We're Baaaccckkk!!!

Well, Cindy and I are back from Vegas, and what a great time we had. While I go to Vegas a couple of times a year with some buddies, It's probably been at least four years since Cindy and I have gone together, maybe longer.

We decided to make the trip to celebrate out 22nd Anniversary, and also because I had a few days off before I start my new job on Monday. One of the reasons that the two of us rarely go together is because I really enjoy gambling, and Cindy doesn't, so even when we do go together, we rarely spend time together. One of the other things that we rarely do is see a show, despite the fact that there is always world class entertainment in Vegas.

Well this time we decided that we would see a show, and after researching our options we narrowed it down to three shows: The Producers, Mamma Mia, and Spamalot. We decided to see The Producers, the musical by Mel Brooks, at The Paris. What a great show, we really, really enjoyed it. And we were lucky to get to see it, as it's year long run comes to an end next week. I loved the original movie starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, and have yet to see the Nathan Lane/Matthew Broderick movie, but the play, starring Tony Danza, was great.

So great in fact that we decided to catch another show the following night, and this time we decided to see Mamma Mia, the broadway musical that's been playing for years at The Mandelay Bay. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mamma Mia, it's a musical based on the music of Abba. Okay, that probably doesn't sound like a selling point, but it really was an amazing show. It's hard to believe that you can take a group of songs and plug them into a story and actually make sense of it. Now I'm a big fan of Hollywood musicals, and both of these shows were as good as anything coming out of Hollywood.

Then there was the gambling. Ah, the gambling. Well, I'd love to tell you that I was so lucky at the tables that I don't even need to start that new job on Monday, and that is exactly what happened..... Nah, just kidding. I didn't do so hot at the tables, but fortunately I had a nice winning streak towards the end that helped me leave town just a little shorter than when I came in.

I did learn something important though. If you've ever been to Vegas you've seen signs in front of the Casino's saying "Liberal Slots". I always thought that that meant that they were liberal in their payoffs. No. Liberal in Las Vegas means the same thing that Liberal means in Washington: They take ALL of your money.

But all in all we had a great time. Now, when can we go back?

Barstool Economics

Okay, I'm cheating. This is my Friday post, and I've already posted the Wednesday and Thursday ones as well. As you know I am heading to VegasWednesday morning, and as much as I love my blog and my readers, I love Vegas more. But rather than short change you, I decided to post three days of posts at once.

This is a terrific piece called "Barstool Economics" from David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics at the University of Georgia:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until on day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20."Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE CLINTONS' POLITICS OF PERSONAL DESTRUCTION

GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE CLINTONS' POLITICS OF PERSONAL DESTRUCTION?By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published in the New York Post on January 29, 2008.

What does Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Barack Obama really mean?

In addition to seriously boosting Obama’s chances for the Democratic nomination by anointing him as the generational heir to John F. Kennedy, there’s something else that’s just as important for the body politic: Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, and the voters of South Carolina may have personally tolled the death knell for the Clintons’ reprehensible politics of personal destruction.

It’s about time.

For more than thirty years, no one has been able to stop Bill and Hillary Clinton from routinely acting on their shared base instinct: to annihilate anyone who gets in their way, in whatever way it takes, however long it takes, whatever it costs And then to enjoy watching their targets suffer.

Throughout their long public careers, they’ve had no moral overseers, no one to challenge them. The sycophants surrounding them simply implement their orders, never questioning them. So after successfully employing their slash and burn tactics for years, they’ve come to truly believe that their reprehensible politics are justified, even necessary.

Remember Hillary’s glee when she announced that the “fun part” of the campaign was about to begin – her attacks on her fellow Democrats? She was serious. The Clintons have repeatedly and successfully embraced the politics of personal destruction – and enjoyed every minute of it.

In Washington, Arkansas, and recently in South Carolina, they’ve used whatever slimy tactics they felt they needed - ruining reputations, invading the privacy of their targets by dispatching private detectives to comb their records and troll through their trash, lying about their opponents, blackmailing and threatening women who dared to say yes – or even no – to Bill Clinton, releasing confidential employment records.

