Aloha Dump

Not much to say about last night's continuation of the first debate 4 weeks ago. Each didn't really say anything, both slammed each other, each misrepresented the other's policies, plans, and stances on the issues. The transcript is even more tortuous to read than watching the actual debate, which this time did not include a podium and had Tom Brokaw moderating. Those were the two key differences between both Presidential debates. Like I said, voters will not be able to glean anything the candidates actually say because there is just too much rhetoric; it is like being in a House of Mirrors at the carnival. There is one thing that is becoming increasingly more apparent to me as the weeks drone on and that is the position of the Vice President. We can name a dozen VP's who were not very inspiring, articulate or even well known. The same can be said of Biden and Palin but there is something these two VP hopefuls have the other ones didn't really have a shot at- actual...

WASHINGTON - Days after it got a federal bailout, American International Group Inc. spent $440,000 on a posh California retreat for its executives, complete with spa treatments, banquets and golf outings, according to lawmakers investigating the company's meltdown. AIG sent its executives to the coastal St. Regis resort south of Los Angeles even as the company tapped into an $85 billion loan from the government it needed to stave off bankruptcy. The resort tab included $23,380 worth of spa treatments for AIG employees, according to invoices the resort turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Yes, you read that correctly. The same assholes the government bailed out so that millions of Americans could have a chance to salvage what is left of their retirements, homes, et al just threw a Sweet 16 party- and we weren't invited. This just reaks of one of those "Priceless" commercials. At least Obama is shaking his finger at them. That should help.

This presidential election is going to be doozy. The whole process will drain me emotionally and intellectually until the moment the results are flung to the world this November, which is only 30 days away. I watched both debates and I have reflected on both what was said and what wasn’t said. Obama is a great speaker; he reminds me of Bill Clinton in a lot of ways and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the same people have prepped both men. But I hold the same mistrust for both men also. I believe that the election is not going to be won by policies and attacks on the opposition’s stances but by whom the American people trust the most. Let’s face it, neither the Obama-Biden nor the McCain-Palin tickets are that impressive when it comes to combining all the elements of what a U.S. President should have. But then again, I can’t remember an election when they did. Obama has had a tough time with the Ad Hominem fallacy of “guilt by association.” The first blow out was with, ironically, Ob...

13 years after murdering his ex-wife, O.J. is convicted of going totally bat shit crazy and pulling a gun on memorabilia collectors. Of course there will be an appeal and another, ad nauseum. But I think O.J. is finally headed to the big juicer to finally get what's coming to him, preferably a life sentence as someone's bitch in the state penitentiary. I guess his next book will be If I didn't do it .

Paul Newman died today at the age of 83. What we've got here, is a sad day in history. My favorite films are Cool Hand Luke and Slap Shot. He did play a great pool shark though. He also served in the U.S. Navy. Thanks for the great films, your service, and the salad dressing. "I can eat 50 eggs. And for the record, I would steer clear of me for about 3 days after."

I remember exactly what I was doing this day 7 years ago. It isn’t important but it is one of those remembrances of my lifetime that parallels the Space Shuttle disasters, the day President Reagan was shot and the death of John Wayne. For me however, this event still, and probably always will, tighten my gut and cause a few tears well up in the corners of my eyes. I will not watch any memorials or September 11 rehashes on the news. I don’t need them to remember who did this to us, why they did it, and why the lives of millions of Americans have never been, and probably never will be, the same since that day. September 11 rivals the attack on Pearl Harbor and Roosevelt’s description of the December 7 attack as a “dastardly deed” just doesn’t seem apropos to describe the actions that happened in NYC, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 that never made it to its target. But the terrorists did awaken a sleeping giant that day. For too long our countrymen suffered attacks overseas by Muslim extrem...

