Estate Planning

I am sure you are all aware of the results from yesterday's primaries in my little neck of the woods as well as northwards in Indiana. Clinton did not fare well and even though she eked out a win in Indiana, it was not the decisive one she needed. Now I don't anticipate her pulling out until after the remaining contests have come and gone, but my opinion now is that she is just staying in to keep things feisty. More power to her, but I think it might be time to start practicing saying "President Obama."

Meanwhile I saw something that intrigued me today, the Los Angeles City Council has approved restrictions on the size of homes in the city's flatlands. (Having only been to LA once or twice, I admittedly am not familiar with which part of the city this is.) You can read the whole deal online at the LA Times. The general gist though is that these enormous McMansions are being built and causing neighborhoods to resemble fields of monopoly boards, just stucco box after box. Even still, the house size limit will be 3,000 to 4,000 square feet. Now I know I live in a Cracker Jack box, but seriously people! That is like three times the size of my house, unless you have a gazillion kids, what do you need all that space for?

Some of you may be aware of my "disinterest" in newer style homes. I prefer older homes with all the neat quirks of personality, good and bad, that they offer (i.e. non-existent closet space—bad; really cool moldings and archways—good). I don't have a lot of sympathy for the folks that are building these oversized nightmares. I think of them as squatting, permanent Hummers, if you will. But the think that I think is most interesting about this article is the neighbors of these yea-whoos who talked to the city council about how these monstrosities have impaired their lives and communities, dwarfing their homes and taking away their privacy.

A man (or woman's!) home is his/her castle, but I mean that metaphorically.

Did you?

Election Day

In case you need help remembering who to vote for tomorrow:

www.folduscandidate.com.

And this guy? Would not be my choice.

Planetary Alignment

You may be asking yourself right now what amazing cosmic event has transpired to make me post on the weekend. Not event, gentle reader, EVENTS!

The day was starting off well to begin with because the husband and I had a rare weekend date planned. Oh joy, rapture, bliss. But little did I know that things could only get better.

At the gym, I happened to glance up from my treadmill screen to look at the people walking by in front of me on the track—a man in a ball cap and a woman. The man looked oddly familiar and then almost instantaneously it hit me! It was CHRIS DAUGHTRY from American Idol. Aside from seeing John Cleese at a play in England, this is my only celebrity sighting. And if I hadn't of looked like ass, I might have made an ass of myself and jumped off the treadmill and run him down. As it was, I tried to play it cool, while desperately scanning the gym to see if I could spot him again. And upon leaving I got confirmation at the front desk that it was indeed him.

So that would have to be the highlight of any day, right? But oh no, about 20 minutes ago it got even better. I answered the phone and was asked to participate in a telephone political poll. And I am not ashamed to admit that this excited me even more than seeing Chris Daughtry a mere three feet away from my own sweatiness.

Either the planets are in alignment or this is Christmas in May. I guess my grandmother was right, things do happen in threes.

Quote of the day

It is so pleasant to come across people more stupid than ourselves. We love them at once for being so.

Jerome K. Jerome

52

That is the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq from April 1, 2008 to April 30, 2008. The war doesn't seem to be getting much "play" these days so I think it is important to continue to highlight these things. April 2008 was the deadliest month in the war since last September.

Yesterday also marked the fifth anniversary of Dubya's ridiculous Mission Accomplished speech. Yes, if the mission was to have thousands of Americans die, oil prices to skyrocket, the US to loss its shirt economically-speaking in Iraq and the country to be so tired of this unnecessary war that they now mostly try to forget it is happening, then yes, the mission has been accomplished.

Speaking of the money we are pouring into Iraq, CNN reports that the US has spent more than $47 billion on reconstruction in Iraq since 2003 (when Bush played dress up in the flight suit). Senators Levin and Warner are questioning when Iraq is going to start paying for some of the reconstruction themselves, considering that by estimates from the US State Dept and the Iraqi Oil Ministry, the country is expected to bring in AT LEAST $100 billion in oil revenues from 2007 through the end of 2008.

Finally, in case you missed this, a 30-year old soldier, husband and father of two died in Afghanistan Tuesday. Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell was on his SEVENTH tour of duty. This is wrong on so many levels. First, while I know that the guy signed up for this, does anyone really sign up for that? And even if he had made it home alive and healthy, would he have ever been the same person again? 

