not, all his kool-aid drinkers would all agree and claim McCain is out of touch.*** (end of rant)

Ok, so after seeing Chris' comment, and my wonderful wife applauding his remark, I saw a piece on CNN about the plan. It had two homeowners that live across the street from one another in Southern California. Both houses had decreased $200K since bought. One couple have not missed a payment, and scrimp and save each month, while the other lost his job, and had not made a payment since February. The first people did not like the idea, because it seemed to reward bad behavior (which it does), while the other liked the idea because right now his bank will not help him, but he wants to keep his house and make payments as best he can until he finds work again.

So it got me to thinking. What if instead of buying the bad loans like McCain's idea, the loans were renegotiated at a different base amount, but the difference between the new base and the existing mortgage was not forgiven, but held "off to the side", and would be repaid when the home was sold, or sooner (as interest would accrue) if the homeowner got into better financial time?

This idea came to me when it was mentioned that because these homes are in Southern California, it was very likely they would appreciate back up to their value, and the person not making payments now should not be rewarded if they do stay in the house and sell it.

Again, I know this is not the normal way of business, but this is not a normal time, and again, funds have been committed, and I would rather these funds help people than big firms. There are plenty of "what abouts" with my idea (what if values don't go up, etc.), but it is a starting point. It gets away from overly rewarding (yes, they still get a break, but much smaller) those that would normally be in foreclosure, but at the same time gets payments back into the system.

Again, under normal circumstances, I would not even bother thinking about something like this, but the number of foreclosed homes around the country is staggering. My feeling is that it is better option than empty houses in your neighborhood. So, while this is not ideal, I do think it approves on Senator McCain's base idea, and in the end would not cost as much as his original proposal.

At least it is an idea. Let me know what you think. I am sure at least one of you will. ;-)

- Our 360s will never be turned off.
- Your new season of CSI starts tonight.
- Would Governor Palin really go on SNL?

Until the next time.....

plain English.....

I have added the link to Morgan's KSON Blog to the right side of the page, just below my "profile", and her picture. She has updated today, and expects to be updating daily for a while. Because it is within the station's website, it is not part of any "feed" that let's you know automatically when it is updated.

Thanks for the responses to my last post concerning the bailout and stock market. It was pretty raw and basic, but I think it did the job. Actually, if you go to Morgan's page in the next few days, you might see it, as she asked to "borrow" it.

We had a Presidential debate last night, and I must be in a complete "McCain fog", because I thought it was his best performance in a while, and nobody is saying good things about him. I am not saying he had a clear advantage over Senator Obama last night, but I thought he connected a bit more. Overall, I thought it was pretty even, with the slightest of advantages to Senator McCain.

Now, I will say he surprised me when McCain spoke about the government purchasing existing mortgages and renegotiating them to go with the current assessed value of the house they are attached to. As a fiscal Conservative, my head almost popped off when he said it. There are actually provisions for this in the bailout/rescue plan, so as the money will be spent, I don't have as much of a problem (still have a problem, but there is no way in heck that the government, knowing it has money to spend, is not going to spend it) with it going directly to help people, as compared to it going directly to big firms.

If done correctly, and the people who stopped paying their mortgages were to restart paying them at the new terms, this would help get money into the system, plus keep houses off the foreclosure market, where they usually knock down the property values around them, and give people another start (again, not my ideal solution, but I am working with the cards dealt on the table).

***Just a quick example is someone with a $300K mortgage that has now "reset" at 7% for 30 years. That payment is $2000 a month. If the house is worth $250K (in many cases I would bet it would be lower), and the government interest rate is 6%, that new payment is $1500 a month. A $6000 a year savings.***

Hockey season starts up tomorrow night. The NHL started this weekend in Prague (Rangers and Lightening) and Stockholm (Penguins and Senators), but it is almost like they didn't count if they don't happen on "NHL soil". It looks like another tough year for my Hurricanes, especially with injuries hitting them before the first puck is dropped, but I'm keeping the faith.

We don't plan on purchasing season tickets like the prior years when we return, but if we are back, they actually play a home game on my birthday (March 21st, for those needing to mark their calendars :-) ), so I know I would be attending at least one game this season.

I had mentioned in prior posts that the Canes are here in Los Angeles and Anaheim on October 17th and 19th, and we would look at attending the games. Well, I went to purchase tickets, and let's just say the prices are quite a bit higher here on the west coast, so we will be watching on television.

Had another nice Bible class on Monday. The class is really a "Bible history" class, in that we are getting a little background about each of the different books of the Bible. This little bit of background these past few weeks has really helped me in understanding a little better what I have been reading.