Remember how the Clintonites released Linda Tripp’s confidential employment files to Jane Mayer of The New Yorker after Clinton hit man Harold Ickes met with Tripp’s boss? Years later, the Department of Defense settled a lawsuit with Tripp for over $600,000 for invading her privacy. And then there were the stories branding Monica Lewinsky as a ‘stalker’ who was trying to hurt the president? Those were traced back to Sidney Blumenethal, a Clinton White House adviser, and the author of the right wing conspiracy theory that Hillary so loves. Of course, then it turned out that this ‘stalker’ had been called by the President from the White House hundreds of time and invited into the Oval Office for sex in the private kitchen. Then there was Gennifer Flowers –smeared by George Stephanopoulos and James Carville as a liar and opportunist. Eventually, Bill Clinton admitted under oath that he, in fact, had a sexual relationship with Flowers. Etc., etc., etc. And none of these folks have ever apologized for their as the brass knuckles enforcers of the Clintons.

Throughout the recent primaries, Bill Clinton has been Hillary’s hit man, especially in South Carolina where he was in charge of branding Obama as the ‘Black candidate.’ Shamelessly distorting Obama’s words and deliberately using the race card to try and marginalize the first serious African-American candidate for president, Bill Clinton worked overtime at stirring dissension.

It’s been revolting.

And it seemed that no one could stop them.

Until Barack Obama. Until Ted Kennedy. Until South Carolina. Until the voters said: ENOUGH.

Now the voters of South Carolina and the Kennedys have stepped forward and openly challenged the tawdry Clinton politics of personal destruction, their hit job on Obama, their use of the race card, their claims of dynastic privilege.

On Saturday, 55% of the South Carolina voters said ‘NO’ to the Clintons. After listening to the two of them disparage Obama, distort his record, dis his hopes and dreams for America, South Carolina backed Obama and his politics of hope.

And Ted Kennedy, in his lofty endorsement of Obama, served notice on the Clintons that the days of their politics of personal destruction are over.

Apparently Senator Kennedy called the Clintons last week and demanded an immediate end to their transparent racial politics and attempts to destroy Obama. They ignored him. After the polls closed, Bill Clinton’s surly and irrelevant reference to Jesse Jackson’s showing in South Carolina twenty years ago was meant to diminish Obama’s victory. But the press and the public – and apparently Senator Kennedy – caught the unattractive performance on YouTube.

Now, for once, someone has challenged the Clintons’ dirty, outdated, and unacceptable politics.

Ted Kennedy has made it clear that the Democratic Party and the voters of America are no longer going to tolerate and ignore the Clintons sordid personal politics.

Bravo!

Clinton = Mess. No Surprise Here

Property manager: Clinton campaign left a mess behind

CLINTON, Iowa — The manager of a downtown Clinton building said Thursday he’ll likely never rent office space to a political campaign again after the mess he says Hillary Clinton campaign staffers left behind after the Iowa caucuses.

Duane Jones, who manages the Wilson building at 217 5th Ave. S., said he rented six rooms to the Clinton campaign beginning in June or July and ending a few days after the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses. Jones said when he went into the building after the campaign staff had cleared out, he discovered garbage, spoiled food, holes that had been drilled in the walls to run phone lines without his authorization, and stains on the carpet that will require some of the carpeting to be replaced.

“ Generally speaking, they left quite a mess,” he said.

He said a smoke alarm in one of the offices was missing and he noticed the windows in the building were sometimes open even on cold days, leading him to believe the campaign staffers were smoking in the building, which is not permitted.

Jones said he kept the $500 deposit the campaign staff gave him to rent the space, but it wasn’t enough to cover the damage expenses. He said he had contact with Clinton campaign workers in Des Moines and at the national campaign headquarters in Virginia, and finally received a check for $1,750 on Thursday that he believes will cover his expenses for cleaning up.

Jean Pardee, chairwoman of the Clinton County Democrats, said Thursday she was “shocked” and “frustrated” to hear about the mess. She said she had heard that at least one downtown property owner refused to rent space to political campaigns this year because of a similar incident involving another candidate during the previous Iowa caucus campaign.

Ray Fredericksen of Clinton, who served as the Clinton County chairman for the Clinton campaign, said Thursday he was not in the campaign office very much, but did not notice any damage the last time he was there, which was caucus night. He said the first he heard about the allegations was Thursday.

“It’s really news to me,” he said.

A call to Clinton’s campaign headquarters was not immediately returned.

