I could try to describe what last night was like inside Owen Field. I can still see every play in my mind and I can remember, with absolute clarity, how it felt with .34 left in the first half. I could try and tell you what it was like to feel a stadium shake when over 85,000 people “jump around”. I could try to tell you what a “big game” atmosphere feels like, what it feels like to have the eyes of the nation on a place you hold dear. I could try to tell you why this was better than 2004 and 2006. I could try to tell you why this was as good as 2000. I could try to tell you what it was like to see your team do everything right. I could try to describe one of the best defensive efforts I’ve ever seen. I could try to say the offense was perfect. I could try to tell you that it was so good a night that I could actually hear what my great uncle would say. I could try and describe my goose bumps. I could try to tell you how good it was to share the night with a wife that loves this stuff as much as you do. I could try, but I can’t do it justice..
YOU JUST HAD TO BE THERE!!
I have no voice this morning, my ears are still ringing and my whole body hurts, but I’ve had a smile on my face for hours. THIS is why I love college football!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Politics and Policy
There has been talk over the past week about the government giving varying degrees of help to the American Auto Industry. I am going to watch this debate closely as I think it is an early test for the Obama Presidency in 2009. President Elect Obama said during the campaign that he would end tax breaks to American Corporations that ship American jobs overseas. President Elect Obama has also advocated “help” for the American Auto Industry. There are varying degrees of suggested “help” , from pumping money into the auto credit market to flat out giving money to the big 3.
Few corporations have exported more jobs than the “American” Auto Industry and President Elect Obama knows it. Now he seems to be advocating not only allowing the industry to keep the tax breaks they already have, but actually giving them more money and aid, with restrictions. We have all heard politicians talk about belt tightening and responsibility during the election, but less than two weeks later, we are back to the same old rhetoric we’ve heard for the last twenty years.
Policy makers are considering a further bailout of the auto industry, and I agree. Look, I can’t imagine the economic impact of a completely defunct General Motors or Chrysler Corporation, but I don’t think any of us understand the root of the economic problems our nation faces. Ultimately the auto industry is in trouble because they can’t sell cars. Granted, auto makers have mismanaged the financial advantage they’ve enjoyed through complacency and a firm belief that they could always make up small financial losses in the next quarter, but the current crisis ultimately comes down to cash flow. Few people are buying cars not only because they can’t get the financing, but because they can’t afford them. The interest rates are too high and the credit market is extremely tight. Congress wants easy credit for automobiles so that consumers will buy them, which generates cash flow for the automakers. Simple right? Wrong.
Does anyone remember why we are in this mess in the first place? Easy financing for home loans which enticed consumers to buy homes they could not afford. When inflation went up, folks couldn’t afford their mortgages because they were paying more for the things we all need, fuel and food. If Congress artificially creates another easy credit market for automobiles to entice consumers to buy a new car when they can’t even pay their mortgage, we will be right back in the situation we are now.
I hope Congress allows General Motors to go bankrupt and allows Chrysler to go bankrupt and then aids in financing during the reorganization period. The plan has worked before and I think it is the only responsible thing to do now. I also hope that President Elect Obama does not turn a vague political promise into a poor policy choice. Despite your earlier position, go ahead and give them the aid, but wait for the inevitable bankruptcy to do it.
Trialdawg.
Few corporations have exported more jobs than the “American” Auto Industry and President Elect Obama knows it. Now he seems to be advocating not only allowing the industry to keep the tax breaks they already have, but actually giving them more money and aid, with restrictions. We have all heard politicians talk about belt tightening and responsibility during the election, but less than two weeks later, we are back to the same old rhetoric we’ve heard for the last twenty years.
Policy makers are considering a further bailout of the auto industry, and I agree. Look, I can’t imagine the economic impact of a completely defunct General Motors or Chrysler Corporation, but I don’t think any of us understand the root of the economic problems our nation faces. Ultimately the auto industry is in trouble because they can’t sell cars. Granted, auto makers have mismanaged the financial advantage they’ve enjoyed through complacency and a firm belief that they could always make up small financial losses in the next quarter, but the current crisis ultimately comes down to cash flow. Few people are buying cars not only because they can’t get the financing, but because they can’t afford them. The interest rates are too high and the credit market is extremely tight. Congress wants easy credit for automobiles so that consumers will buy them, which generates cash flow for the automakers. Simple right? Wrong.
