Skeptical Guide To Optimism

Yes, I have failed at my weekly writing goal.  I have been busy with a new position at work and all of the happenings in our life.  Excuses, excuses.

First things first – Have you checked your IRA/401k lately?  Holy cow!  I don’t think I should have done that.  now I am a little worried about the drop I have experienced.  I think the recent drop in the stock market may cause me to work into my 60’s. 

We had a couple of friends over to watch the VP debate last night.  I was both surprised and impressed that Biden didn’t go for the jugular and tear Palin to shreds.   He attacked McCain but was overall very easy on Palin.  In my opinion, Palin exceeded expectations.  Biden was solid as well. 

Our debate watching group did agree that it was pretty darn cute when Palin winked at the camera.  That will get her ticket quite a few votes. 

Two key items that I really disagree with from the debate:

• Palin stated that we do not need to worry about the cause of global warming and that man isn’t the biggest contributor of the destruction of our environment. Instead we should all ban together to clean up the planet.  According to Palin, the main cause is the cyclical waves of temperature rise and fall that we experience ever few thousand years.  I call bullshit on this one.  Man is making a huge impact on the environment.  Period.  It is pointless to clean up the environment without knowing the cause.  And it is also ignorant to think that man is not destroying Earth.
• Biden stated that he and Obama support an initiative that would allow bankruptcy courts to lower interest rates and the overall principle on “bad” mortgages.  I also call bullshit on this one.  I personally know people that earn just over $40,000 a year and have gone ahead with a purchase of a $350,000 home.  If they did not have a car payment, the need to eat or the desire to have electricity in their house, they just might be able to afford their mortgage.  After struggling to meet their mortgage, they foreclosed.  This foreclosure was THEIR FAULT.  They should have known that they were buying more house than they could afford and no bankruptcy court should adjust the principle so that they could stay in the home that they could never afford in the first place.  Jenn and I were approved for a loan three times the amount of our purchase price.  We could have purchased a McMansion but at the end of the day we knew we had to buy a house that we could actually make the payment on.  People should actually READ their closing documents to know what they are getting into.  If a predatory lender did not show them the proper documentation then shame on them.  But if people just bought the fancy house without considering the repercussions, too bad. 

Biden and Palin are both “tolerant” of the gays while still opposing gay marriage.  I am tolerant of many things in my life including:  Phoenix traffic, summer heat, paying taxes, people that do not know the difference between their, there and they’re, etc.  Tolerance is a tricky thing.  It isn’t a like or dislike.  Tolerance isn’t support of something.  I do not need may relationship labeled as a marriage but I do need equal rights that married couples receive.  I am tolerant of calling it something other than marriage – I really don’t care what it is called.  I hope and pray that the next president gives consenting adults in committed relationships some legal rights and protections. 

On a happy ending note, I really want to see Rachel Getting Married this weekend.  Anne Hathaway is one of my favorites!