Maybe I am just in a bad mood today, but this war and the current administration make me sick (and that is me saying that after my cup of starbucks to cheer me up). Now everybody join me in a rousing chorus of Lee Greenwoods seminal hit "Proud to be an American."

Locally Speaking, The Finale

As I have bemoaned in the comments, if not in previous posts, the local media outlets don't see to be doing a bang up job of reporting and informing North Carolinians on the upcoming primary.

This morning I located the following site, www.unctv.org/election.index.html, which seems to more than make up for the other outlets shortcomings. Yeah public television! My tax dollars at work.

So go there and you can find out about everyone running in your district from the US President race down to the NC State Auditor race (really!). I will wait while you squeal with joy.

On to the race for NC Lieutenant Governor. There are eight candidates, four democrats and four republicans, so I am going to keep this relatively short and sweet. The democrats are: Dan Besse, Hampton Dellinger, Walter Dalton and Pat Smathers. The republicans are: Timothy Cook, Greg Dority, Robert Pittenger, Jim Snyder.

I have actually met Dan Besse on several occasions. He seems nice and low key, very into women's rights. He goes into a lot of detail on his Web site, so I will just cherry pick what interests me. Under education he talks about moving away from teaching for tests; he wants to develop a co-op pool for health insurance that small businesses can join; he has served in several environmental positions, such as the NC Environmental Management Commission and wants to emphasize recycling.

Hampton Dellinger seems like a snappy, young'un with lots of motivation, but I think his Web site is a bit hazy on his stands. In his issues section he highlights some specific things like raising the compulsory school age in NC or his opposition to the Navy's OLF site in the eastern part of the state, but he doesn't seem to go any further, like "this is what I think we should do for the environment." He's been Deputy Attorney General and served in the Clinton Administration. On the UNCTV site he says in his state that he supports a woman's right to choose and affirmative action.

Walter Dalton has served in the NC Senate since 1996.  His daddy was a state senator as well. Dalton's Web site says he has supported the SCHIP program in the state and also worked to get funds for the UNC Cancer Center. He authored the character education bill which when I looked that up said it was all about "instilling core, ethical values." Frankly that creeps me out a bit. But then he sponsored something called the Home Protection Pilot that lets NC workers who have lost their jobs take out no interest loans to pay their mortgages and gives them 120 days to avoid foreclosure. So that is cool. I can't find any mention of women's rights issue or anything, but he does sound decent on the environment.

The final dem is Pat Smathers. A fellow capricorn, Smathers served as Mayor of Canton and was in the National Guard for more than 25 years. On his site, he doesn't go into much detail about his plans but describes each city in the state as links in a chain and each must be strong (he's a poet!). Basically he seems to want to give some power back to the local communities to try and fix their issues because they are the ones closest to the issues not someone in Raleigh.

Whew! Now the republicans.

Timothy Cook doesn't appear to have a Web site, an article in the News & Observer says he has run twice before and lost and has held no other public office. He is an industrial chemist and says he helped create biodiesel. The article also mentions he was convicted of a misdemeanor assault charge, but as long as he stays out of trouble there is no judgement, he says he's innocent.

Next. Greg Dority, a widower with a young daughter (I am just going to get the heart string-factor out of the way first), has done security work with ABC News and after the Gulf War did security field work in the Balkans and Caucuses. He has brief snippets about illegal immigration and state spending under issues on his Web site, but nothing indepth. Not that I will be voting republican here, but that seems to me to be a problem.

Robert Pittenger is a NC State Senator. On his Web site he mentions his efforts to champion medical malpractice reform as well as his efforts to halt illegal immigration by banning contracts to companies that knowingly employ illegal aliens. Under issues, taxes he mentions getting rid of incentives to lure big companies to NC because of our favorable business tax climate rating. He introduced a bill that would limit the damages that could be put on health care providers for liability claims. He of course mentions the church he attends at the bottom of his About Robert page.

Jim Snyder has served as a NC state representative. His Web site details his issues, which include a right to bear arms paragraph and a section on the rights of the unborn. Sorry you know me, that pretty much ends it for me right there. You can read more for yourself if you like. And like all the other GOP Lt. Gov. candidates he seems to be still married to his high school sweetheart. Awww.

Dang! I am worn out now. You guys are on your own. Go look at the UNCTV site and get informed and VOTE on Tuesday. Or I will come after you!