Sunday, October 19, 2008

Adam - 7th hour junior year of HS

This is why America lags behind other nations in education. My son attends a so-called "good school", a college prep school called Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, WI. I stumbled across this video on YouTube of he and his friends spending 7th hour together. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljMgUazC1Mc

Thursday, October 16, 2008

McCain Education policy = vouchers

McCain tried to "blast" Obama with this quote: "Because there's not enough vouchers; therefore, we shouldn't do it, even though it's working. I got it. "

NO, McCAIN. We shouldn't rely solely on the voucher system to improve our educational system because ALL CHILDREN DESERVE A GOOD EDUCATION, NOT JUST THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO RECEIVE A STINKIN' VOUCHER!!!!

Economists on the Economy

A survey of academic economists by The Economist finds the majority—at times by overwhelming margins—believe Mr Obama has the superior economic plan, a firmer grasp of economics and will appoint better economic advisers. Eighty per cent of respondents and no fewer than 71% of those who do not cleave to either main party say Mr Obama has a better grasp of economics.

See the article and survey results here: http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?STORY_ID=12342127

If you needed medical advice, would you ask a doctor or an accountant? We need economic expertise, so shouldn't this survey offer voters some direction?

Debate watchin'

Yup, that's watchin' without the "g". I'm going to drop all of my G's in an attempt to understand McCain and whatever planet he is livin' on.

Do I care about "Joe the Plumber"? (Dig deep, Fern... do you care about this fellow human being in Ohio? Can I bring myself to feel sorry for him?) Nope. No, I don't. If he makes over $250,000 a year, he is certainly able to muddle through these economic times.

Do I care that McCain feels offended by someone's criticism of his campaign? (Note: It wasn't Obama's criticism...) Nope.... no, I don't. Especially when Palin can stand silently by while her supporters yell "Kill Him" when Obama's name is spoken. McCain and Palin are sowing seeds of hatred and fear in an attempt to win this campaign.

McCain looks rigid, angry, and desperate. Obama appears knowledgeable, calm, and collected. I love watchin' McCain's facial expressions while Obama is speakin'. It's almost like you can read his mind "don't get angry... don't get angry... I can't believe I'm here with this young whippersnapper... this should have been a slam dunk. don't get angry. why am I strugglin' against this newbie? don't get angry. Keep my face frozen... don't let my feelings show. what should i say next??"

I feel like I'm eavesdroppin' on a private conversation between Joe the Plumber and the candidates. Will you please stop talkin' directly to Joe and address the rest of us?

Diet coke rant

When did the price of Diet Coke skyrocket? A case was selling for $7.99 in the grocery store today. I'm a Coke fan. Don't try to give me Pepsi - it's NOT the same. But at these prices I actually looked for an alternative. Diet Pepsi was selling for $3.69 a 12-pack, and that was On Sale! What happened to sales where you could buy two 12-packs for $5.50 or $6??? I may have to give up my vice of cold, sweet tasting caffeine. Maybe I'll have to be like Natalie and drink tea. yuck!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Anne Kilkenny: Bad things happen when good people stay silent

Anne Kilkenny is a homemaker and resident of Wasilla, Alaska. She has known Sarah Palin and her family for many years and attended 99% of the city council meetings while Palin was mayor. She writes an open letter to the public about Palin and her effect on Alaska. I hope you take the time to read it. (And yes, this was verified as a real letter from Anne by snopes.com, the New York Times, and other sources.)

http://www.thepresidentialcandidates.us/about-sarah-palin-a-letter-from-anne-kilkenny/741/

Friday, October 10, 2008

Very scary and sad

My 401K return this year is -36.7%.
I've lost over $22,000 in the last nine days.
I can't even bring myself to write the amount of money I've lost this year.
I may never be able to retire now.
Gone are the dreams of leaving my current job in 10 more years and finding a job I may enjoy.
I just want to cry.... and scream at the incompetent fools in Washington that let this happen.

I'm trying to stay positive and think of this only as a "paper loss"... that I really don't lose the money until I cash it in. But it's very very difficult to do...

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Cheapest gas in the whole US of A

Today I had the privilege of driving to Kenosha to see customers. In case you've never been there, Kenosha is a dirty hole of a city. Yuck. Given the early hour, I chose to have my breakfast in transit. A wonderful Kashi granola bar with chocolate chips - yum!

Do you know what happens when you drop a chocolate chip on a heated leather seat? It melts. And it sticks to your pants if you have the misfortune of sitting on it.

Do you know what melted chocolate looks like stuck to your bottom?? Well, DO you? It looks like you didn't make it to the bathroom in time and soiled yourself. What a wonderful way to see customers! (It wouldn't come off cleanly -- the stain just got bigger the more I tried to clean my pants.) And, yes... I just had them dry cleaned. A bad start to the work day.

But later a rainbow appeared. Kenosha has the CHEAPEST GAS IN THE ENTIRE USA! I paid only $3.19 per gallon!! Woo Hoo!!! My day is looking brighter... despite looking like I crapped my pants.