"and stains on the carpet that will require some of the carpeting to be replaced" - Well, it's good to know that Bill took the time to stop by the office

Bill Has A Dream....

Sometimes something happens in the news that, while not significant, is interesting, and you want to comment on it. Sometimes it’s better to hold off for a few days, and then comment around the “news surrounding the news”.

As some of you may have seen, last Monday, on Martin Luther King Jr. day, Bill Clinton fell asleep during a service commemorating Dr. King. Now before you think I’m going to start piling on Bill here, I will admit that I too have been known to nod off in church before. And I also am well aware of the rigors of the campaign trail, and that they have to be pretty hard on a sixty-one year old man who has semi-recently had heart surgery.

But Bill, if you’re going to nod off during a campaign stop, do you really think it it’s smart to A) nod off at a service honoring Dr. King, B) when said service is ON Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and C) the speaker you are nodding off during is none other than Martin Luther King III? And did I mention that Mr. Clinton was seated directly behind King III (well, you can see that from the picture to the right).

But to me, the story isn’t so much the fact that Bill nodded off, something that by the way Bill has a habit of doing (He fell asleep during Ronald Reagan’s funeral – does that mean that Clinton puts Reagan and Dr. King on the same level of interest?). What I want to focus on today are some of the blog comments about the incident, not from the “evil conservative” sites, but from The Huffington Post, a liberal blog. Here we go (Huffpo comments in red, my comments in black):

“This type of news is all the media can come up with. TABLOID fluff. Meanwhile more soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday but that is old news isn't it?” – Certainly the death of any soldier in Iraq is more important than Bill’s nap, but the fact is those deaths will occur whether or not this story happened or is covered. Had the press pushed the nap story as being as important as any news coming out of Iraq you might have a point, but I don’t remember seeing any “Nation mourns as Bill takes nap” headlines.

“Obviously a doctored photograph.” – This is one of my favorite comments, because it was echoed by so many other people making comments. First of all, do you think that major newspaper chains would run an “obviously” doctored photo? Also, on the same Huffington Post site where the photo appeared was a video of the incident. Also, why would a LIBERAL website like the Huffington Post run a doctored photo of Bill Clinton?

“He has had health problems and being exhausted isn't an indication a person is a racist. It means they're human. I used to support both Clinton and Obama equally but all the outrageous attacks accusing the Clintons of being racist has really made me decide that I don't want Obama for President.” – I included this quote to show you the Clinton’s tactics are actually working. Anyone of any intelligence who has watched this campaign closely knows that the only time Obama has ever brought up race at all is when he is responding to a Clinton attack. But the thing is, the Clinton’s know that most people do not follow the campaign closely, so their little “scorched earth” strategy against Obama is actually working.

"Because Axelrod and Plouff were behind the camera, sent it to all of the media circuits and threatened to sue them if they didn't release it.” – Okay, I have to admit, this one had me puzzled. I googled “Axelrod & Plouff” and found out that they are advisors to the Obama campaign. According to “Lonestarr”, the nut bag who left this comment, Axlerod and Plouff videotaped this (because God knows there probably wasn’t any media coverage at an MLK Jr. Day event where the former president and MLK III were speaking). So then they threatened to sue the networks who didn’t run it. Wow.

“There's nothing wrong with dozing off in the midst of a campaign for your spouse. What is most disturbing, is when he wakes up and feigns attention. The hand cupping the ear to hear better, the phony nods of agreement... He lies even when he's sleeping.” – “He lies even when he’s sleeping.” Brilliant

"We have lots of serious issues in this country. I don't want people distracted by these petty issues and telling everyone "you have to be very, very, very, very, very careful when you talk about the civil rights era" and calling everyone racists.” – I chose to include this one because it actually makes sense – something you don’t see too often on a liberal blog.

“F'crissake, it's a photo from the NY Post. You'd have to be a total moron to rely on that rag. For all you know, that photo was taken while he blinked, or looked down for a second. How dopey. This website has a lot of gotcha' misleading blogs, doctored photos, and misleading headlines. Some of you are just too willing, too gullible to be believed.” – And some of YOU are so gullible that you believe the Clintons are not capable of any wrong, despite overwhelming evidence. Sure, I too think the NY Post is not the most reliable source, but two minutes on Google would have given you the same info from much more reliable sources. And again, viewing the video pretty much says it all.

