Dear Mr. President:

An open letter to the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Dear Mr. President:

I contacted your office this morning via an e-mail, but wanted to share my thoughts out-loud as well.

Prior to your election, Pres. Bush asked for and passed the TARP bill, which was intended to give you funds to help an dwindling economy and avert a depression. Hundreds of billions of dollars were set aside for his and your use. Despite these funds, because the majority of it was not used, the economy sank and has stumbled since. And now that we approach re-election time, you are coming back to America asking for more money for "shovel ready" jobs, to repair roads and bridges, to put people back to work on an immediate basis.

The timing could not be more obvious.

You ask for calm and workable retoric, yet your Vice-President calls our protest of your policies "acts of terrorism." Since when is the 1st Amendment being exercised... an act of terror? Mr. Hoffa calls the Tea Party members and republicans "sons of bitches," and yet is the Tea Party and republicans that need to tone down the retoric??

Bush is to blame. The hurricane is the blame. Wall Street is to blame. Fat cat lobbiests are to blame. "Rich" people making $250,000 a year and flying "corperate jets" are to blame. Tea Party terrorism is to blame. It seems everyone in the whole, entire world is to blame for something.

At what point do you accept ANY responsibility for ANYTHING?

Big Corperations, Big Oil, Big Money is all bad... unless they are feeding your campaign. How many auto dealerships were put out of business immediately following your election? And every one of them donated to the republican.

You play Chicago politics: the other guy brings a knife, you bring a gun.
How long are you going to keep playing this game, driving our country into the ground, before you finally see the light that you are driving ALL OF US into the ground? You're people (democrats, liberals, left-wingers, etc.) are all sinking with this ship along with the rest of "Us."

Get over the politics.
Get over the "Us vs. Them" mentality.
Get over yourself!
For the love of all things you hold dear, wake the hell up and try LISTENING for once. No matter how many ideas are presented to you, you shot them all down and bring no ideas of your own.

A Leader leads by example.
So far... I can think of nothing you have done that has the makings of any example of leadership. Could you name one for me please?

Just one.

Washington D.C. being judged???

Now, I'm no "bible thumper." I have never been one to read into superstition or give any credit to "signs" and the alleged supernatural events percieved around the world.

That being said... I do have to take pause lately.

An earthquake just outside Washington D.C. strikes, causing cracks in monuments that are hundreds of years old. Now a hurricane... a freaking HURRICANE is headed straight up the east coast, due to hit just south of D.C. What's coming next? Tornados? Alien invasion? The Second coming?

Like I said, seriously, I'm not over-reacting. Life is going on. Planning on buying a house soon. Making every effort to be here and in good standing for the next 40+ years. But every now and then... I see things going on, like what is happening on the east coast. And it makes me wonder, "Is God trying to tell us something?"

Take it for what you will. It's worth exactlly what you paid for it. ;)

Have a good one!

EntreLeadership : Dave Ramsey's latest book

For those of you Dave Ramsey fans out there, I wanted to give ole' Dave a plug on his new book: EntreLeadership.

For a few years now, he's been hosting a conference for business owners, or those thinking of starting up a business, to teach the things any business owner should know... beyond the Financial Peace he already teaches through books, seminars and on the radio.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of "business." I have a passion for hearing stories of starting with nothing, working up to "something" and points beyond. I'm hoping to join that club some day!

If you are one of those people, like me, who is not yet "debt free" then I would invite you to pick up and read the book: Total Money Make-over.

If you ARE one who is debt free, then grab Dave's latest. It's sure to be another page-turner. TMM really was a page turner for me. I read it in two days, couldn't put it down. Can't imagine his next book being any less.

Good stuff!

Midland is growing, however...

In Midland news: the City Council just passed zoning ordinances for Hwy 191 between Midland and Odessa. The thought is there to make as much of it "retail" as they can, so it doesn't end up a giant warehouse-looking district like Bus. 20 south of the airport.

Problem: 191 isn't ready to go retail.