Well, 2 weeks of conventions have passed and America is probably a little better informed about the candidates. I have to admit that after Obama’s speech I was impressed with his message. After thinking about it for a while, however, it dawned on me what his message really was. You really had to read between the lines but I got from it was higher taxes, kiss the terrorists asses, and McCain is a weenie. Obama promised to just raise taxes on the rich and corporations and I stated in a previous post that I don’t think those 2 demographics are going to be to supply the money needed for Obama’s proposed plans. They very well might, however, Fred Thompson summed it up best: Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they are not going to tax your family. No, they're just going to tax "businesses"! So unless you buy something from a "business", like groceries or clothes or gasoline ... or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a ...

I have been catching the DNC and so far I am unimpressed. It has been a tear fest so far with no substance. I just watched Biden's speech and it was so-so but I am waiting for some clear and unclouded plans for the United States of America over the next 4 years. Obama talks a smooth line but I don't know what the hell he is really saying most of the time. He tows the party line on a lot of issues but I think he is more liberal than Ted Kennedy when you read about his voting history and what little he does stand for. Overall, Obama is for higher taxes- inheritance tax, gas tax, income tax, et al. That is what Democrats do- they raise taxes to pay for the programs to help people who cannot help themselves (or more to the point, too lazy to help themselves) by taking money from people who bust their ass to make some money. If you think things are economically bad for you now then it won't get better with Barrak in the White House. I had a discussion with a hard core liberal at...

Bernie Mac died at age 50 the other day, Isaac Hayes died today at 65. I guess show business can be rough. Only the good die young. - Billy Joel I didn't listen to Bernie Mac's stand up except for maybe a few minutes as I was channel surfing. He was playing in Vegas a few weeks ago when I went for the weekend with my wife. I have posted about Isaac Hayes when he decided to leave South Park after the creators dogged the stupidity that is Scientology. Hayes didn't seem to have a problem when Matt Stone and Trey Parker made fun of all the other world religions. I didn't read the story about Hayes but I can only guess he didn't die by falling off a suspended bridge while on fire, only to fall off and become impaled on a pointy rock, and then mauled apart by a hungry bear and mountain lion- then ending in a violent release of his bowels. Cosmically ironic if it did though. On top of these weekend deaths, visitors to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing have been murdered. The fa...

This is why that group of people piss me off: The last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia , Kosovo, Gulf War l, Kuwait , etc.) Muslim Nations demanded apologies from the US after the disgrace at Abu Ghraib but no such call for an apology came upon the extremists came after 9/11. Muslim and Arab leaders didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, etc. Every time terrorists hide they find a convenient 'Holy Site.' Soldiers who follow them are rebuked by the Arab world, Muslims, and even Americans. Terrorists do not receive the same rebuke for flying a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites. All of the murderers on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs. I'm all for racial profiling and get extremely angry at the system when my w...

The article below was sent out on the Internet as written by syndicated columnist, Thomas Sowell, in a nationally syndicated column titled 'Random Thoughts'. Altough Sowell frequently writes for TownHall.com, he did not write this piece- someone erroneously attached his name to it for street cred I suppose. regardless, it is a funny piece that not only further begs non support for Obama, but gives a little glimpse into why we should have "old Man" Mccain and "Crazy Joe" Liebermann as our White House winners. The Endorsement Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain. After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John McCain for President. I have always voted for the person and have not voted for anyone because some political party was telling me who I should vote for. We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process of select...

There will be a total solar eclipse on August 1, the first total eclipse in about 2 years. Of course I am not in the umbra, again, for the 18th time in a row but fortunately for the people who live in the northern most shit holes of the Earth- like Greenland, the Arctic, Northern Canada, and the primo vacation spot Siberia- will get a spectacular view of the sun being totally blotted out by the moon. A total eclipse will happen somewhere on the Earth roughly every 1.5 to 2 years and if you can hang out in one spot for at about 300 years you will eventually witness a total eclipse. Before people really knew why the moon blots out the sun, it was left up to the folklore and superstitions to explain why. Many an advisor or witchdoctor lost their head for not being able to predict this lunar miracle. Today, we know that it is not a giant dragon eating the sun or an angry god punishing the Earthly denizens. The moon is phase locked with the Earth which is why we always see the same side of ...