Thoughts on teh Gay

A friend on Facebook posted a note about a conversation she had with her dad about homosexuality. That's her story, so I won't recap it, but it probably went how you'd expect a conversation with a DE-VOUT fundamentalist Christian to go. I left a comment on that note that I now wish to expand on and clarify. This was my comment:

Ask him if it's ok for heteros to have anal sex and watch his head spin. It's one of my favorite questions to ask my Christian friends.

Reading over that now, I think a person can assume a lot about that statement that isn't there.

First a bit of background. On Facebook, I list myself as a "Thinking Christian" which, to me, means that I believe in God, Jesus Christ and His Resurrection, but I also don't blindly trust everything religious leaders have tried to teach me. My brand of Christianity is deeply rooted in questioning my faith and beliefs. I like to talk to God, ask Him questions, and learn from the messages He has for me. It's a very personal relationship that does not fall inline with "mass organized religion" or that thinking. In other words, I like to think for myself. And while I admittedly don't always get it right, I have no doubt that God accepts my questioning Him. I also have no doubt that this kind of questioning is what God wants from our relationship - regardless of whether we get the "right" answer. I think He is more concerned with our journey to get the answer. By the way, this is my journey and I don't expect others to have the same journey.

So, getting back to the whole homosexuality and Christianity thing. A few years ago a good friend and I had an email conversation on the subject. He was curious as to my thoughts on the subject, as I was relatively new to the Christianity thing at the time.

I told him of my Catholic upbringing and how, as a teen, I never felt connected to the religion. I specifically remember reading from a Bible given to me as a Catechism student Leviticus 18:22 (yes, THAT verse). In that Bible, it said, "Do not have sex with other men. God HATES that." Note, the emphasis on HATE is from that particular version (it wasn't NIV, that's for sure). And I remember thinking, "Wait... God hates?" I have never understood how God can hate. That goes against everything anyone has ever tried to teach me about God. Further, it goes against everything I have ever learned from God about Himself.

Here's the crux of the problem for me: How can a loving God create a group of people (homosexuals) that are automatically excluded from entering the Kingdom at Heaven at birth? I do not accept that homosexuality is a choice. I have too many gay friends and have watched them come out to know that it is not a choice. Plus, looking around nature, you'll find plenty of examples of homosexuality in animals (the neighbor's male dog tried to hump Scooby the other day). Did Fido choose to be gay? I don't think so. If homosexuality is not a choice, then why would a loving God create a person He hates the moment the breath of life enters that human? It makes no sense to me that the God I love and follow would condemn a person to a life of lying about who they are. Which by the way, wouldn't the lying about who they are kind of screw their chances of seeing the Pearly Gates? I don't think a truly loving God would do that.

At the time of that email conversation, I stated that I don't know if homosexuality is a sin. I get the feeling that it's not, despite Leviticus 18:22. Either way, it's not a sin I have to worry about committing. So, I don't. And it's not my place to judge those that do have to worry about whether or not it's a sin. It's between God and that person. Just like my own failings are between God and myself.

Now when it comes to gay marriage, the way I see it, I think people of the same sex should be allowed to file their taxes jointly. The government has no business excluding people from stuff that like. If they really want to be as miserable as the rest of us... J/K.

Religiously, if two gay people find a priest, rabbi, minister, whatever, to perform the ceremony before God, then who am I to say that God doesn't acknowledge their unity? It doesn't affect my marriage.

Later in the conversation, my friend wanted to my thoughts on a more... ahem... probing question - namely my thoughts on gay sex being a sin. Which brings us back to the Facebook note and my comment. I was thinking of this reply from the email convo when I commented:

Is it a sin for a guy and a girl in a committed, monogamous relationship to have anal or oral sex? If it is, then I have to think it would be the same for a homosexual couple... But, I don't think it is. One of the gifts God gave us was sexual intimacy. Again, if homosexuality isn't a choice, then I don't think a just, fair, loving God would exclude a segment of His people from the love that sexual intimacy in a monogamous relationship provides.

