Wow... some REAL questions for the Obama campaign!

These are the real questions that should be asked of the candidates.  Bravo to WFTV for this interview with Joe Biden.  See if you can count how many lies come out of Senator Biden's mouth in less than 5 minutes:

Gadget Recommendation: Eye-Fi SD Card

Ok kids, if you know me, you are aware of the fact that I am a big technology / gadget guy, so you shouldn't be surprised to see tech recommendations on my site from time to time.  So here's a little technological marvel that will save you all kinds of time and can help you update photos on your blog / website a lot more regularly:

If you have a digital camera that takes an SD memory card, and you have a wireless network at home, I highly recommend that you look into one of these cards.  Basically, these cards have an antenna built into them that will wirelessly transmit your pictures to the destination of your choice.  There are three different cards, each with different capabilities:

• Eye-Fi Home (Blue)
• Will wirelessly transmit the pictures from your camera to a folder that you designate on your computer.  Take your pictures just as you normally would and when your camera comes within 45 feet of your wireless network, the pictures will be copied to your computer.
• $79 on Amazon 

• Eye-Fi Share (Green)
• Same as the version above, but it can also upload automatically to a photo sharing site that you have an account with (some are free).  Supported Sites 
• I have this one and it is awesome.  I use it with Phanfare and set it to put the pictures in a private folder.  Check it out.  All I have to do is go on and move the ones I like to a public folder.  I never kept our site updated until I got this.  Sooo much easier.
• $87 on Amazon  (Note that the one at Amazon is orange but has the same features)

• Eye-Fi Explore (Red)
• Has all of the features mentioned above, but also can upload from 10,000 other wireless hotspots around the world (not just your home network.)  Another feature is geo-tagging, which captures where you were when you took the picture and saves it as part of the file.
• $117 on Amazon 

I recommend the second one, here's a diagram that illustrates how it works.  Don't worry, these are secure.  You don't have to worry about you pictures going to anyone else.  Each card has to be configured on the computer that the photos are going to.  The setup process is fast and easy.  I have to admit that this was one of those "gifts" that I got Allison, but it was really for me.  (Geek factor took over).  Thankfully, it ended up ok... she LOVES it!

ALL of my thoughts about the bailout bill...

Okay boys and girls...

I want to encourage you to call your U.S. Representative about the bailout vote that will be taking place on Friday.  Here are some details that you might not know about:

• You and I will be on the hook for up to $700 billion, to purchase bad mortgage securities from companies on the verge of collapse.
• $700 billion = $10,000 / household in America.  Of course we can't pay it all right now, so we will just print money to pay for it, which means that the dollars in your pocket will be worth quite a bit less.  Hello $6 milk!
• Companies who get "bailed out" will become partially owned by the U.S. government.  Our founding fathers would have a stroke!
• "Experts" say that the "taxpayers" will make a profit off of this deal.  Do you really believe that you will ever see a single penny of that money when (if) it is paid back?  More likely, the "profit" will go to fund some great government venture like universal health care, or a bailout of another industry like airlines.
• This mess all started back in the 1970's when President Carter signed a bill that required lending institutions to lend money to people who couldn't afford it.  You're wondering why they would do this...  It is called, "affordable housing."  People who get people into their own house (even if they can't afford it) tend to get more votes.  The Clinton administration expanded this program and accelerated the problem by publicly threatening banks who did not make these risky loans, with tough fines.  Also, banks wanting to merge with one another would both have to prove that they made these risky loans, "to help Americans have affordable housing."
• The problems we see today are the fruit of seeds that were sewn many years ago.  Bottom line:  Government disrupted the natural balance of the free market through regulations, and now they want to be the ones to "fix" the problem through more regulation and with a huge pile of money that will decrease the value of your money and mine.

I think we really are in a big mess and something has to happen.  I have a huge problem with giving up on capitalism, blaming this on "greedy" Wall Street, and saddling my grandkids with this debt.  Five weeks before an election, we are told that we have two options:

1)  We all die

2)  Fix the problem with THIS bailout plan

Someone accurately described the bill that failed in the House of Representatives as a "crap sandwich."  So what the Senate did was take the same "crap sandwich" and put cheese whiz on it.  This new bill is just as terrible as the first, but now it has extra stuff in it that they think will keep people from losing their seats in Congress in the upcoming election.  This new bill isn't about the addressing the concerns of the people.  It's about staying in office.  I want my leaders to have some principles about the role of government and stick to them.

If this situation is truly as bad as they say it is, why can't the government agree to slash their spending, cut taxes on companies, roll-back some of the new accounting rules that make things look worse than they really are on a company's balance sheet, and watch our economy take off?  ...POWER!  A good chunk of our leaders have no desire to see the government get smaller, because it means less power for them.  They are not where they are to serve the people, but rather to be in power.  Tomorrow, our nation will likely turn a corner that we will soon regret.  Unfortunately, I don't know that we will ever get back what will be lost if we do that.

If you are of the same mind as I am, please call your representative to tell them how you feel about this.  I've never been as much of an activist as I am today, but I've also never felt less represented.

Lookup your representative here!

Just showing off the ladies in my life...

Writing my representative

Representative Boozman:

I am writing to voice my displeasure with your recent vote on the economic bailout bill. There are conservative solutions to the issues that our nation is facing. Why not propose a cut in corporate or capital gains taxes, along with federal budget cuts in order to provide the needed liquidity to our economy?

Frankly, I think that the problems we are experiencing today are a direct result of Washington interfering with the free market, and today we are sliding ever closer to a socialist state because of it.

Please do not compromise on our conservative values.

Thank you,
David Bellomy

___________________________________________________

I don't know where you stand on the bailout, but either way, I encourage you to voice your opinion here to your representative in Washington.  Remember... THEY WORK FOR US!

Common Sense

First of all, I'd like to send a shout out to all of my comment homies up in the hood! One of you mentioned that the addition of Sarah Palin has prompted you (as a woman) to get involved in your local government.  Way to go!  The sudden popularity of Gov. Palin has confirmed in my mind something that I have long suspected...  The average American citizen can do a better job running this country than the career politicians in Washington.  Could you imagine what common sense in the White House, Congress, and our court system would do for our nation?  Political elites have long distanced themselves as the "governing class."  My hope is that normal folks around this country will start rising up to answer the call to public service and affect REAL change from the local level - all the way to the Federal level.  I certainly have had the thought of getting involved, myself.

Palin Article

Ran across a great article on Sarah Palin.  Check it out!