Tomorrow night is the couples' class that Morgan and I have been attending, and I still need to do my reading, so that's it for now.

- Another Nintendo DS coming.
- I am sure Giselle is taking care of him.
- October baseball. Dodgers vs. Red Sox in series?

Until the next time.....

the bailout and the stock market.....

This is a special single idea post. Today's regular post is below.

Casey asked me to put in plain English what the $700 billion bailout was supposed to do. I think many people are confused by this bailout, and what it actually does, or is supposed to do. Also, many thought after being signed on Friday, things would automatically get better. The public did not expect to see a stock market drop of almost 1000 points these last three sessions. Well, the stock market and the credit market (which the bailout is supposed to fix) are two separate entities, and while the credit market is not effected by the stock market's ups and downs, the stock market can be effected by the credit market, if the credit market is slowed or "squeezed".

This mess has never been explained to the public in terms that "normal" people can understand. I will try to do so here, in the same way I was explaining it to Morgan earlier today. This is a very crude example, but I think it works.

Imagine that ABC Bank loans money to people and businesses. Under normal conditions, ABC makes loans to Mr. Smith and John Doe Company, along with many other people and businesses. Mr. Smith uses the money to buy a house or car, while John Doe Company uses its money to purchase equipment, inventory, and hire workers. All keeps the economy moving along.

Also a company, let's say Mike Jones, Inc., may even borrow money from ABC Bank in the form of a line of credit to pay some bills until income or cash flow arrives. All part of normal business. This is a little different though, because Mike Jones, Inc. has a line of credit, they don't actually have the money in hand, but know it is there if they need it.

***In real life, DEF Investment Bank might purchase the loans from ABC Bank, and then GHI Big Shot Firm might buy from DEF what it just bought from ABC. You don't see any of this, but this was how "Wall Street" got involved, because it turned those purchased mortgages into investment vehicles***

When payments are made, ABC can lend out more money, including the interest it makes on the loans. This "in and out" of money is what keeps cash flowing and our economy churning.

Well in the last few years, the Mr. Smiths of the world, have not been paying back their loans. On top of that, the houses that were to be used as collateral against the loans, are down in value as compared to when the loan was originated, plus nobody wants to buy the house. So, ABC has lots of pieces of paper, and no money. With no money, they can't lend money to businesses, so businesses can't expand, or possibly pay some of its bills. If they can't pay their bills, because people are not buying their goods, they may need to lay people off.

This is the credit crunch people have been talking about. There may be money out there in the system, but not in the amounts that there was before, so it is hard to get, and if you want it, you must pay higher interest rates to get it.

***A real life example of this was Caterpillar last week. They went to get some short term loans to pay some normal operating bills, and paid almost double their normal interest rate***

***As my "real life" example before. Because Mr. Smith is not paying back their loans, it not only effects ABC, but DEF, and GHI. So, because of the way these loans were handled as future investment instruments, Mr. Smith's loan being "purchased" up the chain, when not paid back, effects many different entities.***

OK, so the bailout. Well the bailout is really a "government will purchase those bad loans" agreement. What is supposed to happen is that the government will purchase the bad Mr. Smith loan (wherever it is in the system), in hopes that it will be paid back, or the collateral can be sold to offset the loan amount. By purchasing the loan from ABC Bank, the federal government is putting the money back into the system. With the money back into the system, it means that these ABC Bank can start making loans again, and at normal interest rates to people and businesses.

In essence it sounds good, but because we are in a bad economic cycle, companies are not looking to expand, just survive at this point. While this "bailout" will put the money back into the system, until people start spending money (which will only happen if jobs are created, housing values start rising, etc.) companies will just be "getting by".

This in a very raw and crude way is what the bailout is supposed to be about. I am not going to assign blame here, as I have done it in different posts, but let's say that home buyers, mortgage lenders, and firms looking to profit on those mortgages, are all to take a portion of the blame.

Now, what everybody is seeing, and somewhat understanding, is that the stock market is tanking, and with that, people can "see" their investments (usually retirement portfolios) shrinking. What needs to be understood is that the stock market is a reflection of how much money people are spending, or going to be spending, in the outside world. Right now, people are holding onto their money and not making many purchases outside the necessities. Investors expect people to be frugal for a while, so with that stocks are going down. The same with oil. Because investors think people will be driving and traveling less, oil went below $88 a barrel today.

***A little real life example for the stocks and your portfolio. I have purchased Apple stock. I have it for almost a year or so, and I paid $124 a share. Now Apple is iPods, iPhones, Macs, etc. A good solid company, and not going anywhere. At a time this summer those shares were close to $200 a share. Today, they dropped to less than $90 a share. Same great company, same great products, but investors think people will be holding their money and not purchasing as many iPods, iPhones, etc., so the stock falls.