My point: I don't think God cares who we have sex with, so long as it happens with a person we've built a relationship with based on love. Outside of that context, then perhaps, that's where we get into a lot of trouble.

Considering...

For the, like, 2 people who might actually care, I am considering picking this back up again... Note, I don't have a strong feeling about it either way. But, I might have things to say still... That is all.

Reflections on 2008

2008 started off to be a very promising year. In January, work looked up as I in line for a temporary promotion. The company was investing in a technology that would nearly automate the daily tag & bag process every TV station in the country goes through. I was brought in at the beginning stages to be the “Manager” of a new department that would be housed locally. It was to come with a higher salary. Basically, I was going to do all the leg work in setting up the process and procedures. Then, once the system was ready to go, part-time or entry level positions would maintain it. From there, I would go back to working my normal job at the new salary. Sadly, before the system was even ready for me to start working, engineering figured it was nearly impossible to implement due to the amount of RAM and processing power needed to run the entire (and I’m talking 30 or so stations networked across the country) system. So, by March or April that completely fell through.

Oh, and the company declared bankruptcy recently. Actually, I’m not too worried about that, layoff-wise. We are a hub for the entire company. And, we turn a decent profit. Plus, most of the debts are on the print side of things, and it’s most likely layoffs will come from that sector. Also, I’m probably one of the least expendable people in my department. But, really who knows? All I know is I’m not worried about it.

Theatre-wise, I did as much as I intended to do this year, which was pretty much nothing ‘cuz I needed a break. Well, nothing ON-stage. I worked on a few shows backstage for the money. And enjoyed every minute of it. Enjoyed it enough to put a little seed in the back of my head for a career change when I don’t have to have a stead income (ie: No kids; no responsibilities).

In fact, I realized that theatre was missing from my life, and in 2009, it will be theatre filled. First, I recently joined the board of directors for my local community theatre. That’s been quite interesting so far (and that’s quite the understatement). Now, I’ll be producing “Guilty Conscience” for CCP starting right at the beginning of the year. The show runs at the end of February and goes into March, but a lot of my work on it will be in January and February. Then, after that, I said I would work crew on “Ms. Saigon,” at Footlite Musicals for Noffke. That will take me into May. By then, we’ll be diving head first into “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” We’ve been working on that since March 2008 and it will be wonderful to actually cast the show and start rehearsals. After that, who knows. Hopefully, I’ll be able to work on “Frog and Toad” again in 2009. It’s just so much fun, and money to boot.

Then, the biggest news from 2008 – Tricia’s back surgery. It’s hard to believe that it’s taken up the last six months of our life. The bad pain started with an ER visit. Then a few Spine Dr. visits later, we knew she would need the surgery. That was in early September, and she’s hasn’t worked since Labor Day. That put a big strain on us financially. But, the good news is that we are at least floating and not dead in the water. In fact, she got the A-OK to return to work on January 5th. I hope that’s not too early nor too strenuous for her back, but I’d be lying if I said we didn’t need her paycheck. Thankfully, most of the surgery bills were covered by insurance, but we will be paying our chunk of the bill for the next year. She’s healing quite well, by the way. Most of her back pain is gone. And, she’s thrilled to be able to get out of the house and back to work. She doesn’t deal well with sitting at home with nothing to do.

A bright spot has been the evolution of my relationship with my son. The teenage years have been very frustrating. But, I think I learned the key to it all – Understanding his language and communicating correctly. I don’t mean talking all, “OMG BBQ BFF Jill,” like the kids do these days. I mean hearing what he’s saying, not just the words, but the meaning. For example, when I say, “What are you up to?” what he hears is, “What kind of trouble are you getting into now?” So, his reply is, “Nothing” because he isn’t doing anything to get into trouble. But, that’s not what I’m asking and I can plainly see that he’s doing “Something.” After all, doing mundane things is still something. So, I would get frustrated because we were speaking different languages. Now, I think we have a better understanding of where we’re both coming from and the yelling has decreased significantly. Of course, there is the occasional, “I need you to clean this to my standards not yours,” argument. Followed by the, “It might not be yours to pick up but, either A) you took it out and therefore need to place it where it belongs, or B) I’m trying to get this other thing done and we need your help in other areas (it’s called contributing to help the family, now get off the couch!),” argument. But, yesterday, he gave me a hug for my birthday and, you know, that’s all I ever really wanted.

