Guard Dog

I miss Triumph!

Either of them would get my vote. The GOP picked the wrong cause for the right fight. If this was over the reckless spending levels of the last thirteen years I'm all for it. The US cannot outspend it's revenue in perpetuity. Sooner or later the total collapse will come. Why do you guys think real assets are so overpriced right now? But they staked out this fight over defunding Obamacare. And while I wish that could happen this was not the way to go about it. Obamacare is and will be an unmitigated disaster that everyone will hate before it is all done. But it was legally passed and lawfully upheld. Just get out of it's way and let if be the disaster it can't help but be. The only thing I think they should have insisted on is a provision that forces Congress and it's staff to participate in it without subsidy. After all if it's so ****ing great why did they exempt themselves from it. Where's my exemption? The way the government has been operating for the five years Obama has been in office is nothing short of disgraceful. There has not been a budget in his entire presidency. Instead they have funded the government through continuing resolutions that hold no one to account for where money is spent or how much. and when they run out they just raise the debt ceiling and pass another CR. This will only end one way. I'd prefer to get on with it so it will be over quicker. But that won't happen. The GOP will cave in, give the left everything it wants in return for a few unenforceable promises of future cuts, or more accurately reductions in the rate of growth. none of that will happen either and we will speed on along towards the inevitable.

It could be both good and bad. The company we completed the Simon Mall project has made an offer to buy our company. We're still discussing it. I'm inclined to turn it down because we are really moving now. we have 17 active projects and bids on more. Were profitable now. To do that within two years of a start up is both exciting and more than a little lucky. But some of our partners are what you'd call venture capitalists and are ready to move on to other things. I'd like to keep this going and I love the work.

Oh I'd love to. It would be the biggest one yet. But we may be out of this business before I get the chance

You gotta love the tension in a game like that 1

There is more than enough revenue to service the debt. This whole thing is just political theatre. Just look at it like a big monkey feces fight. The only way anything will actually happen if if the president chooses to let it happen

Holy CRAP! You're right!

Doritos. I like Doritos.

I spent the day reviewing a new job bid and finalizing design on the Louisville airport project. Now I'm going to veg out watching animal shows on the Smithsonian channel before baseball comes on.

That comes from my method acting. Hmmmm, would a chainsaw be better than an axe?

Whatever they are cooking at the VFW for Monday Night Football.

Video games of course! Especially if they require some eye hand coordination. Don't even both with the TV. There is nothing on and you'd get nothing out of it anyway.

Did you guys see Texans fans were cheering when Schuab got hurt? I guess that's no surprise since they were harassing him in his home last week.

That Pats comeback was beyond belief. After the interception I flipped over to the 49ers/Cards game. Then had to hurry back when they reported the Pats were driving with 30 seconds to go. Tampa is just in ruins. Schiano was a terrible hire, the organization is literally eating itself and now staph bacteria is literally eating the players. If that pirate ship in the stadium were real it would be sinking right now. I don't see a way out of this other than blowing the whole thing up and starting over with a new coach, staff and GM.

Sounds like a great trip. Did you dive at the back wall of Molokini Crater? They would only let divers with the basic certification do 60-40 dives so that meant no wall dives. But we went to Na Poli where she did her basic open water dives. They let me and a few other friends/spouses who were already certified come along with the class. Then we went to a site they called The Rockets for the second dive. Then the next day we went to Mana Crack which is a huge reef with a 70' cut through the middle. Beautiful, just beautiful. When we got home I showed her some pictures I took at Ginnie Springs & Pea**** Slough in Florida and she is jazzed about seeing those in person. Hmmmm sounds like a fun honeymoon idea actually.

I just put a beef brisket in the smoker. I was thinking of boiling some potatoes for salad and some bacon wrapped asparagus. Then maybe some cinnamon iced biscuits for dessert. Obviously I won't be dining alone tonight! Plus I know what I'm having for lunch and probably dinner tomorrow... leftovers!

The best hangover cure is some hair of the dog. Whatever you were last drinking, have a bit more. I used to start my day with an ice cold beer with some fresh lemon juice squeezed in it for hangovers.

The will only go as far as Gasol, Randolf, & Miller can take them. And those guys are not young. Injuries will dictate how the season plays out since they don't have a deep bench. But if they stay relatively healthy they'll make some noise.

Wow, what a tight game last night. That is a huge win for the Cards.

I'm coming to a point in life where I believe that organized religion and belief in and love for God are two entirely different things that are, at best, only tangentially related.

Hey Pixies, how the heck are you?. Nice to see you back around.

The Grizzlies are bringing back their starting 5 with a few modest free agent pick ups. I'm expecting a winning record but a deep playoff run seems like a long shot. But, please... please... no Heat this year!

I like both of the match ups. I really don't have a team to root for at all so I'm just an interested observer on this one. I think the Sox will get past the Tigers just on their hitting alone. For the Cards it is imperative that they put the Dodgers in a hole right away. LA has shown a tendency to implode when things are not going well. But if you let them get ahead, they STAY ahead.

Didn't that award lose all credibility when they gave it to Arafat? Heck why even pay it any mind afterwards.

Thank you everyone. It was a FANTASTIC trip. Anyone who goes to Hawaii and only sees Maui or Oahu is missing out. The small islands are the best part of that state. We didn't do a lot of the touristy stuff, we just explored on our own. We went to Fern Grotto, went swimming in the waterfalls at Alakai. Steph got scuba certified and we went diving twice, she LOVED it. I hadn't been diving since I moved away from Florida. We watched Games 3 & 4 of the Rays/Red Sox series from the beach lounge in the resort with a couple from Lowell MA. Obviously that didn't turn out well but I got over it quick. Finally on Wednesday night we were going to go out for dinner but ended up just ordering room service and sitting on the beach outside the villa and I figured that was the best time to do it so I just told her I had one last birthday present for her, gave the ring and just asked. I think it really surprised her. But she said yes right away. One thing struck me on the way home. Most of you know the story but I was in a bad car accident a few years ago. It completely screwed up my life. For the most part that is history now but if it wasn't for that I'd never have met Stephanie. I don't know if I'd go so far to say that some things are "meant" to happen or that we have some kind of preordained destiny. But sometimes it's hard to dismiss that notion too.