Does anyone remember why we are in this mess in the first place? Easy financing for home loans which enticed consumers to buy homes they could not afford. When inflation went up, folks couldn’t afford their mortgages because they were paying more for the things we all need, fuel and food. If Congress artificially creates another easy credit market for automobiles to entice consumers to buy a new car when they can’t even pay their mortgage, we will be right back in the situation we are now.
I hope Congress allows General Motors to go bankrupt and allows Chrysler to go bankrupt and then aids in financing during the reorganization period. The plan has worked before and I think it is the only responsible thing to do now. I also hope that President Elect Obama does not turn a vague political promise into a poor policy choice. Despite your earlier position, go ahead and give them the aid, but wait for the inevitable bankruptcy to do it.
Trialdawg.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A Holiday Message
To all veterans in this country, thank you. To all members of the military, thank you. Thank you for defending our country, our safety and our freedom. We set aside this day to give pause and thought to everything you've done for us. Happy Veterans Day, I wish I could shake each of your hands today!
Trialdawg.
Trialdawg.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Big Tent of Unity
I’ve been out a lot today and heard more than a few people talk about the results of last night. It was a truly historic election and one that I am proud to have been a part of. I love elections because they are one of the few times when we the people are reminded that we have the power rather than the powers that be. I love them because we the people, in order to form a more perfect government come together to vote for our candidate of choice, to make our voices heard. We stood in rain, in heat, in the cold and in line for hours to make our voices heard and that in and of itself is extraordinary. Nobody was shot, nobody was hurt and nobody went to jail while they exercised a right set aside by founder’s ink and guaranteed by solider’s blood. Elections remind us that no matter the policies broken, our system stands as strong as it did over 200 years ago. Now is the time for all of us to heal the broken ties between republicans and democrats, red states, blue states, christians and non-christians, gay, straight, black, white and rich and poor and come together as Americans. It is time to remember that Evangelicals are as much a part of this Country as gay people are. That the poorest man can be as much a part of this recovery as the CEO of Google. That we can support our troops and yet want them out of Iraq. It is time to come together as a country behind our new President. If we allow our differences to define us, a message of hope will become an unattainable dream. With that said, to all the Republicans, no good can from your emailing me that President Elect Obama is the Anti-Christ or that you hope that I’ll one day be sorry for my vote. To all the Democrats, this is no time to gloat, and to point and laugh at Republicans because they’ve lost or to call Evangelicals crazy or hypocrites.
We’re all in this together folks. Most of us are Christians. Christians have different beliefs among themselves. I deeply respect any person of faith so long as that faith doesn’t insist that I hate someone else in order to play. I do not respect anyone who hopes that this President fails simply to prove themselves right. On a final note, I have received some of the most racial emails I’ve ever seen in regards to this election. I don’t dislike those folks, I just feel sorry for their ignorance. Lets come together despite our different philosophies. Those differences are what make this Country strong. And finally, lets say a prayer for the President, the President Elect, all of our troops abroad and each new Senator and Representative that God give each of them wisdom and that HIS will be done, not ours. If we do that, we’ll be fine, regardless of who is in power.
Trialdawg
We’re all in this together folks. Most of us are Christians. Christians have different beliefs among themselves. I deeply respect any person of faith so long as that faith doesn’t insist that I hate someone else in order to play. I do not respect anyone who hopes that this President fails simply to prove themselves right. On a final note, I have received some of the most racial emails I’ve ever seen in regards to this election. I don’t dislike those folks, I just feel sorry for their ignorance. Lets come together despite our different philosophies. Those differences are what make this Country strong. And finally, lets say a prayer for the President, the President Elect, all of our troops abroad and each new Senator and Representative that God give each of them wisdom and that HIS will be done, not ours. If we do that, we’ll be fine, regardless of who is in power.
