• The stock market is sucking. I sooo wish I had a few thousand on me right now. I would sink it all into the market. Everything is so cheap. I bet you could throw a dart at a random stock, buy 10,000 shares and in 6 months be richer for it. In fact, I just thought of random lettering (J,K,L) and came up with a stock called iShares Morningstar Small Value (ETF) whose ticker is JKL. It is currently trading at $56.53. Lets see where it is at in six months. So on April 7th, 2009, we will come back to my bet.
• I bet John McCain is pissed that George W. Bush just cost him a second election. Recent polls have McCain lagging behind whats-his-name. I think the most common reason is that people just can’t stand the idea of another republican in the white house despite the fact that they may like McCain. I would even argue that for as much as people hate Bush, McCain is doing pretty well. But it looks like he won’t win, and he can blame good ol’ G Dub for that .
• Its October. Yeah, I know that is obvious. I bring it up because I love this time of year. The leaves are about to turn, and the air is cool and crisp. Campfires are the rage, and I’ll get to start snuggling with my love for warmth. Unfortunately it also reminds me that winter is coming. I can’t stand how in this state the wind only blows when its winter and freezing. In summer when its hot and sweltering, you can’t find a breeze to save your life.
• I need to get off my rear and get a new certification under my belt. I just completed my CCNP (Cisco Certified Networking Professional) in May, but I haven’t really studied anything since. I feel like I should get my CCDA/CCDP and maybe even the CCNA Security. I don’t know. My long term goal is the forever distant CCIE, but it just seems so insurmountable right now. It makes me think an easier certification might help and get me better pay in the mean time.

Well that is about all I can stand for now. I’ll try and keep my thoughts on track for the next one.

Being that I am NOT a republican and I AM a conservative, I found this election very troubling. I am not going to vote for Obama as he is very liberal in my view, and I *was not* going to vote for McCain as I am an old resident of Arizona and I know his voting record and believe him to be a liberal as well (A.K.A “The Maverick”). I was actually going to write in Ron Paul for president when two curious things happened:

1. Before both candidates had chosen a running mate I was having a political discussion with a co-worker about who I was going to vote for. I was explaining that I thought Obama was a mistake and so was McCain. I told him that the only presidential nominee that I thought was telling the truth and was capable of upholding the constitution was Ron Paul. But during that conversation I did mention that McCain seemed so incredibly old and frail and that the presidency seems to unnaturally add to ones years, that depending on who his running mate was I might actually vote for him knowing (or rather hoping) that he would have a limited run in office and that his VP would become president.
2. McCain picked Palin, someone who seems to be a genuine conservative. Someone who seems to have stood up to the republican party in the past and seemed to have their head on straight. Here was someone who was vastly more conservative than Mr. McCain, and seemed to have the ability to bring some real energy back to the party that once *was* synonymous with conservative.

That was when I realized that McCain had given me just enough to vote for him. Well not for *him* but for his ticket. So congratulations Mr. McCain, you have persuaded me to put a check next to your name when I vote, but I hope it will be your running mate that wins.