The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling! Isn't it???

We need help quick...the DOW (stock market) lost 777 points yesterday. We're all doomed!

Oops...wait a second...what's that? The DOW (stock market) was up 485 points today? How can that be? I thought the world was coming to an end?!

The point is, folks, that no one knows. And we DEFINITELY shouldn't be basing any decisions on how the stock market reacts. I was a stock broker for 5 years, so I'm not a dolt here. Since the tech boom in the late 90's, how the market does day to day is largely based on emotion, speculation, and hope.

LONG gone are the days of your grandparents where companies were evaluated primarily on the fundamentals and past performance.

Are the fundamentals still looked at? Of course. But use just the past two days as proof that no one knows for sure what $700 Billion will do. By the way, did you know that the $700 Billion figure was pulled out of thin air? Seriously. That is what a Treasury Spokesperson was quoted as saying regarding how they decided upon $700 Billion. They just knew that it had to be a high number. Nice.

Now, when I was a stock broker, I wasn't a banking expert or anything, so I can't speak specifically regarding the so-called "credit crisis". All I can say is whether it's a loan, a bailout, an investment...whatever...it's unprecedented. To push it through in a week or less is utterly ridiculous!

Fundamentally, I was against the bailout from the get go. Selfishly, I wanted the bailout so that I'd have a little bit of time to make sure to get debt free before the next foot dropped. Now, I'm back to leaning towards being against the bailout.

Do companies really need to take loans to make payroll??? If that's the case, those companies are in trouble anyway, and a fix to the "credit crisis" won't put a hurt on them to start using their heads. HELLO! I understand that loans are needed to expand business, but loans shouldn't be used to fulfill basic needs of a companies operation...like paying their employees. Come on.

Fix the problems, hold people accountable, and get a grip, period. If you made bad investments and want a bailout...I know several European countries where that kind of thing is right up their alley. Can't hack it in a capitalistic society, don't as me to pay for your mistakes. Suck it up, accept failure, and do better next time. THAT's the American Way!

Multi-tasking Obama vs. Crisis-mode McCain

"if this isn't fixed, Heaven help us" "This is the financial equivalent of 9/11" "the worst crisis since the Great Depression" "We're facing another Great Depression if we don't act". All of these are quotes from various "economic experts" describing the current situation.

Warren Buffett, who is a Barack Obama supporter, said this is an economic Pearl Harbor. Barack Obama himself said that this was the most serious financial crisis in generations.

Folks, the reality is, things are dire. Do you really want someone that subscribes to the notion that multi-tasking is a necessity over prioritizing? Isn't prioritizing a serious component of multi-tasking??

Now, ask yourself...of all the things going on right now...we can do a debate on foreign policy or we can face the "most serious financial crisis in generations", which would you prefer that someone who gets paid to be a Senator would do??

My answer is get their ass back to Washington and work in the issues that they get paid to work on. Guess what...that's what John McCain's answer was too. Barack Obama's answer...if you need me, call me.

It's no big surprise that I'm not an Obama supporter. The above is merely one reason for it. His judgement is severely lacking. I don't want someone digging their heels in, pouting, playing chicken, or whatever about some stupid foreign policy debate. Get to Washington and fix the serious problem, damnit!

If President Bush was "multi-tasking" on 9/11, rather than focused on the one major issue facing America, he wold have been ran out of Washington. So why are we settling for "multi-tasking" during the financial equivalent??

Well...I'm not...I just don't know why others are settling for it.

Back on track...kinda...

Remember almost 10 months ago when you made those New Year's Resolutions? Are you anywhere near those goals/commitments? I did a post about mine, and I'm too lazy now to go back and read what my commitments were for certain, but I think there were 4 of them. I'm currently back on track with 2 and 1/2 of them.

My problem was...the summer. Things get hectic during the summer, because my wife's work slows down, so we need to travel during the week so that she can work, then we come back home and I work on the weekends. When you're traveling and staying in a hotel, and taking care of 2 kids and an infant, it's hard to keep up with your exercising and reading.