Changing the subject drastically, you know, I just haven’t been able to connect with God much this year. It’s not like I’m losing faith. No, I just haven’t had time to talk with Him like I should, or reflect on how He’s blessed me in the past year. I do believe He’s been taking care of us. But, I have trouble noticing those “small miracles” in life. I do need put more focus on God in the new year.

I guess that’s one of the things I’ve been struggling with: Do we ever reach a point where we don’t have to run as hard to keep up with God? Where our day-to-day actions with and for God come more naturally… I’m getting tired of going to bed thinking, “Crap, I didn’t get a chance to read the Bible or really sit down with God for a spell.” I don’t know…

Anyway, here’s hoping for an outstanding 2009! It’s gotta be better than 2008. I mean, the bar is pretty low…

Also, I know I'm not blogging much anymore. I don't have much interest in this anymore. I'm not saying I'm closing the shop, but just don't expect it to be open all the time. When the passion strikes me, I'll tap the keys. But, I posted 20 times (including this post) this year. 20% of that were updates on Tricia's back that were emailed to people anyway. I don't know when the next post will be or if there will be a next post. If there's a way to easily archive all of this, I might end up taking it down. I really don't know. I'm typing whatever comes out of my fingers right now, so I might just be talking... Stay tuned... Or don't... Or do...

In the meantime, here's a picture of Nikita sleeping under the Christmas tree:

Ham at 3am

Cops can be dicks.

'Round about 3:11am this morning, I was awoken by ringing telephone. Glazing at the caller ID, I almost didn't answer it because it said "Privacy Manager." Luckily, I did.

"Hello, this is a call from the Carmel Police Department," the recording said.

What the fuck? What did the kid do to get into trouble?

After the recording, a police officer begins questioning me as to the whereabouts of my son. Mind you, I'm not very coherent due to, you know, waking up from a dead sleep. Try explaining to a cop at 3am why your "Mr. Long" and not "Mr. Schiro," especially when you have no inkling as to why said cop is calling.

"He's supposed to be at Kane's house."

"Do you know Kane's last name?"

"Um..." was the best my groggy mind could muster.

"Your son is with some other kids, sir. He's underage and out after curfew."

At this point, I'm trying to piece it all together. Was my son and other kids walking around the streets at 3am? My wife has woken up enough and can hear the conversation.

"He just came to the house to get some movies and they are going back to Matt's. He called to say they were coming. He even came upstairs and kissed me goodbye."

I am a very sound sleeper and woke up for none of that. Only the cops phone call. So, my son was being driven by Kane's 19 year old brother to get some movies from our house.

The cop proceeds to lecture me about curfews. I start falling back asleep when he asks if we can come pick him up. Really?!? Yes. There were at a certain intersection that was about a mile down the road and less than a mile from their destination.

We pull up to the flashing lights. I get out the car and the cop lectures me and my son about curfews again. Nevermind that he was with a legal adult. Apparently, there have been a rash of break-ins and robberies in the city. And the cop was serving and protecting by pulling over a car with "kids" in it. A car he clocked going 36mph in a 35mph zone.

I don't know where I was going with this post, but geepers. The whole affair really felt, "Cops can be dicks."

Baracked The Vote

OK, my candidate didn't win. Then again, I wasn't exactly expecting Bob Barr to pull of a miraculous win. I was hoping for a better showing, but alas, it was not meant to be... this time.

