My 1000th Blog Post

Hey hey hey ...

You are reading this blog's 1000th blog post. Can you believe it?

My first blog post was on June 27th, 2005 (see Blogging).

I got to 500 on February 5th, 2012.

And now, here I am at 1000.

I don't know of many personal blogs like this one that last this long.

At the beginning, I didn't really know what I was going to write about. Now I've settled into this being mostly a beer blog and most of those articles being about my adventures at my SheppyBrew Home Brewery. But, I've managed to sprinkle in other topics from time to time.

The Business of Brewing

Ooops!

I'm late. I had every intention of getting this posted Friday. I actually started the article a few weeks ago. I was going to finish it up Thursday night, but as it turns out, something exciting happened in my imaginary Brewing life that made me work on a different blog post on Thursday night. It was Kind of a Big Deal for me.

So, I decided to post this a little later. We can call it a Beer Blogging Sunday instead. Hope the rest of beer blogging community understands and doesn't shun me for my late submission.

Here it is ... time for another month's "The Session" (aka Beer Blogging Friday).

This month's topic comes from Chuck at allbeers.

He is interested in reading about The Business of Brewing. 

He writes:

 "In this Session, I’d like to invite comments and observations from bloggers and others who have first-hand knowledge of the complexities and pitfalls of starting a commercial brewery. What were the prescient decisions that saved the day or the errors of omission or commission that caused an otherwise promising enterprise to careen tragically off the rails?"

Well, here at the SheppyBrew Brewery,  we have not "gone commercial", but we like to make believe that we are a real brewery, or someday could become one. So, I don't have the "first-hand knowledge" that Chuck is looking for, but for the purposes of this article I will pretend I know what I am talking about.

Brewing TommyHawk, doing Taxes

As far as I can remember, I have always left doing my taxes until the last weekend before they are due. This is partially because I know I always owe money, and I don't want to write the government a check until I absolutely have to. More to the point, though, is that I am a procrastinator when it come to doing things I don't like to do. I have always been this way and for the most part it works out very well for me.

Well, Sunday, in addition to being the day I had to prepare to file my tax returns, was a brew day. I had to brew TommyHawk APA (which is actually an IPA). Also, there was a BlackHawk's game I had to watch. Of course, Sunday I need to take the family to church as well.

So, it was going to be a busy day.

White House #HomeBrew Recipes

I got an email from the White House yesterday. Yes, I am that big of a deal.

The reason I got this email, actually, is that I signed on online petition asking that the White House release its home-brew recipes to the public. You can see it at whitehouse.gov: "Release the recipe for the Honey Ale home brewed at the White House".

The petition was started on August 18th and as I type this, it has 12,240 signatures. Originally, the petition said it would need more than that (24,000?) signatures to "pass", but I guess the white house didn't see any reason not to share the recipes. They are not huge government secrets, and there was certainly interest out there.

I don't know if I will make either of the 2 recipes. Generally speaking, I don't use recipes from other people. Part of the fun of home-brewing is creating my own recipes. I may or may not make an exception here. The White House did make a special effort to email me.

If I do make them, at the very least, I will convert them to all-grain. Of course, I'll have to substitute some Colorado honey for the White House Honey.

Anyway, I think it is cool that the White House is home-brewing, and I think they made the right decision to share the recipes.

More #RepealDay Info

I got an email from the Contact Me form from a person who read my Happy #RepealDay post. She referred me to an article on the accreditedonlinecolleges.org blog: "28 Facts You Should Toast Post-Repeal Day". It is an interesting list of beer (and other alcohol ... but the beer stuff interests me the most) related factoids and links to more information on each of the facts.

I found it interesting and informative. You should check out the whole list:

---EDIT 05/10/2013 --- I got an email from a guy at accreditedonlinecolleges.org telling me that the link would go away and that I should remove it from my blog. That was nice of him. Now that the link is going away I am copying / pasting the post here so you can look at it. Credit goes to accreditedonlinecolleges.org

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28 Facts You Should Toast Post-Repeal Day

For those who just can't wait until St. Patrick's Day to celebrate the joy and joy-ness that is alcohol, Repeal Day fell earlier this week. Celebrating the passing of the 21st Amendment, which overrode the 18th outlawing the distribution and production of alcoholic beverages, it also stands as a lovely little way for the particularly patriotic to recognize America's freedoms. Most appropriately, with a cocktail or two in hand.

1. Responsible alcohol intake may help bolster memory:

   When enjoyed in low or moderate amounts, University of Auckland researchers noted that alcohol can actually improve one's memory and cognitive abilities. Low or moderate being the operative words here – depending on weight, gender, genetics and overall health, this means no more than one to three beers daily.

