http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress Life and junk. Lots of junk. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:10:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I'm optimistic about Obama's chances of winning in November.  I've publicly floated a bet at work (mostly Republicans there) at a dollar an electoral vote.  I take Obama, they take McCain and whatever the electoral vote tally is, the difference is what you owe.  I think it is quite telling ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/10/03/optimistic/ Marilyn and I watched the Vice Presidential debates last night.  No real fireworks and no major stumbles, I would say both of them did slightly better than was expected.  Of course, more was expected of Biden than Palin, but then it could be argued that more should be expected of ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/10/03/your-choice-of-vices/ My lovely wife and I are now officially not the owners of a house.  Our house in North Augusta closed today.  I have mixed emotions about the event.  We made good money off the deal, but I loved that house.  I sweated and cursed and figured out 99% of everything ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/10/01/houseless/ I was pondering the bailout bill today and realized that I have an inherent conflict of interest in the matter and therefore won't be commenting much. I think handing Wall Street (or anybody for that matter) $700 billion is just plain stupid.  Taking the risk out of financial markets removes the ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/29/recusal/ Paul Newman passed away Friday.  I make no bones in my proclamation that Cool Hand Luke is the finest bit of cinema ever produced.  That's not my opinion, that's pure fact.  It's a fact like the sun comes up in the East, like the Earth is round, and like Jesus ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/28/goodbye-paul/ Little Drummer Boy Originally uploaded by jaslusher Yesterday was Johnny Appleseed's birthday, today is Jonny OneSock's 3rd birthday. Happy birthday, little man. I love you. http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/27/little-drummer-boy/ I'm a little disappointed that John McCain decided to show up for the Presidential debate.  I was looking forward to watching Obama debate an empty chair.  I'm sure the chair would have just sat there, but it is better than watching McCain lie there. http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/26/debatable/ If you are wondering about the tax plans put forth by the presidential candidates, look no further, The Washington Post has an easy to read chart that lays it all out. Two things tell me all I need to know.  First, Obama's plan raises some taxes and lowers others, effectively balancing ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/22/all-i-need-to-know/ If you think that officials should get a vote because of how much beer you could guzzle with them or because they have good "values", you have got to read this.  It is quite the eye-opener. http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/22/economic-must-read/ From Merriam-Webster:reg·u·late Pronunciation: \ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt also ˈrā-\ Function: transitive verb Inflected Form(s): reg·u·lat·ed; reg·u·lat·ing Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare, from Latin regula rule Date: 15th century 1 a: to govern or direct according to rule b (1): to bring under the control of law or ... http://www.jamesslusher.com/wordpress/2008/09/19/regulation/