Well, it’s time for school again, and I need to get focused on teaching my students. Today, as I was getting my room ready, I thought about how insignificant one voice among billions is, and that in this case I’m basically writing to myself. It does make me feel better to write about some of today’s issues, issues that I obviously have passionate feelings about, and it helps me to understand my own thoughts. But I have to make sure that I don’t get too carried away. The truth is that whatever is going to happen is going to happen no matter what I write here. I was watching Fox “news” (it was my only option while I was getting my room ready – I’m not a fan of fox “news”) today as they were covering the blast from hurricane Gustav on the gulf coast and I have to admit that I was very happy to see that the federal government – who failed so miserably 3 years ago – showed that they have the capacity to learn. bush had the good sense to act like a leader and I hope this sets the tone for the future, that the government has a major role in situations like this – that’s why we have leaders. I’m hoping and praying that we will not have to endure another four years of republican “rule” but at least I have to give credit for this “crisis” as being handled very professionally.

One other thing on my mind from what I heard on fox “news” today. Evidently Sarah Palin (who, by the way is the niece of a man in Vancouver who was in the real estate business in the late 70’s and early 80’s when I was doing the same – I did business with him) has a 17 year old daughter who is pregnant and expecting toward the end of this year. I just have to say that I admired, and agreed with, Obama when he said he would fire any one assosciated with his campaign who used this issue politically. He rightly said family members are “off limits” and to leave the debate to the issues. I hope people do that. I believe that Sarah Palin needs to answer a lot of questions due to the fact that mccain has brought his own age and her lack of experience to the forefront of this election by nominating her – but the questions need to be about Sarah Palin and not her daughter. I would say Kudos to her for having the baby (I’m assuming it wasn’t planned) and kudos to the family for supporting her, assuming that they are.

There probably won’t be many posts as school gets underway, but it is fun for me to write and just throw out my thoughts – of course it would be more fun if there was someone to respond to. I fully understand that I come off as a flaming liberal – and I’m perfectly fine with that – but I still contend that most of my thinking is very conservative and old fashioned. I believe the republicans have convoluted the term “conservative.” When I first got interested in politics the first book I read was “Conscience of a Conservative” by Barry Goldwater. I can guarantee you that he would be no where near these so-called neo-cons. And today I heard one of the national republican “advisors” defending the deficit spending of the nixon/reagan/bush/bush administrations as simply a “small percentage of the GNP.” That was how nixon justified it in the early 70’s as if he was simply mortgaging all the government real estate across the nation. With that thinking it won’t be long and it will be Chinese real estate! Getting back to my point, a balanced budget, prudent national defense, traditional values, honesty in government, these used to be conservative values. I just would add to that that we are stronger together than we are divided and that as Jesus says; “What you do for the least of these, you do for me.” Government should work from the “bottom up” and not the “top down” approach of the republicans. I look forward to the day when we realize we haven’t ended welfare, we have just shifted policy so that welfare has become corporate welfare.

The major thought on my mind as I sign off here is that I still can’t believe that someone like Sarah Palin could conceivably be “a heartbeat from the presidency.” I’m sure that America’s women won’t be fooled by the move, but until November 4 we won’t know for sure. Today I googled mccain and the keating 5 and I’m just waiting for this to be injected into the campaign. There was plenty of “stuff” about mccain readily available for people to mull over. I think of the accusations against Obama by the right and then I wonder why mccain is able to get away with helping a donor try to avoid charges – a donor who’s actions ended up costing American taxpayers 3.4 billion dollars – why isn’t that part of the debate if William Ayers and Obama being on the same board is – why isn’t mccain’s admitted adultery part of the debate, why aren’t his numerous “flip flops” part of the debate. I guess the reason is that Obama is trying to run an “above board” campaign and if he doesn’t bring this stuff up, the media isn’t going to do so – although it seems to me that much of what Obama has had to answer for has come from the media. All this said, I still believe that the American people will vote Obama into office and the direction of this country will change in a way that will be beneficial to the vast majority of it’s citizens. Well, I’ve got to sign off, it’s time for school!