Now if Apple was your 401K, you are thinking it is tanking, so you better leave it. First, you purchased at $124, so it really only lost $34 a share, as when it was at $200, that was "paper profit", so while it has gone down, it is not as far as it seems, because much of the loss was "paper profits".

Well, unless you think Apple is going to close its doors, and you think Americans will never buy "gadgets" again, Apple will rise again. It may take a while, but it will. The iPod is not going anywhere.***

So, unless you are completely pessimistic about the US economy over a long time (10 to 20 years), it is just a matter of patience.

The government did a terrible job explaining to average Americans what this all meant, and that it would not have an instant effect on the economy (and many think it will have no effect).

The economy goes in cycles, up and down. What has happened here is the "perfect storm". Besides an economic slowdown, housing values started declining and people in terrible loans found themselves "upside down", with no way to pay them back. Add to that the costs of items (food & energy) going up when oil rose to $150 a barrel, and it was/is a recipe for disaster.

Hopefully, I was able to explain in plain English, what is going on, and why things were done the way they were, and why things are happening now. It is a tough and confusing time, but this is America, and I believe we will get through this, but it is going to be a bit of a rough ride in getting there.

Until the next time.....

morning news.....

As I had mentioned in prior posts, I was thinking about canceling my newspaper subscription, thus ending about 40 years of getting a newspaper delivered every morning wherever I have lived. Well, after reading that the local paper was shrinking even more and losing columnists, I did call and cancel. I have kept the Sunday paper for now, and to be honest, the only reason is to keep getting the coupons that accompany it, as they would "pay" for the subscription.

It has been "funny" not picking a paper up from the driveway, but hopefully that will change when we get back to NC and I start getting the News & Observer again. Though, if they go through many more staff cuts, I won't even bother with them.

Morgan is now blogging through her station's website. You can find her posts here and down the right side of this page under the links section. Because it is not a "regular" blog site, it can not go where I have the "other blogs of note". So, you will just have to check it daily, or maybe I will make sure to put in a mention when updated.

Our real estate broker in NC received an e-mail from the broker representing the homeowners who refused to release our deposit. They will not be appealing the court decision, and will be signing the release in the next day or so. Four months of angst for no good reason.

Tonight is the second Presidential Debate, and it will be held "town hall" style. Meaning that Senators Obama and McCain will be speaking directly with the people asking the questions. Senator McCain has been asking for these to occur once a week, since the campaign started, but after initially indicating he would, Senator Obama backed away from them. I wish he had not, as I think the electorate would have learned much more about these two, then just standard "stump" speeches.

In USA Today, I see some people have been writing in questions that they would ask. Quite a few want to know what the candidates will do to help them as their 401Ks are plummeting. The answer is "nothing". The same way government keeps their hands away when you are making profits (basically the last 20 years or so), they are to keep their hands away now as your values go down.

You were not guaranteed a profit when you chose where to place your retirement investments. This all comes back to understanding what you are doing and personal responsibility. When you join your company's retirement plan, you are given many options where to put your money. Each one gives you an idea what the risks are, so you need to choose wisely, and understand what you are choosing. In that listing of investment, are "fixed rate" investments. They are usually money market type accounts. They usually return about 3% or so, and most people stay away from them. Why? Because nobody want to make "only" 3%. Does not look so bad now.

There will be another post following this one about the bailout. Casey asked me to explain it in plain English, and I will do so in a separate entry.

- I am looking forward to Little Big Planet.
- Think Cassie would have liked to have been invited.
- More Hurricane injuries. This time Scotty Walker.

Until the next time.....

morning at the pool.....

Ugh, 5am did come early, so I did not get myself out of bed until about 5:30am. Because I needed to get to the pool first, and might be there later then them, I rode the motorcycle there, while Morgan and Cassie drove in her car.

Cassie was registered for four events for the day (50, 100, 200 & 500 yard swims), and had a good day. She even recorded National "B" times for the 200 and 500 yard events. That gives her three national times in the past 6 months.

After the event is another story, as Cassie said something to Morgan, which made her head spin around. When I was told what had happened, my head also spun. She crossed a line that will make Morgan and I rethink quite a few things, as we try to get her back on track. This was out of "left field", so it is not the norm, but we know we need to nip this now before it goes any further.