2. Red wine might help treat cancer:

   Great news for oenophiles! Red wine contains reservatrol, an antioxidant Rochester University scientists discovered helps kills cancer cells when combined with irradiation. Although it can't be considered a definitive cure-all, this might very well make wine an important ally in prevention and treatment alike.

3. Responsible red wine drinking might improve overall heart health:

   Along with reservatrol, red wine also contains flavanoids, antioxidants which encourage healthier hearts. When combined with a regimen of exercise and nutritious diet, they increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), reduce inflammation and thin the blood to prevent dangerous clots.

4. Low to moderate drinkers live longer lives:

   More than heavy drinkers to abusers, obviously, but they also fare better than their teetotaler peers! Not only do they enjoy a lessened risk of heart disease and cancer, dementia, Alzheimer's (thanks to the improved memory!), strokes, enlarged prostates and arthritis – among other conditions – occur at a lower rate as well. In fact, researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism discovered that low to moderate drinkers had the lowest death rate of all causes than anyone else on the consumption spectrum.

5. Despite its high calorie content, alcohol doesn't result in significant weight gain:

   It seems bizarre and obviously counter to what one would assume, but this is a thing. Researchers can't exactly pinpoint the exact reason why the phenomenon of high-carb beverages resulting in minimal (if any) weight gain exists. Some theories think alcohol's increase of metabolism plays a role, while some think it discourages consumers from noshing on sugars. Although this doesn't explain away their compulsion towards beautifully greasy tacos once the bars close…

6. Intentionally fermented beverages date back to at least the Neolithic Era:

   Assuming brewing, fermenting and distilling aren't even older than researchers already know, intentionally created alcohol has been pleasuring and plaguing mankind since around 10,000 BCE. Stone Age mugs likely housed honey and/or berry-based beverages, which most believe originated as "happy little accidents."

7. The Ancient Chinese were the first to ferment wine:

   Hardly surprising, considering how they invented a myriad of other useful products still seeing action today, like paper, printing, fireworks, noodles and the like. University of Pennsylvania's Dr. Patrick McGovern and crew noted residue evidence of a wine brewed from honey, rice, and hawthorn fruit and/or grapes sticking to pottery dating back to 7000 to 6000 BCE. If his conjectures are correct, this means the earliest (currently) known, regularly consumed wine hails from Jiahu in the Henan Province.

8. Nobody's exactly sure how toasting started:

   Some say the ancient Greeks (or were they Romans?) dunked actual toast into their wine. Others think the tradition started as a way to test beverages for poison, making sure to clink glasses in a manner spilling drops into one another's cups. Just share any of the theories on Repeal Day. They're all pretty much equally viable these days.

9. Ancient Sumerians drank beer from straws:

   Long before the straws known and loved today – about 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, apparently. Using natural products, the ancient innovators enjoyed beers without accidentally ingesting the solids left over after brewing.

10. In ancient Greece, only men could participate in ritual wine drinking honoring Dionysus:

    Females, by contrast, held the exclusive privilege of maenadism. Neither ritual servicing the god of wine himself existed as the orgiastic, ecstatic rampages as depicted in the mass media. That would actually be the Romans and their Bacchanalia, which eventually grew so frenetic the government had to heavily restrict worship and laid waste to a goodly chunk of shrinage.

11. The word "alcohol" has medieval Latin and Arabic roots:

    Interestingly enough, it didn't start out describing intoxicating liquids, but rather cosmetics (Arabic), particularly those containing antimony (Latin). Alcohol (and al-kuhul) first appeared around the 1540s with this definition, eventually broadening to include any pure substance in the 1670s. The first known time "alcohol" as understood in today's English was 1753, referring to wine.

12. Weihenstephan Abbey is the world's oldest brewery in continuous operation:

    Nestled in the formerly eponymous Bavarian village (now known as Freising), the Weihenstephan Abbey houses Benedictine monks (not all Christians abstain!) keeping their beer brewing tradition alive longer than any other brewery in the world. These days, it touts its actual founding year as 1040, though references to receiving hops as tribute start in 768, and focuses mainly on producing lagers and wheat beers.

13. The tradition of smashing a bottle of champagne during a ship christening ceremony began in the late nineteenth century:

    Christenings themselves actually date back to ancient times, but the first recorded instances of champagne's use in the proceedings happened on November 18, 1890. Then-Secretary of the Navy Benjamin P. Tracy's granddaughter shattered a bottle of bubbly against the first American steel battleship, Maine.

14. The world's oldest known alcohol was consumed in 2010:

    And it only took 200 years! South of Aaland in the Baltic Sea, divers stumbled across a shipwreck with 168 champagne bottles and an unknown amount of beer. They handed it over to a sommelier. Then they totally drank it. Apparently the booze, which kept nice and cool at the bottom of the ocean, tasted just as fresh as it would have back in the 1830s when it was originally whipped up.

