Lura is SIX!

We had a birthday party for Lura today. She will be six tomorrow.


She cleaned up on Barbie--Mariposa Barbie from Grandma and 3 Fairytopia Barbies from Grandpa, along with a DVD of the Fairytopia movie.

Sam and Ammon pooled money they'd earned on their paper route to get her a My Little Pony set.
Grandpa and Grandma from Ohio couldn't be there, but sent a great looking coat, very warm with heart buttons

Uncle David and Aunt Wendy were at the party and so were Uncle Gary and Aunt Sarah (accompanied by Murray), Grandma and Grandpa. Gary and Sarah came up with cash (which is just as good as money). David and Wendy are paying for another year of riding lessons, which Lura just loves. We ate some great sandwiches and then cake and ice cream.

All in all, a great party.

IMPORTANT LETTER PLEASSE HELP

This letter, which I got from another website, pretty much sums up my thoughts on bailing out Wall Street. These are the guys who are always complaining (or, in the words of Senator Gramm, whining) that middle class Americans don't have their houses in order. They're the literati of the world of finance. We just don't understand these complex things. Now they need our $700 Billion to rescue them from their greed and incompetence. And we're supposed to trust a minion of the most incompetent, dishonest, greedy and manipulative government in the history of USA with all this money, no questions asked. That's $2300 for every man, woman and child in the country. I may have fallen off the turnip truck, but I didn't land on my head.

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson

Estee Lauder Politics

Last weekend it was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, now, we have Wall Street continuing to collapse, with Lehman Brothers seemingly bankrupt, Merrill-Lynch needing to be sold to someone so they can avoid that fate, and Washington Mutual endangered. We found out that we're importing tainted baby formula from China. Hurricane Ike has brought back $4 gas (what a surprise, a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico). Unemployment continues high and foreclosures have set another new single month record. American casualties mount in Afghanistan and we have illegally invaded Pakistan, a nation we've in the past described as a critical ally in our so-called "War on Terror". And the debate among TV's talking heads? Makeup on farm animals. This nation is descending into idiocy.

In the prior post about Governor Palin, I removed the statement that she was a supporter of Buchanan in 2000, as it seems she actually supported Steve Forbes, and I clarified that she has been associated with the AIP, but has not been a member. Her greeting to their convention as Governor was way to friendly and First Dude Todd is a member, but she's been a faithful Republican since 1982. I apologize for the errors.

On trying to get her brother-in-law fired, this is a high school civics issue. You don't use public office for private gain or to further your private interests. When you're a public office holder and you run into an issue that involves your private interests, you recuse yourself to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest. The personal failings of the individual in question are not an issue. For all I know he's a terrible police officer who should be fired. It doesn't matter. These things should be handled in a manner consistent with law. Ms Palin appears, instead, to view holding public office as an opportunity for personal aggrandizement and for the settling of personal scores. It is exactly that separation that distinguishes our Constitutional form of government, in which power and authority are vested in an office and incidentally in an office holder, from a monarchy, in which power and authority are held by an individual as an individual. For the Latter-day Saint readers, I would refer you to the 121st section of the D&C.

I would expect any conservative to be appalled by her actions. These are the kinds of things that have marked the Bush administration's most significant failings, the belief that the President is above the law (as one of his spokesmen said "the President is always right") and that public office is an invitation to pillage the public purse (Halliburton). We're a government of laws and not of men. The growth of police powers and their partisan use--as exemplified by Justice Department officials asking political and religious questions of would-be attorneys--is a shockingly inappropriate use of power. If you're a Republican (or if you won't admit you're a Republican and you're a "conservative") just imagine what you'd think if similar questions are asked in an Obama administration.

McCain-Palin

Gotta love this!

Mariners ALERT!

It appears that Lukas has been paying attention this year, and wishes to offer a critique of the season.

I think he makes a good point.

Lukas at the Ball Game

What a day! Lukas, along with Becky and Mike and Grandpa, took in a late season game at Safeco Field. The Mariners, from time to time, have a peanut-free seating area and we took advantage of that to go out to the ballpark on a perfect late Summer evening. Well, let's call it potentially perfect, the Mariners-after a very nice series against NY-reverted to their usual form today, which ruined that aspect of the outing. But, the game started out with all of us getting free Ichiro tee shirts! Before the end, Lukas told Becky he was having a great time. He endured a pretzel (not shown), blue cotton candy and a foot long hot dog and left the game happy, if on somewhat of a sugar high.

OK, One more break for politics

No promises that this is the last one, but I'll try to control myself.

I would say that recklessness is not a quality I would want in a President. I think Mr. McCain has demonstrated breathtaking recklessness.

To me, it is reckless to nominate as Vice President someone who has not been vetted, someone who is not broadly known to the American people and someone who has major questions of political judgment.

This woman was associated with a secessionist party--the Alaska Independence Party! The last time a secessionist ran for office in the USA was 1860! That coincides nicely with her first statement when her nomination was announced, that she had to consider what she could do for Alaska as Vice President. UMMM, attention please, the office is Vice President of the United States (all of them), not VP for Alaska.

Then there is the issue of possibly firing a state official who would not fire her ex-brother-in-law as a state trooper. If true, this kind of personal use of official power is exactly the kind of stuff that has been the worst aspect of the current administration.

Can anyone seriously tell me that out of all the Republican office holders, this is the person most qualified to be President of the United States? Until Friday, had anyone even of thought the possibility that she could be POTUS?

We cannot afford to have another (thank you Sue/Ray) reckless, thoughtless, shoot-from-the-hip President!