On another subject, an AOL straw poll today shows that Hillary Clinton has the support of 46% of the people voting in their straw poll, and Obama has the support of 45%. Hillary has 3,784 votes, and Obama 3,801. Now only when a Clinton is involved can the candidate with fewer votes be the one with a higher percentage of the votes.

Until tomorrow………….

Barack & Hillary, Sweeney Todd, And A Really Bad Day To Be A Church Leader

The worst thing about Sunday is that it is usually a pretty slow news day. I guess that’s probably the best thing about Sunday’s as well. Just a few totally unrelated comments today.

U So Ted Kennedy endorses Barack Obama today. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, but for Obama it probably is. I just hope for Kennedy’s sake – and every other Senator and Congressman (I’m sorry, congressperson) that Obama win’s the nomination, because if Hillary wins she will make those who supported her opponent pay.

It’s odd that the elephant is the symbol of the Republican party, and not the Democrats, because if there is one universal truth, it’s the fact that Hillary Clinton NEVER forgets. NEVER.

U Well, I just had to see what this was all about. The Huffington Post ran the following headline today: Clinton Camp Says Obama Is Now "The Black Candidate" . Well, I have to wonder if that’s a ringing endorsement for the Clinton campaign, that after a year of running against this guy NOW she realizes he’s a black man.

And I really loved this from the same article: “...Clinton campaign strategists denied any intentional effort to stir the racial debate. But they said they believe the fallout has had the effect of branding Obama as "the black candidate," a tag that could hurt him outside the South”

Can you believe these people? And do you know what the sad thing is? If the Clinton’s are successful in destroying Obama’s campaign, in time people will forget these acts and actually consider the Clintons as defenders of civil liberties. Sure they are, right up there with David Duke. Actually, I’d put Duke on a higher moral level, because at least he doesn’t try to hide his true intentions.

U Getting away from politics for a moment, Cindy and I went to see Sweeney Todd this weekend, and while I am reluctant to recommend it, I will. I say that I’m reluctant because a musical about a mass murderer isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea, but I certainly enjoyed it. Visually it was quite a treat, but then most Tim Burton movies are. And a big thumbs up to both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter who did a great job with their roles, and are actually really good singers. Again, not for everyone, but if you’re a fan of Depp or Burton, and don’t mind blood (oh yeah, there’s a LOT of blood), you’ll probably enjoy this film.

U Bank robbers hit a Washington Mutual bank in Palm Desert, California this last Friday. What made this robbery even a little more interesting was that actress Carol Channing was a patron in the bank at the time. As this story was reported across the nation, I’m sure that millions of Americans had the same reaction: Carol Channing is still alive?

U Here’s another great headline I ran across today on the internet: Bone Gives IPod to Japan Prime Minister Fukada, Seeks Support In Anti-Poverty Campaign. Really, is that all it takes? Wow, well in that case I have a slightly used Playstation 2 that I’m willing to donate to rid the world of juvenile diabetes, and a portable DVD player to end the ethnic cleansing in Kenya.

Actually, the funniest thing about this story is that Bono gave the IPod to the PM in the company of Bill Gates. Bono, dude, you could have at least given him a Zune.

U This is weird. Gordon B. Hinckley, the longest-serving president of the Mormon church died Sunday, a church spokesman said. He was 97. The weird part is that Greece's Orthodox Church leader, Archbishop Christodoulos, died Monday at his home of cancer, church officials said. He was 69.

I don’t know, but if I were the Pope I’d be pretty nervous right about now.

U Three days ‘til Vegas, Baby.

Obama Pulls Out a BIG Win In South Carolina

Wow, did Hillary get her hat handed to her tonight. We knew that Obama would win South Carolina, but this big? Obama more than Doubled Hillary’s numbers, 55% to 27%, the first time anyone has pulled more than half of the votes in any primary or caucus. Is it enough? Hard to say, but it is definitely a huge win.

As of this moment Hillary leads Florida, our next primary, by an average of 18 points. And while Obama can expect a bump from South Carolina, is it going to be enough to overcome Hillary’s huge lead. And don’t forget that a lot of people vote early via absentee ballot, so there are probably a lot of people that have already voted for Hillary, people that are now kicking themselves for that decision.

