Why Obama scares me. Watch the video:

I have several questions:
1. What problem is he solving with this security force?
2. If there isn't a problem now, does he think he's going to have one? If so, why?
3. Why are these people so blindly applauding? Where are the questions?

Why does he need this? WHY?

And maybe I could finish his statement for him: "And that answers directly and only to the President of the United States".

This smells an awful lot like the approach that is used by two-bit dictators the world over who want a second security force that is controlled directly by them to ensure their position. These CSF's are the ones that show up on your doorstep because you posted something on your blog they didn't like.

Yes, this is change. Yes, its "change I believe in". But for VERY different reasons than most people.

Are you ready to die for your faith?

People keep asking me, "Who do you think will win the election?"

I keep answering, "I'm very afraid that one of the two candidates will win."

AIG's Dangerous Collapse - Especially take note of the last 3 paragraphs.

I might also add that if you have debt, you would be wise to do whatever is necessary to divest yourself of it. If you have credit card debt, pay it off. Save your cash. The day is coming when those with cash will buy assets for fire-sale prices.

Here's a link that came out of a conversation today with a friend while munching at Anchor Inn:

How A Clinton-Era Rule Rewrite Made Subprime Crisis Inevitable

Here's some advice: spend some time with a friend. Go to a favorite munching spot. Gab about everything that's wrong with the world, and how you would fix it if YOU were president.

Your 401K might be trashed, but you'll at least feel better.

The following two articles are a must-read if you're interested in understanding what's driving our current economic problems:

How AIG's Collapse Began a Global Run on the Banks - Porter Stansberry

Getting your head wrapped around the reasons for our financial situation is the first step in avoiding its problems. If you're careful, you may even be able to use it to your advantage. I do think that if you're able to preserve cash, you'll be able to pick up assets for pennies on the dollar.

I am truly inspired.

Recently Google released its own browser, named "Chrome". Get it here.

So what's the big deal? There's a lot of people commenting about it, some people like it, some hate it, yammer yammer yammer...

Folks, this is huge. Let me state it clearly: this is THE pivotal moment in the history of Google.

Ok, hold onto your Chrome-bashing for a bit and hear me out. For the first release of a product, Chrome is pretty good. You shouldn't expect all the bells and whistles that "mature" products like Internet Explorer 7 have. Don't kid yourself - Google will continue to grow and improve the product. But all the wrangling about features and interface aside, here's the deal...

The browser is to Google what Windows is to Microsoft. Microsoft's software stack largely runs on Windows. Google's stack? It runs in the browser. Therefore, the browser is to Google what Windows is to Microsoft. Its worth repeating, because everything they do from this point on will be connected to this concept.

Now imagine Google taking Chrome and "optimising" it to run their software. Not hard to imagine, huh? Why do you think they made a browser, anyway? See? That's easy to understand. If they control a browser, they can make their software work better in it since they control the platform. I can easily see things like a toolbar across the top - or maybe an Outlook-style toolbar down the left side - with Google Docs, Email, and Calendar tightly integrated. There's a Microsoft Office killer if I ever saw one.

What do you think? Do you think a tightly integrated platform with free software poses a threat to Microsoft?

The old sink was impossible to keep clean and looking nice.

I took it out, then discovered to my dismay that the back edge of the sink hadn't been properly sealed by the previous installer, so the countertop underneath the back edge just got soft and sagged away. Here are the pieces. They are being sent away on a journey to a very dark place.

Here you can see how there's nothing but formica along the back edge. Nice.

What to do now? I have to support the back edge of the sink... Oh: call dad! Dad suggest screwing a 2x4 to the wall to support the formica. I cut a groove in the back of the 2x4 and notched the end to make it fit. Then I put silicone on the top edge of it, and pushed it up against the formica and screwed it to the wall. Dads are really handy things. Everyone should have one.

Next I put the clamps on the sink. OOOPS. There's no way to clamp it to the back edge since there's no countertop lip anymore! Now what?

Brainstorm. The clamps don't care what they get ahold of, so I drilled holes in the 2x4. The clamps went in the holes nicely.

There's no lip up front either... And I can't drill holes like I did in the back. So I put some screws in and attached the clamps to them. That worked.

Next I seated the sink, sealed the edges, installed the clamps, hooked up the plumbing, and voila! I had a very happy wife. 

This is the first time in a 2 months that I've actually felt like blogging.

An awful lot has happened in the last 2 months.

A family vacation for a week and a half, starting at my folks' place in Oklahoma for several days, then a week at Fairfield Bay, Arkansas. Our condo was right on the fairway of the number one rated course in Arkansas - and I forgot my clubs. Guess I'll just have to go back.

Back from vacation for a week, then Jolene's grandmother died. Made a fast trip to Illinois for the funeral. Been a long time since I attended an Amish funeral. She was 98, and had been bedfast for 5 years.

Back home from the funeral Saturday morning at 1:00AM. The following Tuesday night (actually Wednesday morning) at 12:30AM I went to the emergency room with excruciating abdominal pain. I've NEVER had anything hurt like that. Blood test, push test, CAT scan: Bad Appendix. They cut it out that afternoon at 12:30. They have this really neat approach called "Laparoscopic surgery". They cut three little holes, stick an air hose in the first one and inflate you like a tire. Then the stick a maglite down the second hole, and a pick, shovel, & cordless drill down the third. Something like that. Anyway, they cut it out.

You know you're hopelessly a geek when the last thing you notice as they roll your stretcher into the OR is the improperly installed computer network cables in the ceiling. I couldn't believe it. They zip-tied the cables to the power lines!!! HORRIBLE!!!

Out of the hospital the next day. Home for recovery. Some ups & downs the last two weeks. No energy. Very little work done.

Last Sunday night at 7:30 the phone rang. It was my brother-in-law Titus calling. They (Titus & Marijane and Janice) had gone to Garnett, KS, to visit the Amish church which was being held at a relative's place. Garnett is where Marijane, Janice, & Jolene grew up. Anyway, they were ready to head home, and the thermostat on the minivan stuck, and it would overheat. The minivan was designed in such a way that they couldn't get to the thermostat to remove it without some serious tools. So could I come over and bring them home? The truck was terribly overdue on an oil change, so I changed oil, checked the tires, hooked up the trailer, and headed out at 8:15PM. Got to Garnett, loaded the van on the trailer, headed back, unloaded the van at Titus's place, and arrived home at 3:15AM. 400 miles knocked out.

I'll post pictures of some of our doings later.

..."You can put lipstick on a pig. But it's still a pig."

The type of comment that Obama made is not out of character for most political campaigns - but it IS for Obama's - especially since his idea of not talking like that is such an integral part of his campaign. This is the kind of thing that eventually gets looked back on as the turning point in a campaign.

It kinda makes me wonder if Obama is the one with lipstick on...?