While I couldn't vote for Obama, I am glad he won. And, I am proud of my vote. I refuse to vote for the "lesser of two evils." Let me rephrase that as I don't think McCain or Obama were "evils." I refuse to vote for a candidate who's policies are vastly different from what I believe. That is what we SHOULD be looking at when voting. Not race, age, sex, high school GPA, SAT scores, etc.

Like I said, I'm glad Obama is President-Elect. I think the healing and togetherness he'll bring to this country after the past 8 years of divisiveness and hostilities will be worth more than any so-called "damage" he and a Democrat-controlled Congress can do. On a tangent for a sec, I love that Neal Boortz calls this situation the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Troika. I find that statement kinda funny.

Anyway, healing and togetherness... I don't think a McCain presidency could have brought that.

I also think that Obama would at least listen proponents (and opponents) of the FairTax. And, if he thinks its a good thing, as I do, he would push for it.

Not to mention, the historical aspect of Obama being elected. It's not just a black guy in oval office. That in itself is amazing. 120 years after slavery was abolished and 40 year after the Civil Rights Movement, it finally happened. That's a great thing for our country.

His election is also a great thing for younger generations. For ages, politics has been dominated by the baby boomers. And, this is the "change" I am most looking forward, too. Believe it or not, this is a radical change for our country and I think it's a good thing.

So, while "my guy" didn't win, I look at Obama's election as a great thing for this country. I look forward to the future.

Round 2: Town Hall Debate

To be honest, I'm not sure why I've decided to blog during this 2nd debate. I have decided which candidate for president I am going to vote for. You probably can figure out who by looking around the place carefully.

No, my current thinking is that I'm not voting for McCain or Obama. Both of them voted for that pork-filled bailout. Neither of them is the change I'm looking for in Washington. Neither of them really seem to be about a change in politics. Don't get me wrong, they both would have vastly different presidencies from the last 8 years, but Washington politics would still be the same.

Nor will I be voting for ANY incumbents on a National level, save my US Representative, Dan Barton. And, it's possible I won't vote for him. It is time we kick old politics out of DC. They have shown they do not have the best interests of our country in mind.

Yeah, I'm still pissed about the bailout plan. I can understand the necessity in some respects. But, to be honest, I'm willing to suffer the pains of recession or possible depression, and my family is too, if it were necessary to turn this country around. That's just me though. I don't expect the next man to make the same sacrifices. Plus, I just don't think my personal sacrifice in that regard would be too hard, at least compared to others.

On a forum I frequent, I suggested a plan instead of the bailout that I heard on TV, radio, and from other people. As I suggested, wouldn't it be a better use for that $700 billion to be divided up between the homeowners who are facing foreclosure (the main root of the problem)? Well, not given to them, per say, but used to pay off their home mortgages. Then, they don't have to worry about paying for the roof over their head and could pump that money into the economy. In other words, spending money with small businesses. Doesn't that solve, or at least alleviate, most of the problem?

The main problem people had with that was a moral one - handing out all that free money. I haven't responded to that, but what's the difference between that and the welfare we have now, on a moral level?

But, I digress...

Katie Couric is on. I don't have the remote control. Tom Browkaw is the moderator. It's nice to see him again. As far as the questions, I hope there is a question about the FairTax.

9:02pm - I'm not expecting to have nearly as much to say, compared to the last 2 debates.

9:07pm - I think McCain is wearing the same tie he had on from the last debate. I know it was ugly, red with thin white stripes. Looks very similar.

9:08pm - Yeah, but what IS your proposal?!?

9:09pm - Whoa... McCain knows what eBay is?

9:11pm - This is something I haven't heard at all about the bailout - how does the bailout help, as the cliche has quickly become, Main Street. For example, how does it help people in the inner city?

9:14pm - Thanks for answering the question, Obama, but why should a bad business be allowed to stay open? I know, loss of jobs, etc.

9:17pm - Not to beat the drum, but passing the FairTax goes a long way to getting lobbyists out of Washington.

9:20pm - I'd like to see the line on Obama's spending increases/cuts.