Now I like politics, you might say I’m a political junkie. And if you are reading this blog there’s a good chance you may be too, and this election cycle has been very, very exciting on both sides. And at this point I’m more interested in the Democratic nominee than the Republican, mainly because my main choice – Fred Thompson – has pulled out. Being a Libertarian, I like Ron Paul too, but lets get serious, he doesn’t have a chance.

I like Hillary because she would be the ideal candidate to run against. While I doubt whoever the Republican candidate is will have the ability to rally the Republican base, I have no doubt that Hillary will have that power. Not the power to unite HER party, but the ability to unite the Republicans. My only fear with Hillary being the candidate is, she could win. And that’s a chance I am weary to take.

Then there’s Obama. While I think that the Republicans can beat him, I think it is less likely than Hillary. And should Obama ultimately win the White House, I can definitely live with that much more easily than Hillary.

Heck, don’t hold me to this, but in an Obama/McCain election, I might even vote for Obama.

Ideally I would like to see an Obama/Somebody race, where the Republicans win. Why? If Obama is the nominee and fails to win the White House, that would make Hillary the likely candidate in 2012. Hillary is also up for re-election in the Senate in 2012, so that means if she runs for President she won’t be running for the Senate. Actually, she COULD run for both, but what does that say about her character. I’m sorry, did I use the words “Hillary” and “Character” in the same sentence?

But the bottom line is if we can push Hillary’s run back to 2012, we have a shot at getting her out of Washington completely. Because remember, even if we shut down her presidential run, she will still continue to be a thorn in our side for years to come.

But if Hillary bombs in Florida, we have a whole new ballgame. Now we just need John Edwards to wise up and get out of the game (and support Obama).

Somebody Help Me.......

I need your help. I know that I have about 50/50 liberal and conservatives reading my site, so I’m hoping someone out there is planning to vote for Hillary Clinton. No? Well one of you has to know someone who is planning to vote for this women. So here’s what I need you to do: Find that person, and have them tell me WHY they plan to vote for this women. I’m being serious here, I really want to know what her appeal is.

And this isn’t coming from a “why would anyone ever vote for a Democrat” angle. I understand the appeal of Obama. I understand on some level the appeal of Edwards. These are not necessary appeals that I relate to, but when it comes to Hillary, outside the fact that she would be our first female president, I don’t get the appeal. The women and her husband have been involved in scandal after scandal, they have shamelessly used race as an issue in this election, and sleaze just seems to follow both her and Bill.

For those that claim she has the most experience, that may be true among the current crop of Democratic hopefuls (assuming what your definition of “experience” is), but we certainly had candidates with MUCH more experience (Dodd, Biden) early in the race, and they never cracked double digits in any of the polls, so I really doubt that the experience card is the one that counts.

Then there is the “voting for her because she is a woman” thing. I guess I can’t just toss this one out, because if I belonged to a group, any group, that had never been represented in a presidential race (black, women, Hispanic, Jewish, gay, Eskimo, etc…..), I’d probably support the candidate that was most like me as well. I don’t think this is a good reason. Imagine if the race came down to Hillary and whoever on the right, and I choose the Republican candidate “because he’s a man”. Or if it was Obama and I chose the Republican “Because he’s white”. Would you support either of those reasons? God I hope not.

Which leaves the reason to vote for her as…… wait, I can’t think of another reason. Because you want Bill back in the White House? Look, as bad as I think George Bush has been as a president, he still has a core group of ardent supports (of which I am not one) that would LOVE to see him in the White House for a third term, yet I have never heard anyone suggest drafting Laura as a candidate to run. “Of course not” you say, “Laura Bush does not have the experience”. Hmm? Oh I know, Hillary has seven years as Senator that Laura doesn’t have, but Hillary keeps going back to those White House years as proof she is ready to “hit the ground running.”

The good news is that a lot of those on the left are FINALLY learning what the rest of the country has known about the Clintons for years. Obviously all of the right wing pundits don’t like her, but each and every day we are hearing from more and more on the left who have set down their Kool-Aid and seen the light. For example, these words from Democratic Senator John Kerry: “I think you had an abuse of the truth, is what happened,” Kerry said. “I mean, being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth, and I think that over the last days it’s been over the top. Things have been said about Barack Obama’s positions that are just plain untrue."