But now that school has started back, I have been back to walking about 3 miles a day and back to reading much more, hopefully still to get back to my goal of averaging one a month. I've had to throw in some fiction books in order for me to get back to that goal, but that's ok. Now I figure I'll try alternating books, one fiction then one non-fiction, and see how that goes. The fiction always reads faster, at least for me.

The other two goals...I'm not doing quite as well at. One was simplifying my life, which is where the 1/2 comes in. My computer desk is a mess and we are dangerously close to being behind on bills, so the simplifying hasn't done so well...but I'm working at it. There's still lots less clutter around the house than there used to be, and we've got a plan going to work in the bills.

The one I've stopped completely is talking to my father once a week. I can't really explain why. I'm a little embarrassed about it, a little ashamed, and a lot puzzled. There was little reciprocation of the desire to speak to each other weekly, so it slowly just stopped. It's hard when there seems to be so little that there is to talk about or are willing to talk about. There's only so many ways that a person can say, I need your wisdom and/or guidance. Even being blatant didn't seem to work, so rather than dread the conversation, I just stopped it.

Oh well...maybe someday. It would be nice, but I won't hold my breath.

But getting health and wealth on track, and making sure my own family never gets to the point that me and my father are at...that's about all a guy can ask for, right?

Closing a chapter?

Please forgive me in advance for this highly self-serving post...which has now turned into more of a novel. I am sure you If you have no desire to hear about a nostalgic look back at an online game I was part of for the better part of 10 years, I completely understandI don't blame you. Don't worry, I will return to my normal cheerful posts about economic doom, socialistic turns, and all the other wonderfully brightening things that run through my mind. I'll even have a post soon about how my (and probably your's too) representatives in congress are clueless. See the fun you'll get to return to after this ulogy is finished.

So I've officially closed my account with Ultima Online. It is a massive multiplayer online role playing game, or mmorpg. I mentioned a bit ago how I was going to be making this move and how I'd miss it. I just closed the account last night, and I do miss it some already, but it's more of what it used to be than what it has become. Even if I weren't so busy with kids in school, work, and my committments to other self-improvement ideals such as keeping in shape, learning to play an instrument and making myself more well read, I'd still doubtfully be playing too much. It's fun periodically, and when you get into one of "those moods", you can immerse yourself into the game for hours and it feels like minutes; but ultimately it has changed enough that it's not as much fun anymore for me. So below will chroicle my introduction to Ultima Online and highlight my journey through it in my feeble attempt to purge myself of any desires to make a futile attempt to return to the game in the future.

I started playing the game shortly after I met my wife. We were working at the local Toy Store and going to college. Actually, by this time, she had quit since I was her boss and she wanted to focus more strongly on her studies. We had just moved in together, and Everquest had just came out. I remember all the awesome looking signage(that's what those in the biz call posters and cardboard cutouts and such) and just thought the game looked like it would be fun.

I had just delved into the realm of role playing games with Final Fantasy Tactics...to this day it is probably still my favorite game of all time. My good friend had grown up on Dungeons and Dragons and told me how great role playing games were. I had already shown interest in the medieval time period when I loved the renaissance faire we went to. So, I decided to look more into this Everquest game.

I went into Electronics Botique, the fancy video game store that was all the rage when I was a young adult, and looked at the game. The problem was...they were advertising this fancy VooDoo graphics card that would be great for playing Everquest. This was back when I barely understood these kinds of things, so I was leary about buying a game that I may not be able to play. By a stroke of luck, Ultima Online was merchandised near Everquest, as they were the same type of game, and they had just came out with their second version of their game, called The Second Age, or T2A. As a young adult in my early to mid 20's, it was the Mature rating that Ultima Online had, along with it's assurance that it would work on my computer, that reeled me in. Murders, blood, and violence...how could I go wrong? So...Ultima Online it was.