15. Henri IV Dudognon Heritage is, for now, the most expensive bottle of booze on the planet:

    A bottle of this cognac, manufactured in France since 1776, will only set buyers back about $2 million. #OccupyLiquorCabinet, anyone?

16. American homebrewing likely started around 1587:

    Obviously, if not before. 1587 merely marks the first known homebrewed beer in the United States. Whipped up in the Virginia colonies, it was likely made with corn rather than the hops American beer is mostly known for today.

17. Even at a time when homebrewing could land producers in prison, A Treatise on Lager Beers sold over a hundred thousand copies:

    Despite stern cover warnings about the illegal nature of homebrewing, Fred Eckhert's 1970 manifesto praised the practice, offering up instructions, recipes, and welcome relief from the same old swill. About 110,000 copies of this self-published, now classic, read sold and required seven printings to meet demand.

18. The Maltose Falcons hold the distinction of being the United States' oldest homebrew club:

    Among others, including California's Homebrew Club of the Year winner in 2010! Since 1974, these passionate Los Angeles-based homebrewers have banded together to spread a love of craft beer and DIY sensibilities, inspiring hundreds (if not thousands) of local groups nationwide.

19. Homebrewing is not legal in every state:

    It is, however, perfectly legal on a federal level – but only fermented, never distilled, beverages. Be sure to check the latest information before pursuing homebrewing as a hobby or home-based business. Even the states allowing it still regulate how much and how strong one can make.

20. In 1978, Jimmy Carter legalized homebrewing at the national level:

    Until that point, lovingly crafting beer and wine at home was still illegal, thanks to lingering legislation from the sour old Prohibition days.

21. May 7 marks National Homebrew Day:

    Yes, Congress officially recognizes a National Homebrew Day as of 1988. Fans celebrate by guzzling down some of their favorite beers or trying something new, while many creators themselves participate in the American Homebrew Associations yearly Big Brew event.

22. Homebrewing is most popular in Texas and California:

    Definitive statistics on just how widespread homebrewing really is don't exist, but popular site USABeerTrends offers up the best insight so far. Thirty-six percent of its participating readers hailed from Texas, followed at 21% out of California. Whipping up craft brews at home also pique many creative connoisseurs in Florida, Colorado, Washington, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, Oregon, Alaska, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.

23. No one age group is more likely to homebrew than others:

    The very same USABeerTrends survey noted that only the under-21 and over-50 crowd seemed to shy away from homebrewing. Every other demographic more or less enjoy it in equal measure, though 30% between 41 through 50 craft their own beers as opposed to 35% for both 21 through 30 and 31 through 40.

24. Most home brewers create between five and nine batches, at least in 2009:

    Thirty-nine percent, as compared to 13% for 1 to 4, 26% for 10 to 14 and 22% devotedly hammering out about 15 batches!

25. The American Homebrewers Association currently boasts over 27,000 members:

    And they partner up with over 1,300 breweries beneath The Brewers Association (founded 1941!) umbrella. Since 1982, thousands of members and beer aficionados have flocked to Boulder, Colorado to enjoy the Great American Beer Festival the organizations holds as a celebration of these hearty libations.

26. President Wilson actually vetoed the Volstead Act:

    An alternate name for the National Prohibition Act, Woodrow Wilson rejected the Volstead Act for technical rather than ethical reasons, only to be overridden by both the House of Representatives and the Senate the very same day.

27. FDR's Cullen-Harrison Act legalized the sale of beer and beer alone:

    Wine and spirits drinkers were left luckless when Franklin Roosevelt passed the Cullen-Harrison act in 1933, addressing Depression demand for something soothing to quell the…well…depression. This amendment to the Volstead Act legalized beer with an alcohol content of 3.2% or below.

28. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th:

    Shortly after FDR passed the Cullen-Harrison Act, the federal government decided to repeal Prohibition altogether, meeting Americans' demands and intending to curb illegal profiteering. The 21st Amendment overrode the 18th, stoking the ire of the temperance organizations responsible for its initial passing.

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Obviously, the beer facts (especially those on home-brewing) are most interesting to me.

Do you find any of these interesting / informative?  (leave a comment).

Happy #RepealDay

Did you know that December 5th (today) is Repeal Day? I didn't know until I got my December CraftBeer.com newsletter last Thursday. CraftBeer.com has an informative article about today's holiday: Celebrate Repeal Day: December 5.

In case you are too lazy to follow the link and can't guess from the context, the 21st amendment was ratified and prohibition was repealed on December 5th, 1933. Seems like as good a reason as any to celebrate. Don't you think? I think I'll have a beer today to toast the occasion.

Strange ... today isn't a work holiday for me. Seems like it should be.