Here is William Greider in The Nation, the venerable left-liberal magazine. The Clintons are "high minded" on the surface but "smarmily duplicitous underneath, meanwhile jabbing hard at the groin area. They are a slippery pair and come as package. The nation is at fair risk of getting them back in the White House for four years."

This from the liberal blog, Digbysblog: "But the Clintons are tearing the party apart. It will not be the same after this. It will not be the same after its most famous leader, and probable ultimate victor, treated a proud and accomplished black man who is a U.S. senator as if he were nothing, a mere impediment to their plans. And to do it in a way that signals, to his supporters, How dare you have the temerity, the ingratitude, after all we've done for you?"

While this is promising, I’m not holding my breath that these folks will not go back to drinking the Kool-Aid should Hillary earn the nomination.

So once again, can anyone tell me why ANYONE is supporting this woman? Anyone?

One other thing. Both Bill and Hillary have been slamming Obama this last week for supposedly praising Ronald Reagan. Well, if that is a sin, consider these comments from the Clintons, from Tom Brokaw’s book “Boom”:

Hillary Clinton: Reagan "Understood" Economic Pressures On The Working And Middle Class, "He Played The Balance And The Music Beautifully." Tom Brokaw wrote, "As for the political climate in America, she (Clinton) understands that America has historically tilted toward the conservative side, with intermittent periods of what she calls 'progressive energy.' She also believes that modern conservatives such as Karl rove are 'obsessed' with defeating her. She prefers the godfather of the modern conservative movement, Ronald Reagan. He was, she says, 'a child of the Depression, so he understood it . When he had those big tax cuts and they went too far, he oversaw the largest tax increase. He could call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and then negotiate arms-control agreements. He played the balance and the music beautifully.' In 1969, who would have imagined that the Hillary Rodham on the Wellesley commencement stage would find herself thirty-eight years later paying tribute to Ronald Reagan?" ("Boom," p. 404)

Bill Clinton Praised Reagan's "Unflagging Optimism, His Proud Patriotism, His Unabashed Faith In The American People." In dedicating the Reagan building, Bill Clinton said, "The only thing that could make this day more special is if President Reagan could be here himself. But if you look at this atrium, I think we feel the essence of his presence: his unflagging optimism, his proud patriotism, his unabashed faith in the American people. I think every American who walks through this incredible space and lifts his or her eyes to the sky will feel that.... This is a great day for our country. This is a day of honoring the legacy of President Reagan, remembering the service of President Wilson, and rededicating ourselves to the often difficult but ultimately always rewarding work of America. As I stand within the Reagan Building I am confident that we will again make the right choices for America, that we will take up where President Reagan left off -- to lead freedom's march boldly into the 21st century." (Clinton Dedication of Reagan Library, 5/5/98)

I Love My Wife.

Those of you reading this post that actually know me and my wife Cindy know that I married up. No one of my limited talents and physical appeal deserves a woman as wonderful as my wife Cindy. And just when I think she can’t be more wonderful, she proves me wrong.

Next Friday (February 1st) will be Cindy’s and my 22nd anniversary. Wow, I can hardly believe that it’s been 22 years, and at the same time I can hardly remember my life without her. And as I prepare to start my new job the Monday after our anniversary, My wonderful spouse has informed me that we will be spending three days next week in the happiest place on earth. That’s right, we’re going to Las Vegas. Okay, Okay, I know that Disneyland is suppose to be the happiest place on earth, but I’ve been to Disneyland, and I’ve been to Las Vegas, and I know which one makes ME happier.

Next to the Mrs., I love Las Vegas. In fact, when we finally do make the move back to Iowa, the thing I will miss the most are my twice-yearly trips to Vegas. Vegas is a short six hour drive from our home (and a long six hour drive back), And I generally hit the town every January and July, although last year I wasn’t able to make the July trip, so it’s been almost 13 months since my last trip, and that is too long. Also, I generally make the trip with a group of hard partying friends (I’m the designated driver), and it’s been a number of years since I was last in Vegas with Cindy and without the kids, so I’m really looking forward to the calmer nature and the time spent with my wife.

