Facebook: Work? What work?

Yet again, I have managed to be absent from this blog for entirely too long, but hey! There's past stuff on here that's still a good read!

Anyhow, to anyone that finds me from Facebook, this is my blog. It is my bullhorn to the world, where I get to vent and brag and boast and yell and various other things because my opinion is just SOOOOOO important. ;)

One of these days I hope to return to work and actually accomplish something. Thank God duty pulls me out of the office so I can get off the stinkin' computer!

Anyhow, surf and enjoy... or not. I'll be back again soon to tell all the Obama voters "I told ya so." Peace!

Welcome to the world: Norah Raelyn Boswell !!

Yes, baby is HERE! Norah Raelyn Boswell : Born Nov. 20, 2008 at 12:43pm. She was 6.5 lbs., 18" long, and has RED HAIR!! In lieu of flowers, prayers to St. Patrick for this red headed child to have mercy on her parents will be greatly appreciated. ;)

Pictures will soon be posted on Walgreens.com so you can view them, and if you want to, order them. We've found it to be a very easy and helpful website for photo taking. I'll keep you posted as this occures.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!

Update on Midland, Texas

Greetings and Salutations!



Well, time to take a fresh look at Midland again, been a while since I've taken time to do that. And yes, there is much to report: some good, some not so good. Or is it?

First off, let's get some of the obvious updates out of the way, for those who aren't in Midland:


1) Midland Savings Building finally came down. This was a 14 story impolosion that cut into the saturday morning TODAY show, so it must have been big news! Formerly owned by Leona Helmsly, the MSB has been a blue/green monster that was so outdated, there was no saving it. It just had to come down. And it did. Two more to go: Metro Building and First National on corner of Texas and Colorado. Google maps is soon to be very... out of date. ;)


2) Loop is booming! We have 3 new hotels out by the 2 newer stadiums. Another hotel is going up on Loop 250 just west of Midland Drive, next to the new Nissan of Midland dealership, which is down the road from the new West Texas National Bank. Maurices is next to Kohl's now, and that finished of that shopping center, though they have a little space to lease now. And we have a new place called "Massage Envy" just across from Kohl's. Very posh massage therapy center. Reasonable prices to, though I need to schedule a time to get in there.


3) Tons of houses still being built. One oil company has purchused land south of Midland with the intention of building houses for their employees. Now THAT's thinking out loud, eh? Go team! Despite oil taking a dip, there's still much going on around Midland's housing market.


4) The two new apartment complexes are filling up. The Palms is nearly full, with construction just completed. Vantage apartments on north Midkiff is making rapid progress, but I think they are still wrapping up construction... though they are leasing. They have been a big relief to the many people moving to Midland.


5) Price of oil is still dropping. :( Down at the bottom of this blog is a chart I found on line that keeps and up-to-the-minute accounting of the price of oil per barrell. If nothing else, it will get my "hit count" going up because I check it everyday for sure. (I'm sneeky like that.)


That's about it for now. I have many ideas of things I've wanted to talk about: journalism, the 2nd amendment, parenting, etc. I'll be trying to get consistant again... as if anyone cares what I have to say. BUT... if you do, keep coming back! OR if you have a question of me, or a topic you'd like to discuss, send me an e-mail: jaeboswell@yahoo.com I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments are once again welcome on this blog, just no spam. I had to knock off comments for a while because of spam stuff, but I'm back up again.

Comment away...!
Thanks,
John

Welcome the 21st Century

"The King is dead! Long live the King!"

The days of old have now passed, as will many other things of "old." Obama did indeed win the election of 2008. I am pleased that a black man in this nation has risen to the highest position of power. I'm happy for change, as I have no doubt change is coming. The only question now is, what will it be?

Economic change: Wall Street is currently on its ear. The dow jones industrial, a barometer for financial times around the world, has been in flux for months now, and is currently in a spiral from which no bottom is seen or heard. The major industries of yesterday are in cardiac arrest. Auto, Insurance, Airline, Investments, Banks, are all crying for help. Even the oil industry, which normally is the exact opposite of everyone else across the nation, is floundering about in doubt and disbelief of the worldwide crisis at hand. This is all going to change.