I got it home, and loaded it up. Barely realizing what I was doing, and quickly dove into the game. I was original and named my character after myself, and set out to figure out what to do in this game. My home town was Minoc, and what a splendid home town it was. It was a mining town, and I recalled briefly reading that mining was a good way to start to make money, so that's where I started, and ultimately where I finished. I love you Minoc!

As I recall, I didn't really die immediately. I got to go around and ask some people some things, even the NPCs. I didn't realize at the time what NPCs were...non player characters. So I am sure people were laughing at me as they watched me try to have a conversation with someone that was just an game character not controlled by anyone. Rather quickly, though, I found myself magically in a dungeon (ok, I walked through someone I didn't know's travel gate). Moments later, before I even realized I was in a dungeon, I was dead at the hands...errr breath...of a dragon.

So now, as I ghost, I'm running around this dungeon aimlessly, not sure what in the world to do. What seemed like hours later, I got out of the dungeon, still dead mind you, and promptly declared the game stupid and quit. It was at least a week before I thought about the game again, so I decided to get back on and give it another try.

Still a ghost, I wandered around the forest for a while until I was magically ressurrected, or so I thought. I really have no idea how, but I eventually made it back to Minoc and ran into the lone helpful guy that would provide me the foundation to desire to continue on in the game. I don't remember the man's name, but I remember the name of his home. In fact, I later on named my home The Holy Grail after his, in his honor.

So armed with the wisdom imparted by this unnamed hero, I began to stock pile money by mining and selling the ingots to blacksmiths. Ah...it was a simple time, when you could make an honest living by being a miner.

Now armed with a good sum of money, I believe it was 20K, I set out to purchase myself a home. There were no places that I could find, so I couldn't build a home myself, I had to purchase one from someone else. This lead me to a man named Mucs fo Duts. Leave it to me to not realise that someone that named himself Stud of Scum, backwards, wasn't completely trustworthy. The kindly Mucs fo Duts *read sarcasm* introduced me to the only man in the game I've ever hated, Ramuah. I know I've said before that I don't understand hate, but even recalling this man, Ramuah, envokes rageful feelings inside my soul.

"I'll sell you a house for 20K," the loatheful Ramuah said gleefully. And so I follow this man to a medium sided house that I should have known wasn't available for 20K...but me, the Happy Idiot, followed him into his house, ready to become a homeowner in this new adventure called Ultima Online.

"You've got the check, on ya, right?" he prodded.

"Yep," I replied blissfully.

"Great. Go ahead and have a seat in what will be your new home," he said, hoping I'd take the bait.

Of course, me being the Happy Idiot, I took the bait and sat down. At which point he set a crate down in front of me and locked it down, making it impossible for me to move out of the chair. Then, ever so calmly, Ramuah began to kill me with Energy Bolts. My heart sank as I watched my healthbar go down, realizing that all the work I had done for the past few weeks was going to be lost. Before I knew it, I was dead and my ghost was banished from his house so that he could pull the check from my carcass. The only solace I was able to take was the fact that he seemed shocked that it took me more than 2 Energy Bolts to die. He had to meditate so that he could come back for a 3rd.

That was on of my many low points in my Ultima Online career...my first PK, or Player Killing.

Eventually, I met a nice man named Southern. He sold me 3 very small houses over the next few months. He even tolerated me as I prodded him to let me pay half up front and then the second half after the house was transferred to me. Can you blame me after my first housing debackle?

During this time, I also met my best friend on the game, Amroth. He was an awesome young kid...and even helped my wife, then girlfriend, "refresh" my houses when I was in the hospital getting my appendix taken out. He quit rather early. I missed playing with him in the Lost Lands, where I foolishly thought I could easily take on a Ophidian Knight-Errant.

Yes, it was fun, but never quite the same after Amroth left. I largely became a loner, intent on becoming entirely self-sufficient in the game.