I’m already restudying my Blackjack tables and getting ready to hit the tables. I’m pretty good at Blackjack, and usually come out ahead. But don’t worry, even if I lose at the tables, I always come out ahead at the Buffett.

Man I love my wife.

Thank God The Fed Dropped Interest Rates, Now I Can See That Concert I Wanted To See....

I see from looking on the Des Moines Register website that Billy Joel is coming to town, with ticket prices at $96 or $50.50. while I am not going to be in Des Moines for the April 15th concert, it’s certainly one that I would love to see. But $96?

Back when I was in High School and College in Cedar Falls, we used to go to almost every concert that came through town. And considering that we had a domed football stadium in town, we had quite a few concerts come through town. And while I always considered concert ticket prices too high, in hindsight I didn’t realize what a bargain concerts were in the 70’s. Early on I remember seeing Kiss, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Pablo Cruise, and Harry Chapin, and I’m pretty sure that I didn’t pay anymore than $7 for any of these concerts. My good friend Chris and I saw Elton John in 1981 – a pretty huge concert – and those tickets were $9.00 each.

Now when you consider that the minimum wage in 1980 was $3.10 (and I was a minimum wage earner in those days), we’re talking about having to work roughly three hours to earn enough for a concert ticket. That means that today a concert ticket should cost $18 to $25 at the most.

And $96 to see Billy Joel is in no way as high as these tickets are going. Heck, Cindy and I saw The Eagles three years ago, and we had to pay a whopping $175 EACH for those tickets. A quick check of Ticketmaster.com shows Van Halen tickets at $147, Bon Jovi at $129, and Def Leppard at $125. At least Def Leppard has Styx and my personal favorite – REO Speedwagen – playing with them. And don’t even get me started on Hannah Montana tickets.

While I live in a small, small town, I’m only three hours away from L.A. or San Francisco, so we can see the big names, it’s just kind of a hassle. And we do have the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, less than 10 miles from our house. This is not your average fair folks – The Mid State Fair is known as one of the top fairs in the country with regards to talent. Last year we had Aerosmith, Daughtry, Bob Dylan, Velvet Revolver, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith and Martina McBride. And the free entertainment included Foghat (I LOVE Foghat) and Joan Jett. All of these great concerts to choose from, and who did I get to see: The Jonas Brothers. For those of you who don’t have an eleven year old girl in your house, The Jonas Brothers are like Hanson: three teeny-bopper brothers for the Disney Channel set. The things I won’t do for my little girl.

So Many Topics, So Little Time....

Some days you have to search the dark, deep recesses of your mind for something to write about (and trust me, my mind can be pretty dark sometimes). Often I just find something interesting that someone else has written, and take the day off.

And then there are days like today, with enough happening to fill ten blogs. So lets get started:

+ Fred Steps Down: Okay, I knew it was coming, but it still hurts to see the one true conservative in the race step down. I still have hopes that Fred may play a role as a VP candidate, but I’m not sure the remaining candidates, with the possible exception of Huckabee, are smart enough to see the value that Fred would bring to the ticket. And since I don’t see Huckabee getting the nomination, Fred can probably go back to Law and Order.

This is the time of the year when we start playing “What If” with the candidates. According to most of the polls I’ve seen, any of the Republican candidates can beat either Obama or Edwards, But who really trusts the polls? As for Hillary, she ekes out a victory over all of the candidates except McCain, who would be likely to pull in the independent vote.

Now personally, I think any of the Republicans, with the possible exception of Huckabee, would win in the General Election. Primaries are all about style, and once the nominees are set we get into substance, and we have more substance. I’d probably give the nod to Obama over McCain since that same independent vote he would garner in beating Clinton, he would lose to Obama.

But the only real thing that matters is that it is ANYONE but Hillary. I can live with an Obama victory, but Hillary sends shivers down my spine

+ Speaking of Obama and Hillary: I have watched every debate this season, and the one time I miss one, something actually happens. So Hillary blasts Obama for his stance on the war (When her stance is a true embarrassment), and then she has the Bal…., um, the guts, to blast him on a fundraising “scandal”. This from the queen of fundraising scandals.

At the debate, Obama and Clinton landed several rattling punches over each other’s prior business relationships, with the Illinois senator remarking that he was working to protect jobs from leaving the United States when Clinton was “a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart.”