Happy Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Not too long ago, I got an email from my Dad. I copied and pasted the text of the email below. I do not know exactly where the email originally came from. I don't know exactly how much of this is actually from Ben Stein and how much is editorialized. I do know that Ben said some of this and that he did NOT say it all.

"Urban Legends" on about.com says perhaps 1/3 of it was actually written by Ben Stein. (see http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_ben_stein_christmas.htm). Towards the end, in the analysis, the Urban Legend article links to Ben's website so you can see what he actually said.

I will point out that the end of the "Urban Legends" article, the author does make a point that the White House has never actually referred to "Christmas Trees" as "Holiday Trees". And, of course, Ben's commentary is from 2005 (4 years before Obama took office), so it would have been really hard for him to criticize the Obama administration for making that switch.

I liked the sentiment of the email (or at least the parts that I think are Ben), though, and I thought I would share:

SUTA

Last night, I paid my quarterly State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) for all my employees. For those of you who are employees, unemployment tax (both state and federal) is one of those taxes that employers pay for you without you generally knowing it is being paid. Isn't that nice of us?

Considering I am the only employee of my S-Corp, I hate paying SUTA and FUTA (like I love paying the rest of my taxes ... right?) because I sort of suspect that it would be hard for me to ever actually collect unemployment back from the government. I am the owner of my company, so technically I always have a job unless I close down my S-Corp even if I cannot pay myself. I do not know if I am correct about how hard it will be for me to collect. God willing I will never find out. But, even though SUTA and FUTA are not big expenses (in comparison to the other taxes I pay), I get angry paying them. As the company bookkeeper / accountant / owner / etc... I have plenty of opportunity to pay lots of taxes and plenty of opportunity to get angry at the IRS.

Last night, I got a surprise. My SUTA payment was about 1/3 as much as it was last year. Of course, I was sure that I had made a calculation mistake, but I did verify that, yes, my SUTA rate went down this year. I'm sure I have Mr. Obama to thank, and I am a little embarrassed that it took me by surprise. If I had 1000 employees instead of just one, that would be quite a savings. I thought Obama hated rich jerks like me.

Today, it hit me. Most likely the fact that I pay significantly less on State Unemployment Tax might just mean the Feds are going to get me (I do not usually pay FUTA until the end of the year). But, I just looked it up and the FUTA rate is going down too (although not necessarily for me ... FUTA has weird rules around who pays what based partially on what you pay to your State).

It seems odd that at record levels of unemployment, I have to pay less into the unemployment pot, but I guess I'm not going to complain. Its just one more thing I'll just let Tyler's and Connor's grandchildren pay for as our nation's debt continues to rise.

Tax Day

Due to a somewhat complex situation with company K1s, I had to file an extension with the IRS this year. Of course, I still had to do all the tax prep work because even if you delay your filing, the government still wants its money. And since my goal is always to delay giving my money until I have to, I do not come close to getting a refund. So, I wrote a large check to the IRS to send in with the extension.

Of course, the reason I had to extend is because I do not have final numbers on one of my companies, so I have to make a guess. If I do not pay the government enough, I have to pay a fee and interest. But, if I overpay, is the IRS going to give me interest on my overpayment? No. Does not seem fair, does it?

Then, of course, being the small-business owner that I am, I need to pay estimated taxes for the first quarter of 2009 on top of my "final" payment of 2008.

And now, I am not even done. I still need to finish up the last of the return once I get my last K1.

I hate tax day.

At least I am not one of those suckers who lent the government significant interest free money to the IRS this year. (anyone who gets a refund)

Recovery

My dear friend, Dianna Degette, "D" as I affectionately call her, sent me an email today. Not only is she my dear friend, but my also my representative in the House of Representatives. I like her much better than my senators because she emails me once and awhile to let me know how she is doing and (more importantly?) what she is doing .

Today's email was more about Mr. Obama's address to Congress a few days ago. She is "inspired by his wisdom and confidence that he has for the future of our nation". I did not watch the address. She probably knows that and just wanted to fill me in.

D also invited me to check out recovery.gov so that I am able to monitor where the money is going to be spent for the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Isn't that sweet of her? She knew I was a little skeptical as to how that money would be spent, and looking out for me, she passed along a web address for me. This is why she is my dear friend; she is always looking out for my interests.

Honestly, one of the things I like about what Mr. Obama says is that he is going to add some transparency and accountability to the executive branch of the government. I really like the idea behind http://www.recovery.gov . I think it is a great idea, and I will probably look at it a lot. It is a good step towards his goal. It is a tiny step, and I have doubts as to just how much Mr. Obama will be able to restore confidence in the integrity of any politian, but at least he is taking steps toward that end. Yes, I did not vote for Mr. Obama and do not agree with lots of what he stands for, but I do like the idea behind the website. I have not had time to look through it, so at this point, it is just the idea I am excited about. I do not know how usful the content will be, but I am optimistic.