9:21pm - What I'd really like to see in the after programs is how the who asked the questions feel about the answers they received tonight.

9:24pm - I keep hearing McCain say, "I know how to do that." But I don't here, "here's the specifics on how" other than stump speech stuff.

9:28pm - That's a great question about making sacrifices. "Which programs aren't working?" is a great follow-up.

9:38pm - First term as president? That's a little presumptuous, no? You're assuming 2 terms...

9:45pm - I jumped into a live chat and got too distracted to update much for the last 15 minutes or so...

9:47pm - HAHAHA! That's why I like Obama because he can pull off a gentle rib.

9:48pm - UM... How can Bush and Cheney sponsor a bill?

9:53pm - I like what Obama has to say about healthcare, expect he completely loses me when the government has to get involved...

9:55pm - OH, good follow-up question. I expect very different answers. I don't think healthcare is a right/privledge, but it is a responsibility.

9:57pm - I already have that insurance company... But, it was my choice (filtered through my employeer).

10:01pm - Oh, that soundbite is gonna be in an attack add. Obama say, "That's true, there are some things I don't understand." Cue the scary music...

10:03pm - The ML Doctrine - See FairTax, the.

10:04pm - Didn't we do something about the Holocaust? I mean WWII and all? I know we got in late, but still.

10:12pm - I'm officially over this debate. I keep hearing the same canned messages. The same things I think I'd hear at a campaign stop in the next city over.

10:16pm - Nikita wants my attention. She's trying to jump on the keyboard. Cute purring kitties win.

The VP Debate

Well, the VP debate will start in a few minutes. My preliminary thoughts on Palin and Biden is neither really do much for me. Biden just irks me and I don't like his politics. Governor Palin came on strong at the convention but has since shown that's she's not quite ready for prime time. Both are 2nd on tickets that I now feel have shown why neither is good for this country. I don't think I can really vote for Obama or McCain after they supported the latest "rescue" bill. There's way too much pork in it and it's not the right solution...yet. I'm certainly not voting for incumbents who voted for it. Meanwhile, oil is down to $94. Go figure.

As for the whole Gwen Ifill "Conflict of Interest" thing... Yeah, I do think it's a bit of a conflict of interest, but I do think she'll keep both debaters on task and play it by the rules...

If you have nothing better to do, maybe we can play Palin Bingo?

9:00pm - Here we go. I'm keeping it fair and balanced by watching this on Fox News Channel... I'll change it to CNN later.

9:01pm - Is Gwen Ifill always the VP debate moderator? I know she was for the last one between Cheney and... goodness was it Lieberman? Wow. What a turnaround there.

9:02pm - Haha! "Nice to Meet you! Can I call you Joe?" What? Does she not have Domestic experience either?!?

9:03pm - What's he looking down at? Does he have crib notes? Is that allowed?

9:05pm - Nice job relating to the common-man, Sarah.

9:07pm - The thing that bothers me about "reaching across the aisle" is it always seems to end up screwing the people of America.

9:09pm - Did she just smackdown Palin? I was distracted.

9:10pm - Yes, let's be responsible and live within our means. And let's hope the House rejects the bill McCain and Obama said yes to.

9:12pm - Darn right we need tax relief... and reform... Insert my FairTax plug.

9:13pm - AMEN! You can't decrease taxes without cutting spending.

9:14pm - Wall Street should be allowed to run wild if they choose... and if they screw up they should be allowed to fail.

9:15pm - Yeah, I'm not thinking Gwen is being fair at this point.

9:17pm - I don't think most would say Palin's winning at this point, but I do like what she's saying...

9:19pm - Oh, so I lose part of my paycheck to help pay for the healthcare tax Obama's wants? Do I understand that right?

9:20pm - Nice attempt for a laugh by Biden. "That's what I call a real bridge to nowhere.

9:22pm - You know, I appreciate him telling me about the light. I do.

9:23pm - Pitbull on the attack. That's a pretty shade of lipstick. I can't wait to check Factcheck.org on this debate.