Now, prior to this, I would have exploded with a yelling and screaming fit that would have peeled the paint from the walls. Instead, as she came through the door (I got home first, it happened in the car on the way home, and Morgan came inside first and told me before Cassie arrived in the house), I quietly, but sternly, gave her a few instructions of what she was to do, told her the first portion of her punishment, and told her not to make a "peep". She knew she was wrong, and was upset, but that did not matter, as she was going to see this through.

I was proud of myself, for "keeping my cool". I did say a prayer to calm me down as I was speaking with her at the same time to keep it at an even keel, and it worked. That may not be the best way to pray, but for that time it worked for me.

She is only 10, and we are going to go through "things", plenty, over the next few years. I understand that, but I also know I need to not have my blood pressure reach 300 each time it happens. It does no good for either of us. I'm just glad I was able to put lessons I have learned, and prayed about, into action, and have them work. It was a test for me, and I think I did OK.

Kellie mentioned to me that her husband saw Josh Hamilton at the gym the other day. Was not sure if they were still living in Raleigh, or had moved to Texas. I hope whenever we get back, I get a chance to meet him, and apologize for my thoughts years ago, and thank him for the inspiration he is to me, and to many others.

We have all heard of the "soccer mom" vote. Plus there is usually the Catholic, Jewish, Hispanic, etc. breakdowns, and the theory that they mostly vote in blocks. Are you now ready for the "ex-felons" voting block? I'm speechless.

Off to the rest of my weekend.

- First NHL game of the season, and it is in Prague?
- The Morgan vs. Sal NFL game this Sunday.
- Great story. Must eat a meal at Barry's when we get back to NC.

Until the next time.....

housing ideas.....

A semi quiet weekend ahead of us. Cassie has a swim meet tomorrow morning. Her swim team is the host, so I will be at the pool at 6:30am tomorrow morning to help get the swimmers signed in for the meet. Also, because we are the hosts, our team gets to warm up first, so Morgan will have to get Cassie to the pool around 7am for her 7:15am warmup. So, there will be no sleeping in tomorrow morning. :-(

The House passed the bailout bill, and they were in such a hurry to get it done, the made sure all the "legal" papers were ready, and it has been signed by the President, and is now law. We were told how important it was, and that it would help stabilize the markets, but someone forgot to tell the stock market, as it sunk over 157 points for the day.

Now in truth, it is not the stock market that this money is to help, but the credit market. The cry is that without this money, there would be no money "in the system", which would mean loans for normal people would grind to a halt, businesses would not be able to get money that might be needed to pay bills, and an overall "sky is falling" scenario.

Why then keep mentioning the stock market? It is an easy number for Americans to understand. We like easy. Ugh!

In any case, the main problem are houses being foreclosed on, and nobody wanting, or able to purchase them. So, after looking on the internet, reading some different "what is going on" stories, and pilfering some ideas from other accountants, I have a few ideas to help get this moving again. Not perfect, but some ideas. Also, all of these assume that we are in a "correction" with regards to housing prices, and that we start back up at a normal rate of appreciation in the future.

- Allow those who are in default, or will be in default soon because of the terms of their loans changing, and that want to renegotiate their loan interest rates to do so. This is part of the new law, and thankfully the provision was dropped to allow a reduction in principle. Yes, you might be "upside down" now, but if you love the house, be willing to stay in it, and the value will increase over time.
- Along the same lines, when settling these loans with homeowners that want to keep their homes, bring all balances forward to start a re-amortization, and abate all late penalties and additional interest added on in prior months when payments were missed.
- For houses that are in foreclosure, and are bank owned. Drop the capital gains rate for those houses to 5% or 10%, or possible zero, for the person who buys them, if they are purchased within the next six months to a year. At the same time, increase the amount you can take each year on capital losses from the current $3000 to $10,000. These would sweeten the pot for investors, and might encourage people to buy these homes up, thus putting money in the banks hands, which in turn would go to repay the government. My feeling is that the quicker we relieve the market of these homes, the better it is for neighborhoods, and people in general. Also, I believe that a person/investor will put in effort into keeping these houses up, so they could be sold, or rented to their best advantage.

Again, not perfect, but for this lowly accountant, seems like an idea to keep those who want to stay in their homes, in them, and get these homes off the bank/government books, and into the hands of investors that would love to make money and pay little or no taxes on the gain.

Of course, personal responsibility should also be on that list, but I think I have mentioned that enough over the past few weeks. :-)

Again, anyone from the McCain camp that wants to "borrow" this plan, please have at it. :-)

So, Governor Palin and her husband released their last two years of tax returns. Guess they are middle class. Upper middle, but still middle. These are very basic returns, and are not complex at all. Of course the part that ills me the most is that they use H&R Block. :-(

I'm crying here Todd and Sarah. There has to be a qualifies accountant somewhere in town. If not, again call, and I will be more than happy to take you on as clients. :-)

Or maybe there is no accountant in town, in which case I wonder how Morgan would feel about Alaska. HA HA HA!!!