I am less optimistic about our ability to pay off this huge amount of money we are spending, but what the heck do I care? There is a new website out there. I do not know how much of the bill goes for creating and upkeep of the site. I figure that is in "other". I hope it is not all of other. 8 billion is a lot for a website.

In case you care (and don't want to look yourself) here is a breakdown:

Category	Amount ($ Billions)
*Tax Relief	$288
*State and Local Fiscal Relief	$144
Infrastructure and science	$111
Protecting the Vulnerable	$81
Health Care	$59
Education and Training	$53
Energy	$43
Other	$8

* Tax Relief - includes $15 B for Infrastructure and Science, $61 B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $25 B for Education and Training and $22 B for Energy, so total funds are $126 B for Infrastructure and Science, $142 B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $78 B for Education and Training, and $65 B for Energy.

*State and Local Fiscal Relief - Prevents state and local cuts to health and education programs and state and local tax increases.

By the way, D also invited me to add her as a friend on Facebook. Isn't that cool?

And... Colorado also has a recovery page: http://www.colorado.gov/recovery/

Stimulus?

Ok ... not to sound to "republican", but What the Hell? If the current administration wants to add honesty and integrity to government ... why not start by being honest with what the Stimulus bill actually is: an blatant attempt to fund a good chunk of the liberal agenda in one fell swoop.

How does any of this stimulate the economy???

• $335 million for education related to sexually transmitted diseases
• $650 million for coupons to help people make the switch to digital TV
• $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
• $150 million for the Smithsonian Institution
• $50 million for the National Cemetery Administration's monument and memorial repairs
• $800 million for Amtrak, the country's railroad system
• $2 billion for child-care subsidies
• $400 million for global warming research
• $100 million for reducing the danger of lead paint in homes
• $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects
• $200 million for the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor earthquakes and volcanoes
• $650 million for the U.S. Forest Service to remove fish passage barriers, forest improvement and watershed enhancement projects
• $1.5 million for a National Institute of Health/Institute of Medicine report to Congress
• $50.6 million for services for older blind individuals
• $400 million for the Social Security Administration's new National Computer Center
• $325 million for Academic Achievement Awards
• $70 million for programs to help people quit smoking
• $75 million for a super-computer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  

I am not saying some of this is not worthy of consideration (although I am against the government paying for MOST of what is in there), but shoving it all into a bill which is meant as a Stimulus Package is downright dishonest. Every Obama supporter kept talking about this wonderful change that would occur. But, this is clearly politics as usual. Unfortunately, politics as usual is even more dangerous because checks and balances don't really exist with the Legistrative and Executive branches pretty much on the same page.

If this is how things are going down with the new administration, we are in for a long 4-8 years!


see http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6757733&page=1

My Friend, D

My friend Diana DeGette, chief deputy whip of the house of representatives, sent me an email. I did not realize we were friends, but right there at the beginning of the email, she said it. Not only am I a friend, but I am a Dear Friend! Had I known we were so close, I might have voted for her. I want my friends to be successful. And, she is. Actually, she did not need my vote. My congressional district was not even close.

Diana, or D, as I so affectionately call her (did I mention that we are dear friends), told me that her priorities include:

• Embryonic stem cell research
• Enhancing and expanding the children's health care program to provide coverage to millions of low-income children who live daily without health care.
• National health care.
• Food Safety.
• Combating global warming.

I am a little surprised that D did not list first and foremost that her #1 priority did not have something to do with getting the U.S. economy on the right track or getting our over 1 trillion dollar budget deficit under control, or maybe something about helping to create high-paying jobs to replace the close to record number lost around the country last year. I guess that even though we are dear friends, we do not always agree on what is most important.

Quite frankly, the deficit scares the hell out of me. Getting the budget under control seems like it should be everyone's top priority. But, I am a simpleton, because I don't quite understand how it is that the country can exist at all in the financial state we are in. I do not even understand how any president can in good conscience even submit an unbalanced budget, let alone one that is over a trillion dollars over. If you cannot even start with the concept of more money coming in than goes out, how are you going to finish with anywhere close to blackl? And, if you have nothing to fall back on, how do you survive tough times?

I have a hard time comprehending 1 trillion dollars at all.... let alone the 11 trillion dollars of debt we currently have. Now, Obama is telling us the budget will be over by more than 1 trillion dollars for the next couple of years. How can this not be alarming? How can this not be every congress person's number 1 priority?

If you laid one dollar bills end to end, you could make a chain that stretches from earth to the moon and back again 200 times before you ran out of dollar bills! One trillion dollars would stretch nearly from the earth to the sun. It would take a military jet flying at the speed of sound, reeling out a roll of dollar bills behind it, 14 years before it reeled out one trillion dollar bills. You can probably do the math for 10 times that number (and then realize that the total is worse than that).