9:25pm - Let me ask a rhetorical question, if an earmark is such a good idea, why does it have to be attached and hidden in another bill?

9:27pm - Subtle notice: She looked at Biden when she said, "we have to put politics aside."

9:30pm - Yes, energy independence. But, what's your plan?

9:31pm - If I understood her answer on climate change, I think I liked it. What I'm saying is her brain was running a little slower than her lips were moving.

9:32pm - I agree there are some man-made causes of global warning, but that's not the whole shebang. The key, surprise, is to be responsible about our actions, and get oil and gas out of our ground. Both can happen.

9:36pm - My wife, who is not watching but instead playing solitaire on her cell phone, says it sounds like Gwen keeps cutting Palin off but not Biden.

9:37pm - I don't think the issue of same-sex marriages is something that will sway my opinion on who to vote for at this time. I'm for them. But, I think there are bigger, more important issues to fight for right now.

9:42pm - I don't think you have a PUBLIC timeline. Maybe a timeline at the highest levels of security.

9:43pm - Or maybe you do listen to the generals on the ground.

9:43:30pm - I wonder what Biden is thinking when he chuckles at her...

9:45pm - Not a "soundbite" for the ages, but strong words from Biden, "John was dead wrong."

9:46pm - Holy crap, I agree with Biden on Afghanistan/Pakistan.

9:47pm - Misfit is seeing ghosts in the house and she's meowing her head off.

9:50pm - Again, not a "soundbite," but tough, stronger words from Biden. I think he might eventually curse.

9:53pm - I'll give him this. Biden knows his foreign policy, at least in reference to Hezebollah. I don't know if he should have said some of the things he said, but he knows that consequences of what happened there.

9:55pm - Biden keeps getting tougher and tougher, and Palin is still cutesy.

9:56pm - That's the best soundbite so far. "It might be different from Bush, but I haven't heard it." Amen.

9:58pm - Oooh, that was a nice bit of anger from Palin. Cool.

9:59pm - At this point, I think Biden will be declared the "winner." Though, it's going to be a split decision that goes the distance and not a knock out.

10:00pm - DARN U-VERSE 4 STREAM LIMIT!

10:01pm - I agree we need to start moving into Afghanistan.

10:04pm - I thought Biden had some great fire and passion in his answer on Darfur. I didn't think she could handle it because she doesn't have foreign policy experience, but I think she took it to a good place.

10:06pm - Oh, he's wearing her down. It's taking her longer and longer to recover.

10:09pm - The wink was cute.

10:10pm - That was Palin's best line, the difference between the two ticket's plans.

10:11pm - I can't imagine Biden's neighborhood is anything like mine.

10:11:30pm - He's smiling like he's saying, "Yeah, Sarah, I know. I'm a politician. It's what we do..."

10:12pm - FUCK yeah get rid of No Child Left Behind.

10:13pm - In her comment about what a V-P does, when it happened, I thought it was a fair question because, well, you know, I don't know what you do for work on a day to day basis. I mean, I'm a promo producer. Do you know what I do at work? Literally, there are days when all I do is watch Family Guy. It's a little more detailed than that, but the point is did you know that without the daily, day-to-day job experience? That's what I thought she was saying a few months ago when she asked exactly what the VP does...

10:18pm - The appealing thing about Palin is she does come off as one of us. The other three, not so much.

10:19pm - Ha, good humble line from Biden.

10:21pm - What am I looking for? The ability to get myself out of debt and better secure my family's future.

10:22pm - Damn right, I didn't see much "aisle reaching" from Republicans or Democrats, oh, in my lifetime maybe?

10:26pm - I just noticed what Gwen is wearing. It hurts my eyes.

Closing Statements:
10:29pm - It's just odd that she hasn't even met Joe Biden until tonight.

10:30pm - Biden appears to be the more straight shooter, but Palin's got a sweet delivery.

How come I can hear EVERY word Palin says after the debate but nothing from Biden?