There are no sewer or water utilities, no electric or gas, no nothing... really. It's raw land!! There are some buildings there now, couple churches, some homes scattered here and there. And of course, the new Fine Arts facility for UTPB is going up and looking good!

But tell me this, how would a retailer like Stripes, Gander Moutain, Marshalls, or anyone else build out there, when there is no water, elec., or sewer to tie into? A few landowners have voiced their opinion that the city is "putting the cart before the horse." And they are correct. The Mayor would like us all to believe that the council is "listening" to the public and citizens of Midland. Well, it is one thing to LISTEN. It is another thing to HEAR... and HEED.

The council did what they wanted when Midland Christian School expanded. They did what they wanted with the hospital expansion. They did what they wanted when Blue Ridge Apts. built COUNTER to passed P & Z plans. And yet all of this moved forward and left forgotten.

Same thing here with 191. People are allowed their say, voice their opinion, tell us your concerns... then we'll get involved, call public meetings, run around a few more months and then go ahead and do whatever the hell we want to anyway.

Diplomacy in action.

Now, granted, not everyone on the council is to blame. But the guilty parties know who they are. And you can NOT tell me I'm wrong in this. You can argue this and that, but the bottom-line is: this is all TRUE.

Still doubt me? Drive down Interstate 20 from Rankin Hwy heading east. See all the buildings? No? That's because this has all happened before. Utilites were planned for this area of the Interstate years ago. It never happend. There are no utilites... and the land is worthless to anyone that cannot afford the hundreds of thousands it would take to bring them in.

THIS... is the future of 191: nada.

Sorry... this really turned into a RANT! I'll try to be a little more positive next time around. Just had to get this off my chest.

THEY ARE ALL WRONG !!!

I really encourage everyone, liberal, conservative, republican, democrat, socialist, none of the above.... if you call yourself an American, then PLEASE, for the love of everything you hold dear: Educate Yourself.

Right now in Washington D.C., we have a bunch of crooks fighting over one idea or another, or another... all of wlhich are doomed to fail. The United States of America is freaking BANKRUPT!

Yes. Right now. We are bankrupt.

Do you really think we can go on spending TRILLIONS of dollars without making SOME attempt to a) cut spending b) pay back the debt c) knock off giving money to people that produce nothing, and expect this behavior to go on forever? Really? REALLY?

Trillion = $ 1,000,000,000,000.00 Count 'em. That's 12 freakin' zeros. And you can add another one in there because we're actually in debt into the Teens.

If any one of us... say you make $100,000 a year. But you spent... SPENT $200,000 every year... if any one of us tried this, we'd be laughed out of the bank. We'd be considered insane because we were acting in a manner that was harmful to ourselves or others. But if CONGRESS does it, it's called "balancing the budget."

Must be nice to own the printing press that MAKES the money, huh?

STOP DEFENDING OBAMA! STOP DEFENDING REPBULICANS! DEMOCRATS! THE WHOLE DAMN BUNCH IS WRONG!!! You reading this, Conaway? That includes you. I haven't seen your name in the news coming out condemning what is going on. I haven't seen you in the news standing next to anyone saying anything! Guilt by Omission is Guilt all the same.

If I were named President tomorrow, I'd declare martial law, arrest everyone in Congress, call up all the governors and tell them to appoint and send me all new people. The first amendment we'd get passed is a Balanced Budget Amendment, followed by a balanced budget. Next up: TERM LIMITS! We've got one for the President, time Congress got it to. Next up: Congress shall pass no law that exempts the members of Congress! By God, if they want to do something to us, guess what? They're in the boat with us too.

I'm pissed! I'm seriously, unashamedly PISSED OFF. Remember Eddie? "I'm Mad To, Eddie!" Well, we're there again. And if you are NOT... then by God, take the time to learn about how this government is trying to RUIN YOUR LIFE!!! And the life of your CHILDREN! GRANDCHILDREN! GREAT GRANDCHILDREN! That's what Trillions means. It means Generational Indebtedness. And both sides saying they've got the solution and the other guy won't listen... is wrong.