Personally, I have never held a debt greater than I could (if I absolutely had to) pay off if I needed to. A big part of that I owe to my parents who saved and gave me enough money for me to go to college. As it turned out, between scholarships and co-op jobs, I used very little of that money, so ever since I was on my own, I had a pretty large nest-egg. Plus, I've always saved as much as I could. My 401 and IRAs have always been fully funded and I have saved much more than just those vehicles. There have been times, early on after college where my budget was hard to balance and maybe I had to rely on the fact that I had savings for a month or two. But, that is one reason it is so important to save when you have an opportunity.

So, over the years there have been lots of possessions or services that technically I could have obtained that I did without because it was more important to me to be in a position where I could rely on my savings in the event that I ever needed to.

And then, we have the government. According to http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2008/summarytables.html , the federal government budgeted to spend almost 3 trillion dollars in 2008. The revenue was projected to be about 2.6 trillion. According to the news, the delta is even worse (much much worse), but even using those numbers, we are talking being over budget by a four hundred billion dollars. Mr. Obama tells us we will be something like 1.2 trillion dollars over for the next couple of years.

So, we have a budget that tells us we will be in debt, and then we are not even able to come anywhere close to following the budget. I probably do not need to point out that if I ran my household budget anywhere close to how the government runs its "household" that I would probably be living on the street. My wife would not like that very much. But, for some reason, the federal government is able to plug along without too much concern.

Again, I do not see how this is not the #1 priority for everyone in our federal government. But, stem cell research is important too I guess.

Barack

I'm sorry... I cannot do it. I just can't.

I will not be able to vote for Obama / Liden. As my sister points out in her blog, it is just too easy to read it "Osama Bin Laden".

Despite the fact that I usually consider myself way more conservative than liberal (and Obama is absolutely liberal), I want to like Obama. I really do. I checked out his book on CD version of "Change We Can Believe In" and listened to it.

How can you not like someone who WILL:

click to show list

• Send Rebate Checks of $1,000 to American Families
• Save One Million Jobs
• Help Local Communities Through Tough Times
• Give Every Working Family a $1,000 Tax Cut
• Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors making less than $50,000
• Ease the burden of High Gas Prices and Make Oil Companies Share in the Sacrifice
• Help Workers Displaced by Trade and Globalization
• Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit
• Raise the Minimum Wage
• Protect Workers and their Right to Organize
• Give Family Farmers the Stability They Need to Thrive
• Give Affordable Health Care for All Americans
• Lower Health Care Costs by $2,00 per Family and Improve Quality
• Guarantee Health Coverage for Every American
• Bring Down the Costs of Prescription Drugs
• Promote Prevention of Illnesses.
• Ensure That Every Child Gets a World Class Education
• Make College Affordable for Everyone
• Create Automatic Workplan Pensions
• Expand the Savers' Tax Credit for Working Families
• Preserve Social Security
• Protect Workers Pensions
• Secure Homeownership for American Families
• Make it Easier to Balance Work and Family
• Bring Opportunity to Areas of Concentrated Poverty
• Pay for All Proposals and Cut the Deficit
• Cut Spending and Reduce Government Waste
• Put Medicare on Solid Footing by Reducing Costs and Improving Quality
• Give Tax Relief to the 98 Percent of Households Making less than $250,000 a Year
• Eliminate Special Tax Breaks for Corporations
• Simplify Tax Filings for Middle-Class Americans
• Create a Reserve Fund for Emergencies and Deficit Reduction
• Increase Fuel Economy Standards
• Get One Million Pug-in Electric Vehicles on the Road by 2015
• Cut Taxes for Drivers Who Buy Fuel-Efficient Automobiles
• A "Use it or Loss It" Approach to off-shore Drilling Leases
• Promote the Responsible Domestic Production of Oil and Natural Gas
• Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
• Establish a National Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
• Require 10 Percent of Electricity to Come from Renewable Sources by 2012
• Rally the World to Stop Global Warming
• Bring Responsibility and Values to Our Classrooms
• Invest in Zero-to-Five Early Childhood Education
• Improve Accountability and Reform No Child Left Behind
• Recruit, Prepare, Retain, and Reward America's Teachers.
• Support School Principals
• Encourage Additional Learning Time
• Reduce High School Dropout Rate
• Double Funding for After-School Opportunities
• Make College Affordable for Everyone
• Expand Opportunities for Lifelong Learning
• Deploy the Next-Generation Broadband
• Protect the Openness of the Internet
• Safeguard Privacy
• Double Federal Funding for Basic Scientific Research
• Advance Stem Cell Research
• Upgrade Math and Science Education
• Appoint a National Chief Technology Officer
• Reform the Patent System
• Create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank
• Improve and Modernize Air Traffic Control
• Strengthen Airline Safety and Regulations
• Support Rural Economic Development
• Spur Regional Economic Growth
• Invent in Next-Generation Manufacturing Innovation
• Convert Our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders
• Open Up Foreign Markets to Support Good American Jobs
• Help Workers Displaced by Trade and Globalization
• End Tax Breaks for Companies that Send Jobs Overseas
• Reward Companies that Invest in America
• Strengthen Trade Enforcement to Protect American Jobs
• Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement
• End the War in Iraq Responsibly
• Begin a Responsible, Phased Withdrawal from Iraq
• Launch a Diplomatic Surge to Iraq's Neighbors
• Prevent a Humanitarian Crisis
• Focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan
• Redeploy American Troops to Afghanistan
• Strengthen NATO's Hand in Afghanistan
• Train and Equip the Afghan Army and Police
• Increase Nonmilitary Aid to Afghanistan by 1 Billion
• Demand more from the Pakistani Government
• Stand with the Pakistani People
• Work with Our Allies to Fight Terrorism
• Launch a Public Diplomacy Effort
• Restore America's Moral Authority
• Prevent Bio terrorist Attacks
• Build Our Ability to Respond to a Bio terrorist Attack
• Harden our Cyber infrastructure
• Strengthen Homeland Security
• Increase the Size of Our Ground Forces
• Guarantee our Ground Forces Have the Proper Training for New Challenges
• Fully Equip Our Troops for the Missions They Face
• Reconfigure the Military to handle new threats
• Preserve America's Global Reach in the Air
• Maintain American Naval Dominance
• Ensure Freedom of Space
• Support our Armed Forces in the Field
• Improve Our Intelligence Efforts
• Restore the Readiness of the National Guard and Reserves
• Fully fund Veterans' Medical Care
• Improve Access to and Quality of Veterans' Medical Care
• Improve Mental Health Care
• Improve Transition Services for Returning Veterans
  