I joined a guild, stuck through all the PKs that I fell victim too, battled through the introduction of Trammel, and even held out through the beginning of Ileshnar. I quit for a while, sold my account, and then bought it back and started playing again. That was fun too, but as you may be able to tell from the abrupt change in pace of my story, it just wasn't quite the same after Trammel was introduced.

It was seem by many "hardcore gamers" as the sellout to expand the game for the newbies. Shortly after Trammel was introduced, many items were "duped" and the economy was never the same. You can easily build a home in half the time it took when I first started...which seems to take the fun and challenge out of it.

And now, as I wind down my trip down Ultima Online memory lane, I feel better in my decision to leave the game and have little doubt that I will refrain from making a return attempt. It's hard sometimes, but also can be for the best to leave with those memories still fond and intact. You're a great game Ultima Online...you provided lots of great memories. I'll miss you.

McCain is another 4 years of Bush? Prove it.

It's an easy statement to make, particularly since President Bush has the lowest approval rating of any President in recent history. But why not say, McCain is going to be the reincarnation of Ronald Reagan. He was a Republican...beloved by many, including many Democrats. Why not merely say that McCain will bring in the same usual Republican policies as they always do? Maybe it's because Ronald Reagan had one of the highest approval rating of Presidents in recent history.

It would be just as easy to say, and some have, that Barack Obama will just bring back Jimmy Carter policies. And for those not in the know...Jimmy Carter's approval rating was nearly as low as President Bush's.

The truth is, Republican or Democrat, their basic beliefs are typically very different, and typically universal throughout the party. So just as John McCain holds some of the same values that President Bush holds, he also holds some of the same values as Ronald Reagan holds. Likewise, Barack Obama holds some of the same values that Jimmy Carter holds, just as he holds some of the same values as Bill Clinton(who had the highest approval rating of any President at the time they left office).

So then, how do we know if McCain will be another Bush or maybe a Reagan? Other than a crystal ball, we can only know by proving it, i.e. asking the right questions.

In this case, what is making our current situation so dire in the US? The economy and Iraq. It's not enough to say, McCain wants to lower taxes just like Bush does, so he's going to be another Bush. Ronald Reagan, and all Republicans, believe in lower taxes. In most cases, it proves to work. It has been proven to actually increase revenue for the government. It encourages investing (different concept from spending) from corporations all the way down to individuals, which typically leads to lower unemployment. So let's see...less taxes equals more money for the government, more money in individuals pockets, and unemployment goes down?? Yeah, those are all horrible things.

But what's different this time, under President Bush? The housing bubble and subsequent credit crunch, that's what. But who controls that? Well, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, that's who. Now it can certainly be argued that the President appoints the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, so he is still responsible. And I'd say that was partially accurate. The choice for Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board is crucial to the economy, so it is a key decision for a President to make.

So simply ask McCain if he believes Ben Bernake (the current Fed Chairman and disgrace to the job) has done a good job. Ask him what he would look for in appointing the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. As McCain has stated, he's not the best on the economy, but it's a surefire way to tell if he'll be more like President Bush or Ronald Reagan. I'd also suggest that the same question be asked of Barack Obama, of course, to see if he understands the concept of how integral the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board is.

Then there's the war. Everyone should know how critical John McCain was of President Bush after the Iraq war began. Everyone should know that he was the biggest supporter of the surge. Everyone should know that the surge has worked. Everyone should know that he didn't literally mean that this was going to be a 100-year war, that he meant that he'd like to see us maintain a base in Iraq for the unforeseeable future. Everyone should know that it isn't a big deal to have bases in a country...except that it should be clearer that it is a base and not an "occupation" as many in the middle east try to portray it as. Everyone should know that we have many bases in other countries...many of which we have fought wars in. If you don't know these things, you are uninformed...which is your right, to be uninformed. But it's not smart or dutiful to be making decisions about someone that wants to be President based on uninformed thoughts or theories.