BTW, as a follow-up to the posts I did earlier about Josh Hamilton. His season ended last Sunday, as his Texas Rangers dd not make the playoffs, but it was no fault of his. He had a fabulous season, and will get plenty of votes and support for American League MVP. I will be following him closely, and hope and pray he only gets better.

- This was Morgan and Cassie's Friday afternoon entertainment.
- More Lego video game fun.
- My favorite comic strip.

Until the next time.....

off the milk carton.....

OK, who stole Governor Palin for the last 2 weeks, and why did we not hear about her being found? :-)

I had watched some of her debates while running for the Governor of Alaska, watched the speech at the RNC, and I had seen how she was on the campaign trail those first 2 weeks. Plus, she was elected Governor, and has run the state for nearly two years. There is no way the woman I was seeing on my television the last few days was the same woman. I was sure that the real Sarah Palin was going to be in St. Louis.

I kept saying all these things to myself, but when I clicked on the television to watch the debate on my dvr, I had a strange feeling. That feeling went away after five minutes watching the debate. The Alaska Governor was back in the game.

Now, she did not hit a home run, and Senator Biden did a very nice job during the whole debate. I don't agree with him, but he did his job as the VP nominee. No, what Sarah Palin did was get back on her feet, show the public why she has won her previous campaigns, and took away the doubt that she is a liability on this ticket. She did exactly what she needed to do. Now, can we rewind the last 2+ weeks, and let this woman "redo" them?

In the end, people vote for the top of the ticket, but I believe that her mishandling over these past two weeks by the campaign cost them 1 or 2 points in those important states.

In the end, I am very happy for her that she can go the remainder of the campaign, and afterwards, with her head held high, knowing that she belongs in the "big leagues", as a politician, and as a woman in national politics.

Now if some of that spark and confidence could be rubbed off on John McCain.....

Until the next time.....

halfway home.....

Today was the day that Morgan decided to speak with her morning show partners and management about heading back east. She was pretty nervous, but after a few conversations, things are looking good for getting their approval. There needs to be another couple of discussions with some upper management people, but we feel pretty good about how this is going so far.

Morgan and I have our Intimacy Bible class tonight. We, as a group, skipped last week because three of the couples (out of the five) were going to be singles for the night. It is an interesting two hours, and I really like being with these other couples (and we all know how easy I am in liking people :-) ).

While our class is going on, the Vice-Presidential debate will occurring, and "yes" I do have it set on the dvr. I am really hoping this goes well for Governor Palin, and that she shows how she won over the people of Alaska, why she is as popular as is up there, and why she has "star" quality if she wants to move up the Republican ladder. (I said "if", I think she will be very happy going back to Alaska if that is the way it turns out) That may sound like a lot, but I think if we see that person I observed and was very impressed with the first 3 weeks she was on the campaign, she can get back some of that "it" she had going for her.

Now, that may not and sadly probably will not change the way this election seems to be going, but it would get her feet back under her for going back to Alaska and governing the state, and also make it so that she is just not a "punch line" for those on the left. I don't care what state it is, she still was elected Governor, and has done a real nice job up there during her time in office. It would be a shame for this experience (which she did not ask for, but accepted for her party and to help the country) to take away what brought her into the spotlight in the first place.

Chris had an excellent post today concerning the bailout, and reasons this mess was caused in the first place. Also in the post he described unsubscribing from the McCain campaign website and mailings. I am sorry he has become disgusted with both candidates, but I completely understand his frustration.

I am not as disgusted as he is, but my frustration is starting to mount. What I would like is one House Member or Senator to vote "no", and say "we got into this because of greed, and there will be hard times, but this is what is best for the country". Instead they are voting "no", with some whining excuse that there is a better solution out there, and not telling people that we need to "suck it up, and we will get through it. It may hurt for a while, but all will be OK".

Why is this not being said? Fear. Fear of not not being re-elected. Why is that? Because a large part of the American population does not like to hear "no". They are on par with a 5 year old being told "no" to the candy they want, and if you say "no" to them, they will just look for someone else to say "yes", and in American politics there is always someone there to say "yes" if it means advancing his own concerns.

OK, I'm done for now.

- New cameras. Think Casey likes the Canon. ;-)
- Could be "Dancing with the Cellmate".
- Baseball in October. Playoff time. Go Dodgers!

Until the next time.....