• Combat Homelessness Among Our Nation's Veterans
• Lift the Onerous Burdens on Our Troops and Their Families
• Expand Family Medical Leave to Cover Reserve Families Facing Deployment
• Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination
• Prevent Iran from Becoming a Nuclear Power
• Eliminate North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Programs
• End our Long Time Dependence on Foreign Oil
• Restructure Our Government to Meet 21st century Challenges
• Practice Tough Diplomacy
• Strengthen America's Partnerships and Alliances
• Rally the World to Stop Global Warming
• Double Foreign Assistance to $50 Billion
• Aim to Cut Extreme Poverty in Half by 2015
• Fight Corruption
• Eliminate the Global Education Deficit
• Lead the Effort to Combat HIV/Aids Tuberculosis and Malaria
• Provide Sustainable Debt Relief to Developing Countries
• Achieve a World of Capable, Democratic States
• Restore Trust in Government and Clean up Washington
• Expand Americorps
• Double the size of the Peace Corps
• Expand our all-volunteer Military to Meet Current Needs
• Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation's Public Schools
• Offer $4,000 Toward a College Education in Exchange for Hours of Service
• Partner with Communities of Faith
• Strengthen Families
• Close Pay Gap for Women
• Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement
• End Racial Profiling
• Protect the Right to Vote
• Prevent Violence Against Women
• Empower Americans with Disabilities
• Prevent Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation
• Enforce the Federal Government's Obligations to Native Americans
• Secure our Borders
• Crack Down on Employers That Hire Undocumented Immigrants
• Reform our Immigration System
• Honor Our Immigrant Troops
• Fight for Clean Air
• Clean up our Water
  
• Restore Wetlands
• Help the West Meet Its Water Demands
• Reduce Health Risks Caused by Mercury Pollution
• Protect Children and Families from Lead Poisoning
• Make Polluters Pay
• Fight for Environmental Justice
• Protect the Second Amendment
• Expand Access to Places to Hunt, Fish, Camp and Hike
• Preserve the Habitats that Sportsmen Enjoy
• Conserve Our National Parks and Forests
• Put 50,000 More Police Officers on the Beat
• Crack Down on Drugs and Gangs
• Take Back Neighborhoods from Drugs
• End the Dangerous Cycle of Youth Violence
• Keep Drugs off of America's Streets
• Stop Repeat Offenders
• Recruit More Neighborhood Prosecutors
• Guarantee the Rights of Victims
• Register ad Restrict Sex Offenders
• Protect Out Children Online
  

And actually much much more wonderful absolutely noble home-of-the-free land-of-the-brave corp-to-the-spirit-of America action items. If this man can do this all in 4 years, he is super man. Better elect him for at least 2 terms. It is no wonder the people who love Barrack REALLY REALLY love him.