Of course, we do deserve more information about John McCain's thoughts on Iraq, as well. It isn't enough to say, "I hate war". Nearly everyone does. And it definitely isn't enough to say "as long as it takes". Not now anyway. When he made that statement, maybe it was, as the surge had not yet, or maybe just, begun. I don't agree with no timetables. I don't agree that it emboldens our enemy. Not if they know we will come back if we have to and kick ass again...that "shock and awe" will be a drop in the bucket. If not specific timetables, like Barack has done, then we deserve rough guidelines with a list of things that would lengthen those guidelines. That's at the very least.

We deserve those answers, and he deserves the opportunity to provide them. Then, and only then, should a comparison to President Bush be made. Until then, if one was to be fair and/or a "New Age Politician", the most that should be "another Republican with more Republican values" and leave Bush out of it. If one was to be fair, that is.

The Roe v. Wade misconception...

Ok, so I'm watching the interview of Sarah Palin with Charlie Gibson and abortion came up. I don't think many people really understand what Roe v. Wade would mean, if it were overturned. Sarah Palin hinted to it in her answer, but it should be up to Charlie Gibson to do his research and explain fully what it would mean to overturn Roe v. Wade, rather than make the question so divisive.

Myth: Overturning Roe v. Wade would make abortions illegal.

Truth: Overturning Roe v. Wade would return the medical issue to each individual state to decide.

Wherever you stand on the issue, this is something we should all want.

As I discovered when reading Laura Ingraham's, Power to the People, even the most liberal legal analysts state that the decision was one of judicial activism and has no constitutional basis. All it did was take an issue that belonged at the state level and brought it to the federal level based on no constitutional interpretation whatsoever.

Keep in mind, that is all the Supreme Court is supposed to do, decide which state laws overstep federal laws. They are not supposed to create federal laws in the process, which is what happened in Roe v. Wade.

So I'm ok if you disagree with pro-life stances. If you're read this blog, you know that I was once strongly pro-choice. I'm beginning to question my own reasoning for that stance, but still lean pro-choice at the moment.

Regardless, it would not be a disaster of Roe v. Wade was overturned. In fact, in keeping with the preservation of the legal system, it probably should be overturned and allow it to return to a states rights issue...which is exactly what Sarah Palin said when she answered Charlie Gibson's question. She stated that her personal belief was pro-life, even extremely so according to some, but she answered the question correctly, even according to the most liberal legal analysts.

Never Forget

None of my usual stuff today....just Remembrance. I often watch this video to help me remember what's important in life. It always draws great emotion from me, and I ache for any child that has to live without their parent(s).

I was working, that Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001, at the Charles Schwab call center in Indianapolis. I was already on the phones, because the clients we typically served were on the East Coast. There was a television in front of me (they hung from the ceiling) just across the aisle. When the news broke on CNBC, the investment world's channel of choice, there was already a cloud of smoke billowing from the first tower hit.

They weren't sure what happened at first...was it an accident? Was it a plane, or maybe a some kind of explosion from within the building? Maria Bartiromo was normally on for the Opening Bell, but it wasn't 9:30 yet and she had gone outside to see if she could find out what was going on at the World Trade Center.

They were showing a live shot of Tower 1 and the black smoke still billowing out. That's when it happened...the second plane hit on live television. I was in shock.

I was within my team, and I just remember no one saying anything....except for me. To me, it seemed as though they were ignoring it. I just wanted someone to feel close to...to feel my pain with...yet they all sat silent. Ignoring me and/or talking on the phone.

I remember being so angry...not at the act itself...it still hadn't sank in yet. But I was angry at the clients that continued to call in. Here we were, in the middle of a national tragedy, the markets were closed, and people were still calling in wondering about their accounts or why the market never opened.

I remember one of the bosses of the entire call center came walking around, not believing it was terrorism. "Why wouldn't they attack the Statue of Liberty?" she wondered.

