What About Bob

2008 Presidential Debate Results

Watched the second debate tonight from Belmont University in Nashville.  I agree with most of the talking heads that McCain didn't come across as solid as I would have hoped.  He DID have some great points on key issues.  But the overall feel felt a bit flat.  But then, I remembered something.

After all the debating is done, election is accomplished and the votes are tallied, I'm not going to care too much if McCain is smoother than Obama.  It really won't matter that McCain is older and not as hip as Obama.  Honestly, it will not make a huge impact on my life that we elect the best performance in a debate.  What WILL matter are the issues.  Our entire country, even the entire world is now being driven by the economy...stocks, bonds, banks, credit, loans, rates, buyouts.  This was THE issue in the latest debate.  Yes, these issues are important.  I agree, we're on the brink of a major depression in this country.  But aren't there other issues we need to champion?  Do we let financial issues rule the day and pass on the issues that make up the character and morale fiber of our country?

What's at stake is losing the American Creed or statement of belief.  The founding generations of this country saw themselves as heirs to the teachings on liberty, responsibility, hard work, ethics, justice, equality, a sense of choseness and an ethical mission to the world.  There is a body of concepts and values people hold in common with the Judeo and Christian faiths that are the cornerstone of this country.  And a democratic president would change laws and policies that would undermine the fragile state of our creed.  Fragile because we've already moved so far from some of those values. 

Financially, we may go into a depression and ANY President will have little impact on the outcome.  Economic downturns are very hard to stop and this cycle is very probable in our immediate future.   But God help us if we allow the policy changes the democratic ticket now supports that would erode moral values - much more valuable than any stock or bond.

Take a look at this fair and accurate comparison...

Gov. Bobby Jindal Takes on Hurricane Gustav

I'm very proud of Louisiana this week.  Despite the wrath of Hurricane Gustav and numerous after affects from the weather, Louisianians have it together during the preparation and evacuation for this storm.  A large part of that success is due to the leadership of the state. 

Here Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who was considered as a possible running mate for John McCain, urges New Orleans citizens to evacuate.  This was not the original plan.  Jindal was sceduled to take a turn in the national spotlight with a televised speech in St. Paul.  Jindal is in the spotlight all right, but not in Minnesota. Instead, he's 1,000 miles down the Mississippi River, commanding Louisiana's battle against Hurricane Gustav from a storm-whipped command center in Baton Rouge.

For the 37-year-old governor, staying at home during this storm was never in question. ``I don't think it matters at all,'' Jindal says. ``The only thing that matters is making sure our people are safe.''

As Gustav made landfall yesterday, Jindal ventured into gale-force winds with state police, driving onto the curb to avoid a fallen tree, to visit 300 patients at a makeshift hospital in Louisiana State University's basketball arena in Baton Rouge.

Hurricane Gustav

An estimated 2 million people from the southeast coast of Louisiana evacuated that area avoiding the Gusto of Hurricane Gustav.  Winds and gust are already picking up at this hour with landfall expected in the early Tuesday morning.  The broad bands of the storm are already spinning off storms into the gulf coast states.

I've been listening to WWL online broadcasts our of New Orleans.  So many people are still on the road trying to get out of the storms way.  I was moved by one story.  A mother, alone with her three children and family dog in tow, found herself stranded on Interstate Highway 55 heading north to Memphis.  She has run out of gas and was stalled there on the slow moving interstate with no options of gas or help.  She had called in to WWL and they were trying to find help.  I'm sure that was just one of many stories of the 2 million seeking refuge from the storm. 

Another potential hurricane, Hanna, is brewing in the Bahamas and expected our direction.

Will It Ever End?

I thought it had come to an end last night.... the Olympics.  Yes, I'm ready to move on now.  I did enjoy some of the early sporting events including swimming, gymnastics, basketball.  But I tired of sports like Badminton, Sychronized Swimming, Handball, and the never-ending Volleyball matches.  I keep dreaming that I'm hearing that little tune they play as people take the podium to receive their medal...you know the one.    

Well anyway, the end came Sunday night, I thought.  It ended with a tremendous closing extravaganza.  That ended at 9:59pm and my old friend, the evening news actually came on at 10pm.  Watched that.  Then when you thought that the Olympic theme song was put to bed for 4 years.... daaa dadada daaa...dadada daaaa.  Reruns!  Come on!  Let's end this thing so I can go to bed. 

To make matters worse, after the opening theme promising more re-runs and replays of more Olympic games, that Geico commercial came on.  You know the one... with the guy pulling in and scraping the car of the older couple who then begins to beat the guy to the ground with a purse.   It was funny the first 50 times... but now, it's just annoying.  Geico... put this one in the freezer and bring back the Gecko, Caveman or Joan Rivers - anything but this one.  I've seen it over 100 times.  Makes me wonder just how competitive Geico can be with all the advertising their doing.

I say we put an end to both the Olympics and Geico commercials.  At least for 4 years.  Or, I could just turn off the TV.  Now if I can just de-program my mind of that podium music.