Trialdawg
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Lightening and Lottery Tickets
I stood in line on Friday and shocked myself when I cast my vote for Barrack Obama. It was an odd thing for me to actually vote for a democrat, I’ve only done it once in my entire life and that vote had mixed results for me personally. I’ve jokingly remarked that I voted for Obama because I was afraid that McCain would die and that Palin would take over. Truth be told, I don’t think Palin is stupid and has overall, been a good Governor for Alaska. She has expressed some economic tenants which I find appealing and her legislative agenda has been a good one.
Ultimately, my decision came down to two things. First, the state of Constitutional law in this country. I am still bitter over the promulgation and passage of the Patriot Act which did what forty years of partisan politics could not do, an evisceration of the fundamental right to privacy. Staunch Republicans believe that American life is better with less government interference. This belief is why I am a Republican at heart, but Republicans have advocated more governmental interference in the personal lives of Americans over the past seven years than any democrat since FDR and they used the population’s suspicion and fear to do it. We’ve been inundated with messages from the white house that terrorists still want to attack this country, that they still want to kill us, that we are to remain on high alert. We take our shoes off before we get on an airplane, we have allowed law enforcement to tap phones, pull up our bank accounts, peruse what we read and what we access on the internet in an attempt to check our patriotism.
Republicans have used the abortion argument and the war on drugs to install Judges who have transformed our vehicles from a locked safe into a glass suitcase. Judges who have extended roadblocks from “Public Safety Checkpoints” into “Drug Interdiction Units”. Judges who have changed the law from “the curtilage is as protected as the home” to “a knock and talk is a consensual interaction between the citizen and the policeman”. Judges who have turned “Probable Cause” into “Reasonable Suspicion”. Republicans at every level of government have capitalized on the fear of every American and they should be ashamed.
We need to take a step back and remember history. There have been four attacks on American soil since the war of 1812. Pearl Harbor, a Japanese balloon attack on the northwestern coast, a car bomb in the parking garage of the World Trade Center and 9/11. Americans have a better chance of being struck by lightening, twice, while holding a winning lottery ticket than being injured in an attack by terrorists on American soil. However, Republicans have used that fear to their advantage and as result, the culture has changed for the worse. I want a President that defends all of the Constitution, not just part of it. I want a Republican that defends the Fourth Amendment as fervently as the Second, but he didn’t run this time. I have no confidence that McCain will appoint Judges differently that Bush did. My notes on his answer from the third debate reveal a shockingly ill-advised opinion. Obama indicated that he would nominate judges who would change the direction of the Court, something I desperately want. (Author’s note, I count at least two Supreme Court Justices which could retire during an Obama term).
Second, I voted for Obama because I am firmly convinced that the top down tax theory in this economy won’t work anymore. The top-down tax theory holds, as its premise, that if large corporations, ones that make over 5 million per year, are given tax breaks, they will use that capital to create more innovation and more jobs. The premise seems sound, but I looked at the facts and I run a business. On the whole, most of the innovations and most of the jobs are created by people just like me. I am not rich and my lack of size forces me to be innovative so that I can offer the same service that a bigger company can. Small businesses like mine employ the majority of the people in this country. The Obama tax plan will succeed because, while my taxes will very probably go up by a small margin, I’ll make more money in the long run because my clients will have more money to spend. I am one the best at what I do, and with few exceptions, the only reason I don’t get hired is because someone doesn’t have the money to pay my fee.
Finally, while the “spread the wealth” comment irritates me, I have looked at everything in Obama’s plan and I can’t find anything to indicate that he intends to reach into the wealth Karla and I have created. Obama did say that he would “roll back the Bush tax cut” which included a large reduction of the capital gains tax. I have in my notes that he said during the final debate that he would not raise the capital gains tax for anyone. If any reader remembers it differently, I would like to know. Instead, his plan does provide for a redistribution in income, which doesn’t bother me as much. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has redistributed income in some fashion, including the current administration. I don’t have a problem with that, I have a good accountant that will help me keep as much as I am allowed. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives for Karla and I.
I hope that each of you vote this Tuesday for whomever you think will do the best job for you and our Country. It should be a thoughtful decision. I have had discussions with a lot of folks over the past few weeks. I enjoy them. I like to know what people think and why. I am interested in your comments. You don’t have to say who you voted for, but I would like to know why you pulled the lever. I’ll check back later, I’m going to go play in a thunderstorm with my lottery ticket.