It was a hard day...and I was thousands of miles away. I couldn't even imagine how the people of New York were feeling. Part of me wanted to just drive there and help out. In retrospect, I wish I would have...even with the knowledge that I'd likely currently be very ill from the toxic smoke...I still wish I would. But I had a family...and I was needed here too.

One of the more unforgivable acts committed by Charles Schwab happened the following Friday...during the national moment of silence. "We encourage you to take time out and pray and remember those who lost their lives," the email said, "during a break or at your lunch. But at this time of great need, we ask that you make sure to be on the phones to be there for our clients." Way to be a typical business that day, Charles Schwab, rather than an industry leader.

I wasn't scheduled to be on the phones during the national moment of silence that Friday. But you can assure that if I was scheduled to be, I wouldn't have been. Several friends not only didn't take any calls during that time, they logged off their computer entirely. I don't know anyone that did take a call, but I am certain there were some. For shame on those people that called on during the national moment of silence...for shame.

So now, I shall say a silent prayer for those that lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I love you, I know you are in a better place, and I hope your families are doing as well as could be expected.

If you feel so inclined, feel free to post your memory of 9-11. You can include a link to your blog if you already told the story there, or feel free to write it in response here. I think I'd enjoy seeing how others remember that day.

We Will Never Forget.

*sigh* Dogpile on Sarah Palin...

You know...the more people create rumors, lies, and report falsities about the Republican VP, the more convicted I am in voting for her.

But I know that not everyone shares my sentiment.

So before everyone goes believing all the rumors/lies about Governor Palin, head on over to FactCheck.org, an independent site meant to dispel rumor and lies about various political-types.

Other than the lies debunked at FactCheck.org, many people also aren't a fan of her pro-life stance, and really get up in arms about the fact that she's even against abortion options even for rape victims. There is truth to that claim, so I'd just offer the explanation that she's a pro-life candidate. Pro-lifers believe that life begins at conception and that innocent life must be protected, even in the case of rape. In all likelihood, she probably also believes that even in cases of rape, this is meant to be...that it's part of God's plan...and if a child is created from this act, that there is a reason for it. That's not to say rapists shouldn't be punished, clearly...but she probably doesn't view a created life as a punishment of any kind, even if it was created in that manner. I'm not speaking for her, just guessing on what she believes based on her religious and pro-life background.

I personally think it's ridiculous, all the personal attacks on Sarah Palin. If she was around and campaigning for, oh, say 19 months and we didn't know anything about her, that's one thing, but she's been on the national stage for 2 weeks now...come on people.

On the positive side for Republicans, not that I'm a hardcore Republican, even the Obama campaign is attacking Governor Palin, which is unfortunate for them. Barack Obama isn't running against Sarah Palin, at least not directly, he's running against John McCain. Every second they spend on Sarah Palin is an opportunity lost to make their case against John McCain.

On the other hand, it's understandable. McCain came up with a brilliant move when he needed to. He found someone that could potentially be the future of the Republican party and certainly someone that can bring conservatives to the voting booths. I'd be willing to bet that the Obama campaign were counting on many conservatives either staying home on election day or voting for a 3rd party. I know...I was strongly considering it...voting for a 3rd party, that is. So the Obama campaign is caught off guard...stunned...and not sure what to do.

One thing's for sure...McCain is not a 3rd term of George Bush. Conservatives know it...and in all likelihood, the Obama Campaign knows it. The Obama Campaign was just pushing it so that all the new voters for this election would buy into it...but they knew that Conservatives weren't buying it...they just weren't buying John McCain at all, and many were in fact planning on staying home. Now, we'll see what happens. The Obama camp is reeling, John McCain gets to go back to being a Maverick, and Sarah Palin just has to withstand the attacks and keep assuring conservatives that she's for real...it's a long way still, but things are looking up for McCain.

Obama Agrees That Taxing The Rich Doesn't Work...

