Fill In The Blank

Sometimes I go to write on my blog and after having tremendous ideas I simply go blank - like tonight. I want to write something profound, something inspiring, but I am at a loss.

It is not as if there is a shortage of items to write about....I just can't summon the patience or organization in my head to put it on this screen so here is my latest blog.

Fill in the blanks.

Heading to Vegas!!!

Earlier today I won the American Poker Invitational Quarterly Invitational and August Monthly garnering the top prize of a sponsored trip to the 2009 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, NV. Needless to say I am excited about this and worked very hard to win...today everything just fell together and I was very clear and focused on the plays I made at the table. So now I pat myself on the back, thank my lucky stars and look forward to a great showing at the 2009 World Series of Poker!!!!

Wassup!!!!

I am not an Obama fan, but I have to give this video props for its creativity and humor. Enjoy.

Meadows Lane

In response to my good friends blog, Steele Street, I decided to create my own and utilize this Internet thing - I think it is finally catching on! In homage to Jason's naming strategy I am called my blog Meadows Lane. My first choice was eMeadows, but some guy has already reserved it to blog about his pathetic cyber life and lack of any female interest.

My blog is about what is on my mind - travel, life, politics, relationships, poker, flying, boating, tennis and any other subject I deem myself an expert (or a pseudo expert).

I hope you enjoy my rantings - on a side note...isn't it ironic that people only ask you "are you enjoying yourself" when you aren't?

Let the games begin...or continue depending on if you have read any of my blogs before.

Inconsistentcies of Philosophy

When it comes to abortion and the death penalty people are as polarized as my latest pair of sun glasses, but as you peel back the onion and start to think about the platform position of democrats and republicans it becomes clear to me that both have major inconsistency.

Let's begin with abortion - probably the most polarizing discussion you can have with someone. Personally I don't think the current state of Roe - versus - Wade is going to change anytime soon, but generally speaking democrats support the right to abortion and republicans oppose the right to abortion.

Now onto the death penalty. In this case the democratic platform generally opposes the death penalty and the republican party resoundingly supports it.

Do you see a problem here like I do? Doesn't it seem a bit inconsistent in that if you supported right to life you shouldn't support the death penalty and conversely if you support the right to abortion you should support the death penalty?

I personally cannot reconcile it - and no matter what justification is thrown on the table I don't think they can either.

Mandate = Fools

I am convinced that although Barak Obama won the Presidential election his ascension to the oval office was not a "mandate" for expanding the democratic parties definition of change via the pretext of the current financial crisis and election results.

History buffs will be familiar with the circumstances surrounding FDR's rise to power in the 30's, but many forget that along with the positives there were many negatives enacted like the National Recovery Administration. Emily Shoals of the New York Post does an eloquent job of putting this into perspective and I encourage you to read her column here. I believe the democrat party of today will overstep what the majority of Americans expect and force their old ideas onto the public costing them dearly with a majority shift in both houses of congress in 2010 and 2012, even though Obama wins reelection.

I think a solid argument can be made that a mandate requires a significant uptick in votes for the incoming party, but when analyzing the 2008 election we find that Obama defeated McCain by only 1% more than Bush defeated Kerry in 2000. I wouldn't call that a mandate. I would call it the people looking for change in leadership and given the financial crisis I think the vote count was less about Obama and McCain as a change in what we as Americans expect from the party in power and their satisfaction with the current economic environment.

Additionally it is interesting to point out that according to a recent article from the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review by Ralph Reiland the massive turnout of voters predicted by the media driven by get out the vote drives by Democrats never materialized, " despite the pictures of four-hour lines at the polls, American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate reports that voter turnout in this year's election was the same in percentage terms as it was four years ago --- or at most had risen by less than 1 percent."

In closing, Democrats beware. You do not have a mandate, you have a license to correct what is wrong and for many independent voters like myself I simply suspect that you are going to over reach and further mortgage our countries future with debt strapping each of us with a burden worse than we are strapped with today by implementing your policies from the past and misinterpreting a standard election margin as a mandate to change more than is needed.

Automakers Bailout Useless

I understand why Nancy Pelosi and her crew on the "Hill" are advocating a bailout of the American automakers, but let's be real and realistic at the same time - this is not a bailout of the automakers - it is a bailout of the UAW.

While we are at it why do these companies need taxpayer money anyways? Don't we have bankruptcy laws that are used by businesses to reorganize without pressure from those that they owe? The only reason that Pelosi and her crew don't want bankruptcy to be entered into by the Big 3 is that it will allow them to break their UAW contracts - a major constituency.

Let's face facts together - without fundamental changes to the core costs of U.S. automakers they will never be relevant or competitive in the global market. With hourly costs averaging $73 per hour versus $47 for foreign makers with plants in the United States they won't be competitive.

Let the Big 3 declare bankruptcy and reorganize the way they should, under the existing laws that we have and not leaving the United States taxpayer on the line for a bailout or loan that we have no chance of ever seeing repaid.

Advice to Same Sex Marriage Advocates

It may surprise some of you that I don't oppose same sex unions, but I must admit that I am surprised that those who advocate same sex marriage just don't seem to get that marriage is not a right - it is an agreement and that they have all the same rights that married men and women possess. What they desire is an expansion of their rights to include and enforce "same sex marriage" and with the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California I think it is time for me to offer them some advice. Here it comes...

Most people view marriage as a religious ceremony between a man and a woman, period. Get over that fact and stop asking for "marriage", simply ask the legalization of same-sex unions and stop challenging the popular religious mainstream by using terms they endear and will fight to protect in mass.

As a good friend of mine often says, "it doesn't matter the content or intent if the delivery is off."