NEITHER has a solution. BOTH sides are wrong. Rand Paul has the BEST idea out there, but I'm not sure how much we can trust him because he through his lot in with the rest of 'em when he won office.

But stop taking one side over the other. Tell them all to STFU and CUT SPENDING!
This nation is a laughing stock. There is no leadership. They're all a bunch of babies and I'm ready to send the whole damn bunch home.

Who's with me?

Midland, TX: Strength in Numbers!

Fasking Oil Co. made a major announcement in the paper recently:

http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_3dc9a0b1-d825-5e36-b3e4-8379a86bf80b.html

[img]http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/mywesttexas.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/7c/17ccf62f-cf5f-54af-acb2-a5f8757244c8/4e2718f3df7c6.image.jpg[/img]

Through a little effort, foresight, planning, ingenuity... and it doesn't hurt that they already owned the land, Faskin Oil Co. is going to produce a new office for themselves, grow Midland's retail, residential, schools and parks and more.

THIS is clever and exactlly what is needed to prove to everyone how City and Industry can work together as a Whole working unit, and not two conflicting entities.

Kudos and Very Well Done to Faskin Oil Company. I wish them the very best in this project and look forward to seeing it come to life!

Midland, Texas : 100% Occupancy ?

I'm sure you've all heard about this housing problem: thousands in foreclosure, markets across the nation have crashed, people are being kicked out, etc. Well, welcome to Midland, TX.!

www.rentmidlandtexas.com

If you click on this link, you'll see a front page article from the Midland Reporter-Telegram. (Image of paper courtesy of the MRT) Back in April when this article came out, you couldn't hardly find a place to live in this town. Rents were at an all-time high, apartments were full, houses were full, mobile home parks were full, RV parks were full. It was a pretty sad state of affairs.

Well guess what? Still that way.

Yes, ladies and gents, if you want to rent a basic, 80's built 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 garage standard house with no updating really... you'll be paying in excess of $1,500/month easily. Nicer, newer homes are renting for $1,900 and up. Apartments have no come down. And the new ones recently built in both Midland and Odessa are all full with at least a 2 month waiting list.

Being a property manager, this is all job security for me. Being a caring human being, I'm almost sick over how the market has shot up! I've been encouraging investors to come to Midland to buy and lease, only we have less than 330 properties for sale on the MLS market!

Oil is up, and that is good for Midland. But if you are planning to move here for the work, PLEASE do a little planning ahead.

And for those of you checking Craig's List: BE WARY. I've heard more than one story of someone mailing/wiring their deposit money to someone to hold a property, only to find they were bogus, took the money and ran! If you are not dealing with a reputable REALTOR who's got your back, then it really is Buyer Beware!

By they way, if you are an investor: you still need to check us out. Midland is going nowhere but UP from this point, and continued into the future for minimally a year, potentially next 5 years ... straight up and vertical growth.

Future projects coming on-line in the Permian Basin:
UTPB Fine Arts building - 1,800 capactiy theater
Summit Energy clean coal plant in Penwell just outside Odessa
191 Development, including Sewell Village development
Completion of Loop 250 to I-20, fostering growth along the interstate and in Greenwood
Over a dozen subdivisions, many of which are on to phase 2 or 3 of their expansion
..and much, much more.

I'll be back!

@jaeboswell

Yes, Twitter is up and running. Still don't know what I'm doing!!! But it's there:

@jaeboswell is my account on Twitter. Talk to me! Tweet me! or whatever might call it. ;) Getting ready for a closing on a sale tomorrow, followed up Friday with a long-needed trip outta TOWN! It's been almost two years since we've had a trip out of town that did't involve surgery or quick down-and-back trip.

Upcoming posts: update on Midland (development, zoning, business), update on work and real estate, update on kids (pretty darn cute!) and more rambling on about politics and how everyone is wrong and I'm right. ;)

Take care and

Twitter!

Hi there!