Domestic change: Gay marriage was voted down in California, but just today, Connecticut passed gay marriage into law. And don't get me wrong about California, even though the people voted it down, they are fighting in the courts to legalize it anyway. It'll pass eventually. It is California after all. Like the concept or not, this is a change that will alter the landscape of American domestic development for years to come. How? I have no idea. But I have no doubt that it will. This is all going to change.

International change: Money that was previously being invested in the United States is now going overseas. Dubai is booming like no one's business. Dubai, a desert nation that has nothing except central location to Europe, Africa & Asia ... and oil. The worlds eyes are no longer focused on the U.S. and companies that had grown lazy and fat are now in a panic. This is all going to change.

Political change: The GOP is G no more... Grand Old Party my foot! Sen. McCain, a fine man and decorated war hero had NO business being the republican candidate for president. He's 72 years old, part of the establishment that needs to go, uninspiring to listen to, and this is the best the GOP could do? Mitt Romney was shot down for his religion, being Mormon. Name me one other reason he was NOT selected as the candidate? Mitt could run circles and DID run circles around everyone during the primaries. This nation was FOUNDED on the freedom of religion. Shows how tolerant we truly are, doesn't it? This to is all going to change.

Change can be good, and change is needed in this country now more than ever. People have forgotten what is means to earn a salary, work a real job, get your hands dirty, appreciate the fruits of your labors. Too many of us grew content with the "status quo" and forgot to keep an eye on the people with the real power. And in the dead of night, they let loose the reigns of this great nation and look where it got us... hell.

So I say... let the 20th century die. Let the past be gone, and lets work on a better tomorrow. Lets only look back to learn the lessons of yesterday, and take none of it with us into the future that is upon us. And to the newly elected President Obama, as I have said before, I hope you are nothing like I believe you to be. But it doesn't matter any more. We are here... now. So change everything. It can hardly get much worse. And if it does get worse, we'll have learned one more thing to never repeat.

Talkin' bout a revolution

“…a little rebellion now and then is a good thing,”
Thomas Jefferson ~ January 30, 1787

In the interest of full disclosure, it has been a philosophy of mine for a couple years now that the only way for us to make a change in Washington would be to vote out everyone. Well, I still believe that, no matter how painful it might be.

So, as much as it truly does pain me, I’ve got to tell you that my vote will most likely be going to Obama for 2008. I’m not doing this because I like the guy, quite the contrary. I’m doing this for many other reasons.

1) America deserves Obama. If the people of this once-great nation believe that he is the instrument of change in Washington, then we deserve whatever he gives us. Higher taxes, shoddy health care, fewer jobs, greater turmoil overseas, we deserve all of it. If the people that vote in this country can’t educate themselves beyond the talking points parroted back to us by the evening news, then by God we deserve the hell that comes with such a lack of knowledge.

2) Obama does equal change. He stands for change, and I don’t doubt that for a minute. But let’s look at the change he’ll bring us. Higher taxes, which will equate to more lay-offs, higher unemployment, less productivity, less exportation, and further recession. Healthcare for all, which will bring about fewer doctors (because they will quite before working for cheap or nothing), over-loaded hospitals, poorer quality of care, and huge delays in that care. The only ones who benefit from all this will be the insurance companies and the pharmaceuticals, so if you’re looking for a new profession… look there.

3) McCain is part of the “establishment.” As much of a maverick he likes to think he is, he’s just as guilty as the rest of the Keating Five who stood up for a crooked bookkeeper some years ago. Did McCain break any laws? None that I know of. But he’s shown his true colors when he brought pressure to bear on an investigation of someone he had financial ties to. Everyone in Congress who has accepted campaign funds is beholden to someone. They’re all dirty… it’s the nature of the business.

