Author's Posts

Have you ever taken a trip and as you were coming back home, you realized that it would be x number of months before you next trip? Well, it happened to us and somewhere along the way, we started changing our plans.

Instead of taking a trip and coming home to nothing planned, we started planning our next trip before we left for the first trip. Makes sense, right?

Well, changing our thought process changed our thinking on trips too. Now, as we returned home yesterday from a long weekend, we were not focused on returning to work, instead we were focused on our next trip. Where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.

Sometimes, it is all about the next trip in life.

Read more

The day after the election. Where to begin?

Shocked. Frustrated. Disappointed. Those are just a few of the nice and clean words that I can use today, the day after the election.

You see, this election changes a lot of things, it changes the way that campaigns will be run going forward. The demographics have changed. Target audiences have changed. The amount needed to run a campaign set a new bar to achieve.

But you have to also look at the bigger picture too. What does this mean for families? Are the Bush tax credits going to be renewed? The President said no, so what does that mean for families? For me, at the minimum, it means an increase of about $5,000 in new taxes. But what else? There will be a new tax levied when we put our house no the market next year now.  But what don’t we know is what really bothers me.

A close friend of mine told me that “Love” won last night. And I told him that I didn’t agree. I told him that the middle class lost last night, and especially families of the middle class. And when I explained why, his first statement was, “I didn’t realize that would effect you”. That is right, he didn’t bother to look to see and learn what he was voting for. But, he got his “Love” vote.

So today, the day after the election, I sit discouraged and frustrated. Not that Mitt Romney lost, but that a new route this country is taking. Unemployment is at record highs (I’ve discussed how the numbers on this are wrong and that the real rate of Unemployment is double what is reported), dependency on the State and Federal Government is at all time record highs, and companies that were hoping to hire more people, are at risk of shutting down.

So what do I tell my sons? How do I tell them that the elections are about the future and right direction?  I am lucky, my sons will not understand politics for a while and I hope, that in the next 4 years, that things get better. I have my doubts though.

So today, I am. I am shocked. I am beyond frustrated. And I don’t know if disappointed is even the right word to used today, the day after the election.

 

Read more

Every 2 years we go through Election Night, but every 4 years, the Election Night means more and tonight is no different. For the last several months, I spent a lot of time watching polls, reading articles, and talking with others about what they thought about the upcoming elections and most were either excited, frustrated or feed-up with the elections.  And with the staggering figure of over $2 Billion dollars has been spent to get either Governor Mitt Romney elected or our current President, President Obama re-elected. That’s right, over $2 Billion dollars.

So tonight, I as many other American’s are sitting down and waiting on the results for our next President.  However, will we know for sure who our next President will be? Will this be another hanging chad election? Or, will this be an election of change and thus a landslide, similar to 2008 when President Obama was elected?

Tonight, I too will be glued into the tv, yes, I will be watching Fox News for those of my friends that are reading this and have any doubts. It will be probably a late night for me, but there are a few key states that I’ll be watching for:

  • Florida
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Iowa
  • and the all important Pennsylvania

If Governor Mitt Romney were to secure wins in each of these states, he will be our next President. However, if President Obama is able to win both Pennsylvania and Ohio, then he will retain the Presidency for another 4 years. And, depending on polls, this race could go down to either Ohio or Pennsylvania this year and if Pennsylvania is the decider, then it is really down to 1 county.

So here are 4 major insights into tonight’s Election Results and why I think that Governor Mitt Romney will win:

  • No incumbent has ever won re-election with a polling under 50% with 3 days before the election.
    – The President is currently polling at 47%
  • This is the highest unemployment for incumbent since FDR.
    – The current unemployment rate is at 7.9%
  • The young voters are not as engaged and supportive of the President as they were in 2008.
  • When factoring in Independent votes, Romney leads in the majority of the polls.

So, as election night comes to an end, we should/hopefully will know who our next President will be, but I stick to my guess of 300+ Electoral votes. Tomorrow I’ll post a day after review of the election and what my overall thoughts are from election night.

 

Read more

Every four years, the night before the Presidential election, Election Eve, I follow a tradition. I read over polls, one last time. I have steak and baked potato, and 2 Shiner Bock beers. Why? I don’t have the first clue, but it is the tradition that I have started for Election Eve. Tonight, is like my Christmas Eve, except, I don’t leave milk and cookies out for Santa.