Afterthoughts:

I come away feeling better about Biden. I don't like his policies, but I'm more comfortable with him. With Palin, I wonder what politics would look like if more politicians were as charming as see appears and as "middle class" as she makes me feel she is.

I think I'll wake up tomorrow and see that Biden won the debate. But, I don't think Palin lost it. I don't think her ticket swayed independants to make a decision tonight, but neither did Biden. I'm very curious to see what FactChecker.org will show about this debate.

The First Debate

We recently bought a laptop, so I thought I'd "live blog" the debates tonight. I don't know exactly how this is gonna work. So, let's ride this wave together.

Right now, I really don't know how I'm going to vote in the presidential election. It boils down to this: I really like Obama and think he'd be a good leader (see previous posts on Obama), but I don't like how he seems to think government is the answer to everything. I don't really like John McCain and don't trust him too much, but I think he's right on a lot of the issues (see previous post on post-convention thoughts). If I had to vote today, I'd be voting for Bob Barr and smaller government. I am hoping the debates will help me clear things up.

As the debate gets ready to start today, there's something going on about an economy crisis we're in. Perhaps you've heard about it. I'm not an expert, but I kind of think the market should straighten itself out rather than the taxpayers. For example, maybe you missed that Washington Mutual went bankrupt overnight. The FDIC stepped in while we slept and by the morning, JP Morgan Chase bought it. That's how it's supposed to work. The system worked. So, why is this bailout happening?

On to the debates...

9:00pm - I was too young to know or care about Reagan vs. Mondale, but I can see why he was elected. Yes, I'm watching this on Fox News Channel.

9:02pm - I think the moderator is a trusted, respected and impartial journalist. I expect him to keep things fair and balanced... Yes I am watching this on Fox News Channel.

9:03pm - It's a foreign policy debate. First question: Domestic Economics. I can understand that today, I guess.

9:06pm - Prayers for Ted Kennedy, but this is a debate.

9:07pm - Quick comment about the economic crisis. Why does it take a crisis of this magnitude for Dems and Repubs to come together? And, if they have this much trouble doing that, how can we trust them with more mundane issues? I say we don't re-elect Washington incumbents.

9:10pm - I notice Obama has a plan and somewhat spelled it out. I didn't hear that from McCain. Did I miss it?

9:11pm - Hell, yeah we need personal responsibility. I'm speaking to me AND YOU. :)

9:14pm - Beliefs are great. But give me your plan, McCain!

9:15pm - My thoughts on earmarks. If the project is worth the money, why can't it stand on it's own?

9:17pm - Nice job, Obama, stating the fundamental differences between your plan and McCain's.

9:18pm - Obama's smirking like he's got a zinger coming.

9:20pm - McCain's answer on business taxes is why we need the FairTax.

9:21pm - I notice Obama's not jumping in to rebut, but waiting his turn. I like that.

9:23pm - Those loopholes Obama's talking about is also why we need the FairTax. I like how he's talking to McCain, not the moderator or the camera.

9:25pm - I want a new tax code, John. Guess which one?

9:26pm - A half hour in and no foreign policy talk? Did I miss the topic change?

9:28pm - The energy sector is ripe for new jobs, etc. I think Obama is way ahead in the energy debate.

9:30pm - McCain's tie is crap. He failed on dressing himself. That red & white stripe thing will kill him with the younger crowd.

9:31pm - Get'em Jim. Get them to answer the question.

9:34pm - As far as energy, I'd like Obama's plan more if there was more nuclear power involved in his plan.

9:35pm - 3 times, he asked the question. Finally, they answer the question. Ugh.

9:36pm - Hell yeah, as screwed up as the Fed. Government make things, why would we turn healthcare over to it?!? My wife would still be in loads of back pain if we had National Healthcare.

9:37pm - Yes, John, you have a plan. What is it?

9:38pm - Obama looks like he's in control, attacking McCain's record.

9:39pm - Iraq talk. Finally, foreign policy talk.