4) Time to accelerate the beginning of the end. Listen, America has had it good for a long time. We’ve got public education, the best hospitals in the world, strong universities that are the destination of students from around the world, home ownership, fast and varied transportation, we’ve got it made! We have so much going for us… and no one stops to appreciate the fact that we have it now. Oh no… it’s not good enough. We need cleaner cars and energy; we need better education for elementary and high schools. We need cheaper health care and EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE full coverage on health care. Damn the cost, 100% of the people are entitled to it … or so it is said.

“…a little rebellion now and then is a good thing,”
Thomas Jefferson ~ January 30, 1787

Time for change has indeed come, but it isn’t what anyone is thinking of or expecting. Congress has grown fat and lazy on the greed that is modern day politics. And “we the people” have grown ignorant and lazy, we do not learn nor do we try to learn about what is going on at the national level until it is too late. Coming up in the next two years will be the national I.D. card. Did you know that? Professions across this nation are being expected to produce fingerprints for identity purposes, so they say. Wire-tapping is done on regular citizens in the name of national defense. One by one, our freedoms and liberties are being stripped away by the very people we put in office to defend us… and no one seems to know about it, and when they do learn, they choose not to believe.

So do us all a favor, come next election day, go on out and vote for Barack Obama and lets put the ball in his court. Either he’s the “savior” that the media elite have built him up to be, or he is the catalyst for the even greater change that this country is so very long overdue for. It is time to close our eyes and step off into the void of Fate. Because I know with every fiber of my being… we sure aren’t on the path our forefathers set us upon.

IT'S TIME TO GET MAD!!

I know it's been a while since I've been here, but hear me out on this:

It's time to get LOUD, MAD, and in the face of Capital Hill... RIGHT FREAKING NOW!

Politics is an ugly business. Anyone involved is automatically a liar because you are forced to vote for "bills" that have little hitches in them that you would NEVER vote for, except for the fact that it's in there and it ain't coming out. (ear marks, pork spending, etc.)

So here we are, about 50 days away from the presidential election, and the economy is taking a nose-dive into oblivion. Why is this? Well, let's follow the money. Less than 10 years ago, "regulations" were changed so that lending institutions and investment houses could keep less liquid capital (cash) on hand, and thereby invest more money into other things. However, the reason for keeping cash on hand is so that if the economy ever hits a snag, you can roll with the punches. Right? Well... enter the snag.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were lending money like crazy. Loans were made to people that should have never been given a loan, and just as soon as they cried "uncle" and foreclosures started to happen... guess what? Notes got called. Notes on loans that were not backed up with anything other than paper. Now look at what's happening: Merrill Lynch, Lehmann Bros., WaMu, and others we don't even know about yet are all screaming in fear of hell breaking loose.

The Dow Jones, nothing but an indicator of what is to come, is swinging drastically, hundreds of points in either direction, because no one knows what the hell is going on. ENTER: Congress.

Democrats: "We're gonna fix it!"
Republicans: "We're gonna fix it!"
Both of 'em secretly: "we're gonna fix it and pad our 'special interest' buddies pockets" wink wink

I sware, if we don't start getting out some of the old wood, and get in some new blood, we're going to see worse than a tanking economy in the next ten years. People like Reed, Pelosi, Kennedy, Frank, and the rest of them... are doing NOTHING but GETTING IN THE WAY!!!

Why else would congress have an "approval rating" of 9. Yes, NINE. On a scale of 1 to 100, 9% is all they get. You know what THAT means? In a democrat led congress, even the DEMOCRATS hate them!! BUSH, who all demorats hate, has a higher approval rating... and he's ticking me OFF right now!! "Let's bail out Fannie and Freddie." uh... excuse me? When a company goes under, they go UNDER. Bankrupt. Kaput. Dead. Then someone comes along, buys them out, and sells off the company for parts. But OH NO... not Uncle Sam! We're gonna buy this thing, and profit from it ourselves (the government) and leave things JUST LIKE THEY ALREADY ARE!!! Setting themselves up for yet ANOTHER LOSS!!!

