Candidates Wear Masks

Halloween's here though I was bit disturbed with the rather nasty effigies of Palin and Obama getting hanged that I've seen in the news. It's just mean for no good reason. Common, they haven't really screwed up anything yet.

Here's a candidate match up test. It was built before the primaries so it includes the party nominees. I was surprised by which candidate I was actually matched to (I'm not telling):

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/

Giselle's sister is out from San Francisco visiting her very pregnant sister. The baby is growing fine thus far, though no new sonograms to post (the print outs were disappointing). I almost found myself wanting to art direct her last exam.

Reassuring the Market

I watched all the debates and was underwhelmed. Except for the third one, all they did was repeat the same sound bites and talking points they've been giving at their rallies. To his credit McCain did drop the bomb that he was going to call for a spending 'freeze' which to me is a good start but not enough since we also need to cut spending as well as taxes. Anybody who thinks the government can run services well, just take a look at the DMV or the Post Office.

When both were asked again if there were any specific programs they would cut, McCain gave a paltry handful. But Obamma just said 'We will look at them and cut where we need to cut". So a non-answer. Instead he promised to 'invest' in 'needed programs'. But then you can't 'invest' in something without putting money into it: it's political slang for 'more spending', not cuts.

In fact the best and most truthful debate was the Alfred E. Smith Catholic charity roast they were both at. I wish all the debates were more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU1IgIURqnU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk5YJkhizRs

On another up note, Giselle had an anatomical sonogram this week and we found out that the baby will be a girl! Yay. G's already picked out a name: Marcella Palacios DelMundo.

What's your excuse?

Today was the 1 year anniversary of a historic high of the Dow Jones Industrial average. Lots of fools and novices selling off their stocks out of fear. Look on the bright side there's lots of stocks that are cheap now, like GM and Citibank.

Giselle is doing well. More sonogram photos and a video to share. Before G's pregnancy, all I'd ever seen of sonograms are the printouts people share but what I never knew until now is that you can see the baby actually move around.

Sonogram video 1

Sonogram Video 2

Politics of Arousal

In case your wondering, the photo is a fake. Apparently one of a number of Photoshop'd hoax photos that have been circulating.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2008/09/03/more-sarah-palin-hot-pictures.htm

The news (especially CNN) can be so freak'n irresponsible. I just watched them do a segment with an economic expert who states (quite accurately) that the reason there's a credit crisis is that institutions are worried that people may panic due to lack of confidence. Then immediately their next segment is a 'Man On the Street' piece where the reporter asks everybody "On a scale of 1-10, how worried are you about the economic crisis?" and proceed to show a montage of people saying they're worried.

And I hate that BOTH candidates are pushing hard for that $700 billion bailout package (now closer to $950 because of extra additions added by the Senate yesterday), when there are alternative solutions that will do the same thing for far less cost: Restore lender confidence.

For example the DeFazio 'No Bailout Act' proposed by Democratic Congressmen and based on the Reagan Administrations rescue package for the Savings and Loan crisis. How crazy is that? But it makes much more sense than the Bush/Paulson plan. It says something when both the Nation and the National Review, the leading Liberal and leading Conservative political magazines, are against the plan.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmVjZDFjNDIwMTA2MGMwMTJhODNkNTUzYjE2ZTQyMzk=

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/366595


P.S.
My personal contribution to the political landscape of campaign 2008
Angelina Jolie as Sarah Palin