9:40pm - I do agree with McCain that the consequences of "losing" in Iraq are far worse than the pains of winning.

9:41pm - At this point, it DOESN'T MATTER WHY WE WENT IN. WE DID AND IT WAS FUCKED UP. WE'RE CORRECTING THAT. THAT'S THE REALITY!

9:43pm - I do agree we have to use our military wisely.

9:45pm - John McCain tried to nail him with the committee thing, and Obama smacked that down.

9:47pm - I think Obama is being more truthful, in the telling the whole story sense.

9:52pm - I do think Obama's right in that it's time to start putting our resources in Afghanistan and pulling them out of Iraq. I don't know how much or how many at what time. Obama sounds like he would listen to the generals and leaders on the ground.

9:53pm - The kid called and I couldn't get to the phone in time. I called him back and voicemail. I missed McCain's reply.

9:56pm - I missed that whole thing about attacking Pakistan with McCain. Did Obama say he'd take out terrorists in the hills of Pakistan without their government's permission? Did I get that right?

10:00pm - What's the point of McCain's narrative? I mean, how does that help frame his plans? Plans and issue stances is what I'm looking for.

10:02pm - My eyes would have rolled at stinger McCain sent to Obama. Obama smiled, shook his head, and laughed. Good for him.

10:07pm - Carmel HS "smashed" North Central in football, the kid reports. I missed Obama's Iran answer.

10:08pm - I like Dennis Miller's name for him... Aquavelvetjad.

10:10pm - Obama's leading in the zingers, if not the debate. There hasn't been a "You're no John Kennedy" remark, but still.

10:13pm - What the heck did McCain mean by that 3" taller remark with the North/South Koreans?

10:15pm - I just noticed this. Is that a US Flag lapel pin Obama's wearing? When did he get so "patroitic?" :P

10:15:30pm - John served Barack with that last answer.

10:17pm - I don't think Iran is a 20th century dictatorship. 10th century is more like it.

10:18pm - Listening to Obama talk, he's much easier to talk to and understand than McCain, speaking in common language and with much less doubletalk.

10:25pm - It's breaking down a bit........

10:33pm - Bill Clinton had his left hand thump, Bob Dole had the ink pen in his hand. Obama has the right hand finger pinch.

10:35pm - "I come from Kenya... That's where I get my name." I think that was a subtle response to those "Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim." He's not people. JFC.

Well, I don't think McCain won, but I don't think Obama lost. Some good spirited exchanges, but no "knockout soundbites." I did get some answers I was looking for from Obama about some of his specific plans. I do think that Obama came out "cleaner" in the debate. That goes a long way to helping me pick a president. McCain came on stronger in near the end, but I don't know if that is what I'm looking for.

I've got cinnamon toast to make. Good night!

Rainbow Conspiracy

What scares me isn't how moronic this person is. But, that this person will likely be voting in November.

Hot Air

Well, I've watched Obama's acceptance speech, Gov. Sarah Palin's speech and John McCain's acceptance speech, and I currently have the overwhelming feeling that I will be voting for Bob Barr in November.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely loved Obama's speech. It was very moving, but the next day I couldn't remember a single policy he outlined. I absolutely loved Sarah Palin's speech. I thought she handled it all very well and showed what she's all about. But again, I can't remember a single policy, except "Drill Now" type of stuff. McCain's speech didn't do a whole lot for me.

So, I guess I'm back to voting for the issues. And, really that's how everyone should be voting - basing their vote on the issues in which they believe.

I'm still planning on listening to all the debates. I should be able to make up my mind by then. With those, I, again, am looking for specific policy and not "my opponent says..." rhetoric.

Of course, the one who said "I'll pass the FairTax" first will get my vote. I have been looking for info on Palin's stance on the FairTax, but I haven't found anything.

Either way, if I had to pull the lever today, considering Indiana is likely to go to McCain, I'd check Bob Barr's box. After all, the best change I can think of is a third party rising in prominence.