Gasoline Scenarios

Gas prices are on a roller coaster ride and we may think $3.50 a gallon is a great price in the future.  If crude hits $150 a barrel, we could be looking at $5 a gallon or so for the retail price of gasoline. That's based on TODAY'S $3.73-a-gallon national average and the rule of thumb that, for every $1 increase in crude oil, the pump price rises 5 cents a gallon.

If crude hits $200, the retail price of gas jumps to $7.52 a gallon. (Plus or minus a few cents) To fill my 20-gallon gas tank on my Suburban would cost $150!

Gasoline at $7.50 a gallon is something nobody should go into denial over because there are going to be big problems from prices at these levels.

Will there be any U.S.-based auto manufacturers left? The answer depends entirely on how fast they can transform their product lines. Chrysler is in deep trouble already. That probably means more stress for the Midwest.

Will there be any domestic airlines left?  This means big troubles for cities where these airlines operate hubs that generate thousands of jobs like Atlanta, Cleveland, Newark, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Memphis and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

How will big convention cities survive? Places like Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Houston have thriving convention industries, all built around the capacity of airlines to transport conventioneers to and from the destinations relatively cheaply. Emphasis on the word "cheaply."

How will tourist destinations like Florida or Hawaii cope?

Sales of homes in outer suburbs are falling and not just because of the credit crunch and the subprime mortgage mess. Look at the stock prices of U.S. airlines, down 90% in the last 10 years.

Many commentators have wondered at the ability of Americans to grin and bear higher gas prices. But I'm way past grinning and bearing it. It's just gotten expensive.  I read that over the first four months of 2008 gasoline has cost the USA $757.24 million a day more than in the first four months of 2002.

That’s more than the estimated $720 million a day spent in Iraq....

Magic Legs

Our neighborhood is a buzzin' with the opening of a new town center, The Shops at Highland Village.  It's very close to home and work.  It will be a cool place to hang out as shops continue to open.  I blogged on the Corner Bakery earlier this month.  Lot's of cool shops and restaurants.

We drove through Friday to check it out.  Eli was amazed at the tall Dallas Cowboy cheerleader.  He was very interested in how she was so tall and insisted in looking up her pant leg. She let him in on her "magic legs" ala Forrest Gump.  Now he wants his own pair of "magic legs." 

iPhone Day: Will Your Phone be an iPhone?

Today is iPhone Day!  Are you getting in line?  Greg Packer, 43, a retired highway maintenance worker and professional first-in-line guy from Long Island, has been in line in front of a New York Apple store since Tuesday.

I love the commercials for this phone.  I can be in the middle of an important conversation when the commercial begins and be forced to gawk at the TV amid my wife's frustration.  I'd like to have an iPhone.  But before I spend $$, I did a little research and found some question marks...

Here's the short list of what I've found through several sources:

-Slow Network - ATT's EDGE much slower than 3G technology
-IM clients not supported
-No GPS capabilities or GPS bluetooth enabled
-MMS is not supported
-No ability to swap out battery.  Replacements will be expensive.
-No one-touch dialing - two touches are required

But I still like the phone.  Maybe I'll wait until iPhone2 comes out in fall of 2008. 

 

Art from Disaster

Four live oak trees in the median of U.S. Highway 90 through Biloxi, Mississippi, that died as a result of hurricane Katrina, received new life at the hands of a skilled chain saw artist

Chris Sligh vs Bob Jones

 Chris Sligh, the "American Idol" contestant who has won fans thanks to his curly mop of hair and soulful voice, has a few people concerned with his departure from strictly Christian music.

But for most others in this city of 56,000 about 100 miles southwest of Charlotte, N.C., Sligh has become a hometown hero.

Jonathan Pait, a spokesman for fundamentalist Bob Jones University where Sligh attended for several years, said: "We really are somewhat disappointed with the direction he has gone musically."

He nonetheless tunes in each week to monitor Sligh's progress.  People say that Sligh, a 28-year-old son of missionaries, may be singing rock 'n' roll on television, but he's always clear about the faith that motivates his music.

"He's not going to back away from the fact that he's a Christian," said Chris Surratt, pastor of Seacoast Church, where Sligh has been music leader for more than two years. "He's going to let that shine through in what he does."  Hundreds of people gather each week to hear Sligh's music at Seacoast, where his electric guitar and vocals have become an integral part of services, Surratt said.

Coffee Wars

McDonalds has announced that they have begun selling iced coffee drinks in selected areas.  The move allows McDonald's to compete even more with Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., where Chairman Howard Schultz recently expressed concern in a memo about fast-food chains making inrodes with Starbucks customers.  McDonald's is developing what one executive called "destination beverages" that include cappuccinos, lattes and mochas.

Businessweek.com reports that Starbucks shares are down 10% since July, when McDonalds disclosed its coffee successes versus the 16% gain in the S&P 500.

ICED COFFEE WAR?

Starbucks                               McDonald's

12 ounces: $1.80                    24 ounces: $1.79
16 ounces: $2.10                    32 ounces: $2.19
20 ounces: $2.45

Sources: Starbucks, McDonald's

My re:create friend, Pat, has some fun coffee facts HERE.