In return, Clinton said she was fighting against the policies of Ronald Reagan when Obama was “representing your contributor, (Tony) Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.”

At this point Obama should have brought up Hillary’s role in defending the Black Panthers, as an intern at a law firm headed by the President of the California Chapter of the American Communist Party.

Honestly, I think the entire democratic primary results could have been decided last night with one easy sentence, one that would go down in debate lore with Lloyd Bentsen’s “…and you sir are no Jack Kennedy” jab at Dan Quayle. Jus imagine Obama looking into the camera and stating “I can’t believe I’m getting a speech on morals by a Clinton.” Campaign over.

+ Is It True Because You Say It, Or Do You Say It Because It’s True?: I was going to write this great piece today on all of this economic doom and gloom coming out of the media, and whether they were merely reporting on economic woes, or whether or not they were actually contributing to these woes with their dour predictions. And then my Blog friend Doug over at http://www.iowageekonline.com/ went and beat me to it. Sure, I could put my thoughts down, or I could just direct you over to Doug & Jody’s site and ask you to read the post titled: Stupid Headlines of the Day. Well done Doug!

+ I Must Be A Masochist: Sometimes I shove sharp bamboo sticks under my fingernails. Sometimes I just cut ¼” deep valleys into my abdomen and pour Morton’s salt into the wounds. But usually when I want to inflict real pain, I just flip over to the Randi Rhodes Show on Air America.

All I did was listen to ten minutes – just ten minutes – of Ms. Rhodes show today as I was waiting to pick up my daughter from school. These were just a few of the tidbits that I got out of that short time period (remember, this is the same woman who claimed that Blackwater started the California fires, and claimed she was mugged by a "right-wing operative" after a drunken blackout.)

First, we should elect Hillary because we already know all of her scandals, and we have no idea what skeletons might be hiding in Obama and Edwards closets. Well heck, using that logic we should work to change the constitution to allow us to re-elect George for a third term. Oh, and Randi, I have a little hint for you: There are still PLENTY of skeleton’s in Hillary’s closet.

Next, in a discussion on those very scandals, Randi informs us that whole Paula Jones thing never happened. Never mind that Bill settled the case for over $800,000 – a princely sum for something that “never happened” – nor that Bill was found guilty and impeached because he lied about the Jones case to a grand jury. Now I always thought that was pretty damning evidence, but apparently Randi knows something the rest of us don’t.

Have you ever heard Bill Clinton referred to as “our first black president?” Of course you have, and if you ever wondered where that came from, Randi filled us in today. Apparently Republicans hate Bill Clinton as much as they hate black people, therefore Bill is “our first black president.” Using this logic she also concludes that Mr. Clinton was also our first gay president and our first female president, because Republicans hate them as well.

Can you imagine if a conservative host claimed that democrats hate blacks, gays and women? All hell would break loose. Ms. Rhodes should consider herself lucky that no one actually listens to her show.

+ R.I.P. Heath Ledger: Wow, Heath Ledger is dead at only 28 years old. Apparently he was found near empty sleeping pill bottles, although at this point it has not been determined if the possible overdose was accidental or suicide. Ledger had several memorable roles in his short career, including a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, and most recently appeared in I'm Not There, in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan.

Ledger also recently finished filming The Dark Knight, in which he plays The Joker to Christian Bale’s Batman. From the previews, I think this could have been one of Ledgers greatest roles. Sadly it will be his last.

+ On A Lighter Note: Well lets face it, wouldn’t anything be a lighter note after that last story? But today the nominations for the Oscars were announced, and I’d like to put my two cents in. Cindy and I try to see all of the nominated pictures each year – not always an easy task considering that some of the art fare doesn’t make it to our small town – and we still have a few to see before I can give my official picks. But in my mind mind it’s going to be tough to beat “No Country For Old Men”.

So what do you think? Any input?

+ As if this wasn’t enough: On top of all of this going on, I start a new job in less than two weeks, and I have a lot of work to do to get ready. I decided that since I was going to be running a large book store, it was time to brush up on the classics. I’ve already finished “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” and “The Cat In The Hat”, and now it’s on to “Goodnight Moon” and “Everybody Poops”.

Actually, I can probably skip “Everybody Poops”, as I have been doing a pretty good job of following the Clinton campaign already.