In an effort to get back to my blog, I'm signing up for, and soon will be...
Tweeting! Twitter finally has an app on the iPhone that looks workable, for me, so I'm back to blogger as well!

Hope everyone is doing well! From my previous posts, you will derive many things: 1) I've been busy with the kids 2) Work has been kRaZy! 3) Obama was exactlly what I feared and 4) Midland is booming... thus work has been KrAzY!

I'm not exactlly par myself. ;)

Anyhow, Take care and look for me to be back and certainly more frequently than every 6 months!

Happy New Year, Midland, Texas!!

Well, it's that time again!

2011 is upon us, and that means that 2010 is officially over with. Hope it was good for you! It was a busy one for me. The kids are growing way fast, work has been busy and growing as well. And if oil keeps going the way it appears, Midland is heading into another boom!

Booms can be good and bad. The good is a bustling economy, lots of new faces and friends, everyone that wants to make a living will be, and the city will grow and prosper and become more of a great town.

The downside of a boom is things can often happen too fast. People show up and find searching for a place to live is harder than expected. Yes, many will be getting a bigger paycheck, but sometimes in a boom the cost of living goes up as well. Gas prices being tops on that list.

Things to remember if you live in Midland in 2011:

1) Drive safe. The local paper made it one of their major stories about how many accidents there were, how many people were hurt, etc. Think before you drive. Always look both ways, and you might even consider doing that several times! Always assume the other guy can't see you, and keep your guard up.

2) Help out your neighbor! One thing I've always enjoyed reading about was how people came to Midland and found it to be one of the best, most pleasant places they've ever been. People here hold doors for each other. We like to smile and say "Howdy" or "Hi" whether you know the person or not. Drivers will nod or wave to each other as they pass on the highway. Courtesy is a good thing!

3) We live in a desert. "Huh?" you may be saying to yourself. Well, I just thought I'd remind everyone, we do indeed live in a desert. Midland is not friendly to those of us who have allergies. Change your air filters in the house monthly, or more often. Use the better 3M filters when you can. Check the house out: caulk window and doors, replace weatherstripping when/where you can, keep your yard up so the grass will keep the dirt and dust down. And in general, brace yourself for weather! West Texas is not the easiest of places, but then again, I've never seen prettier sunsets either. :)

4) Last but not least, be safe! Midland is a great place, but we still have the small percentage who will do the wild, crazy and stupid things no matter what. That can be said for anywhere. But minor precautions will keep you safe. AWARENESS of your enviornment will keep you safe. And in the end, you'll be better for it, and make this a better place as well!

So take care, everyone! Enjoy your family, they're the only one you got. Enjoy and respect your friends, they are a gift. Be thankful, hopeful, helpful, honest, and above all else... be True To Yourself. If you can't trust you, why should anyone else? And if you ARE true to yourself, it will show.

Welcome 2011! Let's get after it!!!

Respect, itself, is dying.

A slow and painful death occurred recently, http://www.npr.org/2010/12/10/131978052/famous-christian-landmark-tree-cut-down-in-u-k , when a landmark tree outside of London was vandalized and all of its limbs were cut from the body of the tree, and left to waste. Some may say,” It’s just a tree.” Others will pay no attention at all. Some will go seemingly too far and cry for the loss of a miracle that was yearly harvested for thistles to adorn the royal Christmas table in London, England.

What I morn is the respect such an entity is entitled to, and was so blatantly stolen away. Whether we are discussing the Christian aspect of the history of the tree, the idolatry of the Egyptian culture and the great Pyramids, the rock used for Muhammad’s ascension (Dome of the Rock), any of the thousands of Buddha’s throughout southeast Asia, all of these and more are icons, yes. But they deserve not necessarily worship, but most certainly Respect.

And why? Why should you, me, or anyone else show respect to “pagan” idols, farcical icons, faded and tattered images of the past?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Beauty, something else dying away and lacking in respect.

When a monk, priest, cleric, pastor, rabbi, see the writings of their faith, it is gibberish to some and priceless to them. Who are any of us to judge a rock, a tree, a stone, a parchment, and place a value on it above or below any other thing? Why am I so special that if my car gets damaged at the mall shopping for gifts, that mine is more important than you and your endeavors?