...otherwise why would he say that he wouldn't tax the rich if the economy is in bad shape? It just doesn't make sense. If taxing the rich is ok, or if it works, why only when the economy is good?? It makes you think...or it should.

I've promised a look at the tax issue, from a common sense perspective, and hope to bring it soon...the jist of it is easy enough, but to spell it out in detail for those that want to understand takes some time. I'll work on it more and get it out when I can.

Here Comes Socialism, America.

Bye, Bye Capitalism...we loved you, you helped make us the greatest country in the history of the world, if I may borrow that from Sean Hannity. But you know Capitalism, you just don't cut it anymore. We can't be bothered with allowing people to fail, allowing the weak and poorly run industries to be replaced with bigger and better...it just wouldn't be right. It's every single person's God-given right, or if you don't believe in God, just their right, to succeed regardless of how little they do or contribute.

Folks, people have been accusing the Republican's VP nominee selection Sarah Palin of being a part of a movement in Alaska that wanted to see them succeed from the Union. While this is a false accusation, I'd almost applaud her for wanting there. And there was an actual possibility of Montana succeeding from the Union if the Supreme Court had allowed the Second Amendment to be essentially null and void. That's because Montana's "contract" with the United States when they joined the Union was that the United States would not restrict the laws that Montana had on the books when they joined. One of those laws was that they specifically believed that the Second Amendment, and the term of the disputable word militia, meant every citizen. So if the Supreme Court would have came down on the other side of that Second Amendment case this summer, Montana would have been allowed to consider their contract with the United States, to be part of the Union, null and void.

Here, Here, for people not wanting the fundamentals of this country changed. And that's exactly what's going to happen if we continue to stand idly by.

In case you didn't know, the United States Government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this weekend. Anyone with common sense would have seen this coming. They have always been, while not explicitly, backed by the full faith and credit of the US Government. So whey they stood up and said, "Sure, we'll buy all those failing loans from banks and mortgage companies", it was inevitable that those bad loans would remain bad and would eventually cause the collapse of the two companies. Folks, were talking TRILLIONS of dollars of bad debt that the US Government just took under it's wing. But where's that TRILLIONS of dollars going to come from? The tax payers, of course. Enjoy that home that I just bought you John Doe...sure you can't pay for it, but the Government is going to make sure that you get to stay in it.

So, Mad Hoosier, you may say, it's just the home loans. Sure the Trillions of dollars is going to hurt, but we can't kick people out of their homes and into the street. While that last part is true enough, it certainly didn't have to come to this, and if you think that this "Nationalization" movement starts and ends with home loans/banking, you're mistaken.

Just today, the "big three" automakers came out and said that they are looking at very difficult times. You should read that to mean, "We want a bailout too". And airlines...you think the Government is going to let them fail?? And the Democrats already have a growing movement to "Nationalize" oil companies. Let us not forget Health Care that WILL BE NATIONALIZED if/when Barack Obama and the Democratic majority House AND Senate take office next year.

So let's take a step back. Government is on the verge of running housing loans (can the banking industry in general be far behind). Bailouts for Transportation (auto and airline) are very real possibilities...so they will want to run those industries, to some extent at least. If no majority is around to oppose it, government will run Oil(and you can assure that all this new Clean Technology that everyone speaks of when talking about energy, will be run by the Government under Obama).

So if Government is running or has their hands all over, Banking, Transportation, Energy, and Health Care...how is that not Socialism?????

This is not all crazy speculation by a crazy Indiana boy. This is all very real possibilities. And the current Do-Nothing-Congress, will continue to do nothing, by design, until after the elections...because they know that having control of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives...they can shove through any kind of legislation they want.

It is a dire time, and America as we know it could very well change dramatically very soon. What I do know, is that the Founding Fathers created a document that was meant to stand the test of time, and they DID NOT want the Government running everything.

Wow. Just wow.

Go Bears!