Damn it people, get Mad! Remember Eddie Chiles, and all the bumper stickers that said, "I'm mad too, Eddie!"? He was mad over gas prices and how liberals were beating up on the oil companies. We'll, it's beyond that now. Not only is oil up, it's WAY up. Gas is up. Food costs are up. Demand in the world is up, and nothing can be done about that. However, congress is tying the hands of oil companies so we can't even refine the oil we have RIGHT HERE!! Do you realize, we literally export crude oil, and import the refined stuff? TRUE STORY! Yet one more reason for congress to get the hell outta the way!

As if the oil crisis weren't enough, the mortgage crisis is now upon us, this is already effecting the banks and investment industry, this will then domino into God only knows what... and we're left holding the bag. AND WHY? WHY ARE THINGS SO BAD???

Congress. It's high freaking time that we start OUSTING the damn people in congress. Impeach the President? The hell! Impeach Congress! They want to launch investigations into steroids, into pork spending (that they did themselves), into pictures on the internet of POW's being embaressed, HELL! Harry Reed tried to get an investigation going on Rush Freaking Limbaugh who did nothing more than point out the TRUTH about how REED has his hands into CORUPTION in Nevada real estate!!! And what did Rush do? He got his hands on the letter that Reed wrote, auctioned it off on e-bay, and raised millions for veterans and their families.

Take that, Harry!

I'm serious, people. If we don't CHECK congress in November, we're all going to hell in a handbasket. At the rate things are moving right now, I feel safe in predicting a second civil war in my lifetime. Washington D.C. is so outta whack, short of a civil war, I don't know what else can change it. I'd run for congress myself, if I weren't so scared of getting sucked into the b.s. too! Or being seen as politically impotent due to the powers that already "BE."

Get mad, people. Get loud, and get mad. And tell your rep's to do the same. Conaway! That means you, too! I want to see you on the news, red in the face for all the yelling I want to hear.

Get after it!

Midland, Texas makes National News!

Okay, Midland didn't exactly make national news... today. But why haven't we??

RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT:
Midland has held the record for unemployment state-wide for over a year. As fast as we're building, getting new business, expanding existing businesses... people are finding jobs. And pick up the Sunday paper anytime and you'll find a dozen pages, front and back of "help wanted" ads. Everything from fast food, to medical, to executive, to oilfield related.

RECORD GROWTH:
Midland had over 500 housing permits sent out in 2007 and in 2008, we're going to dwarf that number. Basic Energy bought THREE different buildings downtown, tore one of those down and are planning on a huge retro-fit of the other two with parking and retail... and that's just one little corner of downtown! Seriously, if you haven't been downtown Midland lately, you have no idea.

RECORD EXPANSION:
Midland has annexed large tracts of land and have expanding the city limits greatly to the northwest. A water tower is under construction to help water pressure in the part of town because the growth has been beyond belief. Development of business districts, downtown and near the Midland International Airport is moving at an unbelievable pace. But no matter how many facts I give... who the hell's gonna believe me!

NO ONE... believes just how much Midland has grown. And we're just one city. Stanton, Big Spring, Andrews, Odessa... and God help "Penwell" when we finally do slam-dunk a futuregen project of some kind. Oh... it's coming. Do not doubt me. The oil industry needs the CO2, west Texas needs the electricity, this nation needs the technology up and running... the list goes on and on.

OIL... just hit $110 per barrel. As much as the New England states might dread that, for Midland it means growth, expansion, and money. And when do you see oil dropping? Five years? Ten? No. Twenty? doubtful. But with the population of Texas due to DOUBLE ... by 2030...???

I'm sorry folks, but we're on a roll and there's nothing gonna stop it. Question is: are you here getting in on it? or are you going to let this RECORD BREAKING time pass you by???

What is it going to take to get the national press coverage west Texas deserves... AND NEEDS... in order to help us launch off all the pinned up potential?

Anyone know Rupert Murdock? Better yet, get Mr. President to come down for a visit!! I think he needs to fly over Midland and give us his take on how things are changing here. ;)