One thing, “tis the season to be jolly.” This is Christmas, a Christian holiday, hugely shared the world over as a magical time of peace, joy and goodwill… for many reasons. Chopping up trees, landmarks, icons, symbols, is hardly the way spread anything good, much less goodwill.

Two, be respectful and considerate of others. It is a good tenet to live by, and is generally expected from us of others. We would expect consideration, we should grant such consideration. It is worth the time and energy required of us, and rewarded over and over again.

Lastly, this is not about me. This is about us. My car was not vandalized, nor was I disrespected in any way. This is Me talking to everyone including Myself to remind us all, no matter how much that nattery old church in Kansas might be evil for protesting funerals, of all things, they will have to live with themselves for that and are not worthy of our attention: positive or negative. Yes, “terrorism” might exist in the world, but Muhammad down the street has done nothing to you. You may not believe in God or Christ, but that has never been any excuse to trample on the rights of those who do. I’ve seen enough demeaning of Christians lately, from the “learned Scholars of Higher Education.” I’ve had my fill. They can no sooner convince me of their beliefs than I can convince them of mine, why try?

But, we can all be Respectful of one another, quite easily.

So, in the “spirit” of Common Sense, I would ask of you Reflection. Ponder the concept of Respect: what it means? What it is? How it exists in your life? And is there enough? Not only respect FOR you, but also FROM you. And do others have respect for each other? It is a very telling thing, Respect. How it is given and taken can convey a wealth of information to those who will only open their eyes.

Have yourself... a very Merry Christmas!

Greetings, Friends!

Just popping in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Life has been busy, fun, crazy, exciting, worrisome, mind-boggling, and down-right... usual. ;) I'll give ya a quick update on things and then I'm off again for a bit. Hopefully, next year will be much better:

1) Norah is doing great! She just turned 2 this past November, and is a walking-talking baby. Always happy, never made, but will throw a fit if she doesn't get her way. It's pretty cute. But don't laugh... only makes her more mad. ;)

2) Aiden is doing great too! Growing like a weed, that child can consume a pound of bacon for breakfast, throw a football is pinpoint precision, taller than boys a year older than he, skinny as a rail, loves to play, has a great sense of humor, and boy... does he like to talk!

3) Life is good! Leslie and I have been busy, working hard, visiting family at every opportunity, wrestling kiddos, and working hard. Did I mention work? We've been working!

4) MIDLAND is changing! I know the economy nationwide is kinda in the dumps, but Midland has been keeping its mouth shut, building and moving and remodeling all over town. There are four brand-new subdivisions that I know of going up, not to mention previous ones that are expanding. We have had some rocky points (Blue Ridge Apartments) but they'll get sued and that'll be that. (*hint* next time... don't build something other than the plan passed by city council!)

So, here is wishing You and Yours a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy this time, your family, rest and relalx when you can, look up at the stars and smile once in a while. Take care. And talk to you again soon.

~ John

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. ;)

Midlanders need a place to live! ...and go vote.

Can someone explain to me why, when Midland is desperate for housing and places to live... the city council failed to vote on passing or not passing on a proposal to build a new apartment complex?

Here is yet another city council meeting I'll have to attend to make sure things get done. *sigh* I'd much rather be working.

Speaking of work, Midland is still on a boom. Met more people from Kansas, Arizona, and a couple more places. It really amazes me how people are flocking to Midland these days.

Today is "junior Super Tuesday" whatever the hell that means. The media is such a joke anymore. Reaching, stretching, grasping for anything and everything to come up with a "story." Anyways... GO VOTE! Don't make me tell you again. And don't do that silly "vote for Hillary" thing to beat Obama that so many people are talking about. After Barry's Canada snafu, he's just as bad as Hillary and neither deserve the time of day. I voted for Romney, personally.

What do you mean he's outta the race??? D'oh!

Have a nice day!