Bail out

The $700 billion bailout bill for the sub-prime lending crisis is still making its way through congress today. Meanwhile, California’s governer Schwarzenegger has announced that his state may need a $7 billion dollar emergency loan to fund day-to-day operations because the current credit shortage has hampered its ability to access short-term loans it relies on to stay solvent.

I figure why let the federal and state governments have all the fun. Today I am announcing the Jason bailout bill. I have a couple car loans and student loans that need to be paid off. Just like the federal government, my bailout should also contain tax incentives and spending to help the economy. Therefore, my bailout bill needs to be at $10 million dollars.

After retiring my debt, I will put millions back into the economy and create jobs. Some of these jobs will be created by building a new and much larger house, hiring people to maintain the house, and buying goods & services (read: I want a Lexus a to be able to take frequent travel vacations).

I call on congress to pass my bailout bill immediately so I can help prop up the economy.

Meme

Honeybun sent me a meme. Here is what I came up with:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Jason from the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts.
My middle name is my father’s first name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
At Wall*E

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Not really

4 . WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT
Ham

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
I have a daughter, so technically I don’t have “kids”

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Sure, I’m the funniest person I know

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOt?
Nope

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS ?
Yep

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Probably not

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Mini Wheats

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Rarely

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Physically, no

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Smile

15. RED OR PINK?
Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Weight

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Grandma and Grandpa Giles

18. YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
no

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
gray pants, black shoes

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Red pepper humus with on a tortilla (mmmm)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
the sound of me typing.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Green

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Plum candle (yeah, its weird).

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
An employee

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS?
I love her.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football, hockey, UFC

27. HAIR COLOR ?
Brown

26. EYE COLOR?
Brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No, don’t need ’em since I got LASIK last year

30, FAVORITE Foods
Most anything with pasta, turkey dinner, cheesecake.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Definitely happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Mr Bean’s Holiday

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Dark green

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Yes

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Rumcake and Cheesecake

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
n/a

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND ?
n/a

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING Now?
Technical Editing

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don’t use one

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT
Stuff recorded on TIVO

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
The Bailey lip flip

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME
South Korea

45. ANY NEWS IN YOUR LIFE?
Looking for a job in New Mexico, taking a comprehensive exam for the MS degree in 3 weeks.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Phoenix, AZ

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
n/a

48. WHAT TIME IS IT RIGHT NOW?
5:45 pm

Hey Rove! Shhhhh.

I haven’t written much on this year’s presidential campaigns but I have been following them. I’ve been amazed at how McCain’s campaign has been energized by his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Even more amazing is how the Obama campaign seems to have lost its collective mind by this news. So much so that Obama keeps comparing Palin’s experience to his own. Obama has forgotten he is the candidate for the top office while Palin is running for Vice President.

Like this quote reported by Politico last Saturday:

“I know the governor of Alaska has been, you know, saying she is change,” Obama said at a town hall meeting here. “And that is great. She is a skillful politician. But when you [have] been taking all these earmarks when it is convenient and then suddenly you are the champion anti-earmark person.

“That is not change, come on,” Obama continued. “I mean, words mean something. You can’t just make stuff up. You can’t just make stuff up. We have a choice to make and the choice is clear.”

The comments were his harshest attack yet on Palin . . .

Obama’s campaign was comparing his experience as a “community organizer” against her experience as a “small-town mayor” (ignoring that she is a current sitting governor) on the very day she was announced as McCain’s running mate. That was the first indication that Palin scared them.

Karl Rove wrote an article about it today:

Of all the advantages Gov. Sarah Palin has brought to the GOP ticket, the most important may be that she has gotten into Barack Obama’s head. How else to explain Sen. Obama’s decision to go one-on-one against “Sarah Barracuda,” captain of the Wasilla High state basketball champs?

It’s a matchup he’ll lose. If Mr. Obama wants to win, he needs to remember he’s running against John McCain for president, not Mrs. Palin for vice president.

Aaaghh! Karl! Don’t go giving the opposition advice for victory. We want Obama to keep comparing himself to the candidate for the lesser office. It shows the public that he is not qualified to be president. It is why Obama will lose in November.

The good things

This has been a good week for learning. I went to an off-site training class for work. This was a three-day class. I was expecting a corporate style class on business communication. I got so much more. It was an intense class – especially today. Maybe more on that later, but maybe not.

The good part about a class that is coming home to what it important. An added benefit to these three days was being home to give Bailey her bath and get her ready for bed.

And then the topper, spending time with her before putting her down for the night. I was flipping her lip. She loved it. Here is the result.

McCain for the win

So “McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P. ”

I love everything about this pick. Palin has bona fide conservative credentials. She’s smart, pretty (something McCain is sorely lacking), and threatens to take some dissatisfied Hillary supporter votes away from the Democrats.

On top of it all, McCain stole Obama’s thunder after last night’s DNC acceptance speech. This should be a day where all the news sites are talking about Obama. But looking at those sites today, you wouldn’t even know Obama gave his most important speech of the campaign last night. Oba-who?

Some parents don’t get it

And neither does some news writers. A 16-year-old girl was driving and lost control of her vehicle. Her injuries were fatal.

Yesterday’s headline:
Girl in Fatal Wreck Sent Text Message Moments Before Crash

At first glance, it seems this is sad case of not watching the road. The girls mother even says she hopes the accident will make other people think before texting and driving. Yes, a common sense lesson for all of us. But wait, if you read the story, there was an even bigger law violation here.

“Authorities say [the girl] had been driving drunk and was speeding.”

That’s what you call burying the lede. Instead, we get a morality lesson on the dangers of texting and driving. Admittedly, not too smart. But don’t you think the bigger cause of her death was the her driving drunk and speeding?