Wow...the football season is already here. I didn't even pay attention to preseason, and completely forgot this was opening weekend until like 20 minutes after the game started. So I flipped on the NBC, expecting my Bears to be getting trounced already by Peyton Manning and company, but to my surprise...0-0. A strong defense in the redzone later, and the Bears were only down 3-0. Then, Matt Forte took over.

And can I just say that I'm sooooooo glad that Kyle Orton is back in rather than Rex Grossman! No turnovers...who would have thought??

Anyway...sure it was a rusty Peyton Manning, and sure it's a looooong season, but great start for the Bears. Way to go fellas!

Great Job, Sarah Palin!

Congratulations Sarah. You gave a great speech last night.

I know I'm looking at the situation through clouded lenses, but I saw someone who was very poised, spectactularly so if you were one of the detractors that said she wasn't ready for this position. She came off strong, but not overbearing. One commentator on The Today Show this morning said that she teetered past confidence and came off too cocky because she had the nerve to question Barack Obama. I'll admit, she did take him on more than I expected her too...and a time of two there was a little venom in her tongue, but folks, after the completely ridiculous frenzy of the media in the past week, and even comments by Barack Obama himself, she is entitled to quip back. I think it was tactful, and dead on.

Now the media, and certainly the Democrats will try to blow smoke, saying that there weren't any specifics in her speech. And there weren't many specifics. That wasn't the purpose. The Democrats know that full well, because there damn sure wasn't any specifics in any of their speeches last week.

What I would like to see, and I'm hopeful that what we will see, is not only specifics, but some plain talk on the how's and why's of those specifics. I will likely post in a while, my own plain talk on what I think about the how's and why's...but for now, this post is to congratulate Sarah Palin. Congratulations on bringing the party together(even though I'm opposed to the party system). You've brought excitement to the McCain campaign and the conservative movement, and made this conservative believe that he may actually be able to pull the lever for McCain in two months. We've still got a ways to go...but for now...relish your accomplishment governor. Well Done!

Bad Dreams

Why do we have bad dreams? And why do they seem to attack that which is most vulnerable about us? Are they meant to warn us? Bring us back to earth, so to speak? Keep us in check?

Some people believe that good dreams are a sign of good fortune. Are bad dreams an omen of things to come too?? And how come the bad dreams stick with us much longer than the good ones? Or seem so much more real? Maybe it's because we dream all the way through good dreams, but bad dreams we wake up in the middle of, when they finally become unbearable. I'll tell you, that answer doesn't help the sting of the bad dream fade any faster.

All I know is I don't like a bad dream. I wish I had the skill of changing a dream while dreaming. But I don't. So here I lay...prone to the horribleness that is bad dreams. I shall pray that you don't have many bad dreams...because they aren't fun.

Incomprehensible Party Politics...

I'll try to limit any personal attacks here...well, the only personal attacks I would have would be name calling and questioning the intellect, but I'll try to refrain. I'll keep it merely as pointing out what's SOOOO wrong with party politics.

A few months ago, in March I believe, Geraldine Ferraro worked for Hilliary Clinton's campaign. She made a comment about Barack Obama..."If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

The comment drew swift calls of Ms. Ferraro being racist and called them outrageous. Ms. Ferraro staunchly insisted that the comments were twisted and taken out of context when being reported by the Obama campaign. In the end, she was forced to resign her position as a finance committee member for the Clinton campaign...even though she still strongly defended her comments.

Recently, Ms. Ferraro was on The O'Reilly Factor via telephone in which it seemed clear by her comments that she was backing Barack Obama. She backpeddled a little bit, not confirming that she was supporting Obama.

Only within the past day or two is she making comments where it can be read that she's left the door open to voting for McCain/Palin.

That just doesn't make sense to me. If someone accused me of racism...on a national and public level...causing me to resign from a campaign that I believed in, there's no way in hell I'd be voting for that person, period. The mere fact that party lines would cause someone to vote like this is shameful.