Both candidates have run, and I think that most would agree, respectable campaigns. Yes, there has been mudslinging, but tell me a campaign in the last 20 years that has not had that? The money spent on this Presidential election is astronomical, but at the same time, welcome to the new way of running a campaign.

So tonight, as both candidates go to sleep, all they can now do is wait.  I know that I’ll be watching for returns as often as I can, and tomorrow night, though I do think that we will have a clear winner tomorrow night, it might go on until late in the evening. So with that, I bid you all a good Election Eve and stay tuned for tomorrow.

Happy Election Eve to all and to all a good night.

 

Read more

As the cleanup begins from Hurricane Sandy, I am reminded of how lucky we truly are.  We were very fortunate to come away with only water damage and never lost power. As I watched the storm on the news make landfall and effect other parts of the east coast, I begin to realize that even though we were put out because of the storm, we could have experienced much more damage than we did.

So tonight, as you eat dinner, watch tv, enjoy a shower, take a moment and think about those that were effected by Hurricane Sandy and what they are going through.

Read more

I was thinking about my days in Texas and how when a hurricane would approach, our supplies were: Beer, propane for the grill, ice, meat and ammo (just in case). Now with Hurricane Sandy heading this way, my planning changed for preparations.

This time, it was less beer, more food for the boys. Amazing how your priorities change.

So as Hurricane Sandy hits the east coast, be safe and be smart.

Read more

I remember growing up as a child and always trying to find the coolest costume for Halloween. But usually, I ended up dressing as a solider the majority of the time because it was easy to do. This year, we decided to take the boys to our old church for trunk or treat. The boys were dressed as monsters from the movie, Monsters, Inc. And I have to say, that for the first time that they dressed up as characters, they did a great job.

Remember to be safe with your kids this year at Halloween. There are a lot of pranks going on and there seems to be more and more people getting into trouble this time of year.

 

Read more

Here we are, the morning after the last presidential debate and a few things stood out for me.

  • The President had to come off strong and on the offensive – I think that he did a good job of creating a separation of his views, versus Mitt Romney. However, there were a few times, that his body language appeared to be harsh and tough. So I don’t know how that will play with the women voters?
  • Mitt Romney had to come off knowledgeable about foreign policy and matters over seas. He had to be able to command the conversation and get his points across. – I think that he did this, however, he often agreed with the President too much. I was glad to see that he did give the President credit for going after Bin Laden and that when the President tried to draw him into a discussion on Libya, that he refrained from a heated argument.
  • The President had to lay out a plan for the future and the next 4 years, if he were re-elected. – I did not really hear him do this, but that has kind of been the status thus far in either the campaigns or the presidential debates.
  • Mitt Romney had to work in the economy and drive home the message about the last four years – I think that he did a really good job with this and that the voters are understanding that yes, the President inherited a mess, but that policies that the President has put forth have only caused more problems.
  • Both the President and Mitt Romney needed to really reach Independent voters and women. – My personal opinion is that Mitt Romney remained focus and calm and focused on the issues.

We are now 14 days away from the election. Early voting has already started in multiple states. So did last nights Presidential debate matter? Maybe? I think that 3 Presidential debates might be too many, because early viewing numbers are lower than the last debate.  All in all, I don’t know how many people walked away with learning something new last night? But in 14 days, all of this will be over, we hope.

Read more

Don’t forget to tune in tonight to the final Presidential Debate, here is the information on the debate:

Topic: Foreign policy
Air Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida (Tickets)
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney
Moderator: Bob Schieffer (Host of Face the Nation on CBS)

As always, I’ll provide some type of remarks following the debate.   But, now that we are within 2 weeks of the election, this Presidential Debate may prove to be the deciding factor for many undecided voters. Many states have already started allow voters to participate in early voting, but there are still a great number of citizens that are not sure who best represents them and their views.

If you are able to vote, please do your duty as a citizen and voter and take a few minutes out of your daily schedule to vote. It is important and regardless of your political views, your voice matters.

Read more

Part of growing up and learning about life, is that sometimes you lose. Whether it is an argument, sports, etc.

Some days, life really stinks. I know that as a baseball fan, the way that the Yankees played really made me scratch my head. I’ve never seen a more overrated and under achieving team before in my entire life. And at the end of a 4 game sweep, I just tell my kids that sometimes you lose, just like the Yankees did.

Life isn’t going to always be fair. But if you work hard, do what is right and always be true to both yourself and your family and friends, I believe that you don’t quite lose as much.

Read more