Of course what struck me as I listened to all this is how the hell are we going to pay for this? Well, don't you worry. I don't expect you to remember the whole list, but one of his items is "Pay for All Proposals and Cut the Deficit". I am sure if he did not have a way to pay for all this expensive stuff he would not claim to be able to cut the deficit. He even gives details: "Cut Spending and Reduce Government Waste". Based on the list, I am not sure how it is at all possible that spending is going down. There is a lot of government waste, so I am sure he is fine there. And, of course, as President he has complete control to eliminate wasteful spending. I'm sure as a Senator, he was never took part in Governmental waste himself. Boy, it is too bad George Bush never thought to reduce waste. Barrack better hope McCain does not get hold of his book and figure out that maybe he too could reduce waste.

By the way, I am being sarcastic. Yes there is a bunch of governmental waste, but 90% of the items on the list are adding more (much much) more to the government than is already there. The more you add, I personally think the more waste you are going to add on. So, I do not think paying for all his programs with the money we are saving from "waste" is going to happen.

Luckily, he provides a couple more ways to pay for all this:

"Eliminate Special Tax Breaks for Corporations" and "Make Oil Companies Share in the Sacrifice".

Well, not to sound too Republican, but Corporations provide jobs. A lot of corporations are already cutting head count because they are need to cut spending to stay in business. By getting rid of tax breaks, many corporations will have to cut more jobs and therefore lower governmental revenue potential at the same time you are putting additional burden on Mr. Obama's unemployment system.

Even so, let's assume no jobs will be lost because tax breaks are gone for corporations. Cutting governmental waste and adding in what you can get back from corporations is not going to pay for everything. Did you see the list? I am sure big oil has tons of money to help out, but you know every penny big oil is able to pass along to consumers, it will. I guess I am all for oil companies helping out, but I do not see a lot of potential there either.

The other way Obama proposed to help pay for his extra governmental programs is something he says a lot in the book. People (families) earning more than $250,000 a year will be taxed more. Well, actually, he never really comes out and says that people earning over $250,000 will be taxed more. What he says is no one making under $250,000 per year will be taxed more. To me, it is pretty obvious that he is expecting to tax the HELL out of the "wealthy". Personally, my family income is not quite at that level. One thing I wonder though, is if there is not enough to be made increasing taxes on those over $250,000, how far down will he end up having to try to go? If those who make all that much money can give away so much, what about people like me who have never made a huge salary, but saved responsibly and accumulated wealth by foregoing expensive toys and vacations etc... I probably have more in savings than lots of those who make tons every year but spend it away on their expensive cars and stuff. Why not tax me more?

Again, at the risk of sounding too Republican, I am afraid singling out "wealthy" people as somehow not participating enough up until now and therefore due to pay more than their share is a dangerous concept.

By the way, I was kidding about the "Osama Bin Laden" thing, but honestly, didn't he have some sort of advisor who at least brought up the question: "Hey Barrack, do you think Obama / Liden is really what you want on campaign buttons?"

And, I am not saying that I am not voting for Barrack Obama. Truth be told, I have not decided, because there are things I hate about McCain as well. I looked at all the main independent choices today and was not all that impressed with any of them either. Let's face it, I just hate all politicians.

The beauty of this country (one one of the many beauties) , of course, is at least we have a choice. And it is probably a better choice than most countries have. Neither candidate will destroy the country. Whoever gets this presidency will probably get credit for the economic recovery that will most - likely start to happen. That is how things go: the economy goes bad, it gets better. The economy booms and then busts and then recovers.

My opinion is that Barrack Obama will just bury McCain in the election and become the next president of our country. He has a bunch of great things on his list. There is no way he is going to be able to accomplish everything on the list. I just hope he along with his advisers and other leaders he chooses the right ones to implement.

And I will say this for Obama, at least he took the time to write a book like this. I wish I could find one by McCain. Maybe I just missed it.

Lattes

Hello my name is Eric and I am addicted to Venti Vanilla Non-Fat Lattes.

I am ashamed to say it but I am addicted. Anyone who pays $4.00 for a coffee is an idiot. Well, I guess, I am not very smart. To be fair, it is $3.89, not $4.00, so I guess I am 11 cents less stupid than originally portrayed. AND, I only purchase these with my company credit card on my way to a client or while talking business with an associate, so these are tax deductible. In a way the government is subsidizing my addiction.

It started out innocently enough, but that does not really matter. An addiction is an addiction. I just hope my wife never finds out. She would be so disappointed in me.

At least I have plenty of company. Starbucks is ridiculously popular. There are shops all around and even so they are packed. It is bad enough to pay almost $4 for a coffee, but to pay $4 and to have to wait is even worse. Only idiots would do it.

Anyway, someday I will kick the addiction. Or maybe I won't. Either way, It probably will not destroy my life. But, the shame of it all certainly will not be easy to live with.