Trialdawg.
Ultimately, my decision came down to two things. First, the state of Constitutional law in this country. I am still bitter over the promulgation and passage of the Patriot Act which did what forty years of partisan politics could not do, an evisceration of the fundamental right to privacy. Staunch Republicans believe that American life is better with less government interference. This belief is why I am a Republican at heart, but Republicans have advocated more governmental interference in the personal lives of Americans over the past seven years than any democrat since FDR and they used the population’s suspicion and fear to do it. We’ve been inundated with messages from the white house that terrorists still want to attack this country, that they still want to kill us, that we are to remain on high alert. We take our shoes off before we get on an airplane, we have allowed law enforcement to tap phones, pull up our bank accounts, peruse what we read and what we access on the internet in an attempt to check our patriotism.
Republicans have used the abortion argument and the war on drugs to install Judges who have transformed our vehicles from a locked safe into a glass suitcase. Judges who have extended roadblocks from “Public Safety Checkpoints” into “Drug Interdiction Units”. Judges who have changed the law from “the curtilage is as protected as the home” to “a knock and talk is a consensual interaction between the citizen and the policeman”. Judges who have turned “Probable Cause” into “Reasonable Suspicion”. Republicans at every level of government have capitalized on the fear of every American and they should be ashamed.
We need to take a step back and remember history. There have been four attacks on American soil since the war of 1812. Pearl Harbor, a Japanese balloon attack on the northwestern coast, a car bomb in the parking garage of the World Trade Center and 9/11. Americans have a better chance of being struck by lightening, twice, while holding a winning lottery ticket than being injured in an attack by terrorists on American soil. However, Republicans have used that fear to their advantage and as result, the culture has changed for the worse. I want a President that defends all of the Constitution, not just part of it. I want a Republican that defends the Fourth Amendment as fervently as the Second, but he didn’t run this time. I have no confidence that McCain will appoint Judges differently that Bush did. My notes on his answer from the third debate reveal a shockingly ill-advised opinion. Obama indicated that he would nominate judges who would change the direction of the Court, something I desperately want. (Author’s note, I count at least two Supreme Court Justices which could retire during an Obama term).
Second, I voted for Obama because I am firmly convinced that the top down tax theory in this economy won’t work anymore. The top-down tax theory holds, as its premise, that if large corporations, ones that make over 5 million per year, are given tax breaks, they will use that capital to create more innovation and more jobs. The premise seems sound, but I looked at the facts and I run a business. On the whole, most of the innovations and most of the jobs are created by people just like me. I am not rich and my lack of size forces me to be innovative so that I can offer the same service that a bigger company can. Small businesses like mine employ the majority of the people in this country. The Obama tax plan will succeed because, while my taxes will very probably go up by a small margin, I’ll make more money in the long run because my clients will have more money to spend. I am one the best at what I do, and with few exceptions, the only reason I don’t get hired is because someone doesn’t have the money to pay my fee.
Finally, while the “spread the wealth” comment irritates me, I have looked at everything in Obama’s plan and I can’t find anything to indicate that he intends to reach into the wealth Karla and I have created. Obama did say that he would “roll back the Bush tax cut” which included a large reduction of the capital gains tax. I have in my notes that he said during the final debate that he would not raise the capital gains tax for anyone. If any reader remembers it differently, I would like to know. Instead, his plan does provide for a redistribution in income, which doesn’t bother me as much. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has redistributed income in some fashion, including the current administration. I don’t have a problem with that, I have a good accountant that will help me keep as much as I am allowed. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives for Karla and I.
I hope that each of you vote this Tuesday for whomever you think will do the best job for you and our Country. It should be a thoughtful decision. I have had discussions with a lot of folks over the past few weeks. I enjoy them. I like to know what people think and why. I am interested in your comments. You don’t have to say who you voted for, but I would like to know why you pulled the lever. I’ll check back later, I’m going to go play in a thunderstorm with my lottery ticket.
Trialdawg.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)