The Office Is Bumped Thursday Night

Joltin' Joe Biden and Rootin Tootin Sarah Palin of Alaska, debate each other at 9 p.m. (EDT) Thursday Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.


I think it would be more fun to see an Office debate between Dwight & Jim

Katie Couric With Sarah

My Favorite Part

A Golfer Steals The Show

KY's 41-3 victory over Western KY was fun. I saw many Western fans wearing a blue UK hat and a red Western t-shirt. Western is like the little brother to UK so many of the Western fans have been rooting for UK since they were kids. Last night presented a dilemma for them. KY goes to 4-0 on the season and will play Alabama next week on national TV at 3:30 on CBS. Western lost earlier this season to Alabama 41-7. Western's coach says we'll be able to match up with Alabama. I'm not so sure. From what I've seen of Alabama this season, I would say they could beat the Cincinnati Bengals pretty handily. This was a good college football weekend. Louisville & Florida both lost while KY won big. What was really fun last night was when Ryder Cup champion, J.B. Holmes was introduced to the crowd. The crowd went wild and began chanting USA-USA-USA. He reminds me of a sober John Daily; just a good ole boy who can knock the cover off a golf ball. He even got a bigger ovation than when Rajon Rondo was introduced.

The Question

I played back a recording of an interview Greta Van Susteren did with Bill Clinton earlier this week and caught what was, in my opinion, the best question that has been asked in this entire political season. As soon as I heard the question I thought, 'whoa....no one has asked that question like that.' Greta Van Susteren asked Bill Clinton:
"What is the difference between an association with David Duke and an association with the Reverend Wright?" Clinton was stumped. The look on Clinton's face was priceless. After a long pause he answered "we don't have to go there because Obama left the church." Greta: "After two things happened; pressure from the press and after Reverend Wright took a personal strike at Obama at the National Press Club." Clinton: "That's correct, but to me, for those of us who are surrogates on either side, to wade into that now.... Bla bla bla....."
GREAT QUESTION GRETA! Ask that question to one of your Obama supporting buddies. (Just in case they don't know who DAVID DUKE is)

OOOHH YEAH! I'm There....

I had my fingers on the keys this morning at 6:58 ready to purchase free tickets (Big spender) and at 7:00am I got em! I do have to pay a $5.30 handling fee however. I'm pretty excited. I haven't been to what used to be called Midnight Madness since my days at UK. This will be fun. Big Blue Madness - Friday Oct 10th - Rupp Arena - 10:30pm (I may have to get a nap in)

How Did He Do That?

I was pretty impressed with the first debate. I thought the most impressive thing was that a 72 year old man stood in one place for 100 minutes. Not even a break to go pee. I'm not so sure I could do that. If I had to stand there like that for that long, I would have been leaning like crazy on the podium because my legs and back would be hurting and I probably would have been rocking back & forth waiting to go to the bathroom. Pretty impressive. He gets my vote just for being able to stand there that long.

From My Boy Dave Ramsey

Over the past month, we’ve witnessed the largest bankruptcy in history, the stock market dropping like a rock, and the talking heads on TV freaking out that the world is coming to an end. I’m here to tell you the truth—we’re going to make it. We’re going to be fine. Take a chill pill.

This month I’ve compiled some of the most-asked questions I’ve gotten recently from you:

Are we okay, Dave?

Definitely. Remember Enron and WorldCom in the recent years? We survived that. But much worse than all this was the financial crisis of the ‘80s – S&L collapse and 1,000 bank failures in 2 years. We’re nowhere near this type of thing; that was probably 50 to 100 times worse than all of this.

What does all of this come back to?

Greedy banks financing homes to broke people. It all seemed to work okay in their minds when the economy was booming, but when the economy slowed a little bit broke people quit paying on their subprime mortgages. DUH. No wonder they went out of business. Stupid decisions.

Is there anything we can do to fix this bailout mess?

YES! Here's a quick summary: Companies that had billions in subprime loans were feeling the effects of their stupid decision to make those loans in the first place, and practically gave them away for pennies on the dollar. But since no one wants these loans, and they've had to mark them down to market value, it has frozen the market. If we temporarily change the rule that forces companies to do that, that will free the market up.

This is an absolutely huge deal, and it involves everyone getting in touch with their congressperson before we spend hundreds of billions of dollars that we don't need to! LEARN MORE


Will the collapse of businesses and banks affect me?

No, not unless you work there. Thousands of stock brokers on Wall Street have lost their jobs in the past few weeks, but that happens in other industries across the country in good and bad times. This time it just happened in NYC where all the national news media is so they made a big deal of it.

If I have 401(k) money in a Merrill Lynch or AIG trading account, should I move the money elsewhere?

No. Your money isn’t with them; your 401(k) money is in the stocks. These big companies are just managers (unless you directly own stock in their company). The only thing that may be an issue is if they crash later, you may have some customer service issues, but your money is still safe. This is a good reminder to not have all of your money in one stock—that’s stupid. Always spread out your money in various growth stock mutual funds.

With these acquisitions, will my 401(k) account and entire portfolio with Merrill Lynch be lost?

No. They just own the company Merrill Lynch. Look at it this way—if I owned 6 rental properties and hired a management company that eventually failed, I would still own the properties; I just wouldn’t have a manager. Your broker doesn’t have title to your stuff. Your 401(k) is not a company asset; that’s the beauty of it.

Should I sell my US stocks to buy gold and foreign stocks?

Absolutely not! Why would you think foreign stocks are any better than US stocks? Again, diversify your money in good growth stock mutual funds instead.

What practical lessons should small business owners learn from these bank difficulties?

When you have no cash, you freakin’ go broke. You must keep some cash on hand, no matter what kind of business you have. Give yourself some wiggle room where you can take a hit and still be standing.

Remain calm, America. We’re in a slow time, but just pay your bills and you’re going to be fine. LINKY

FINANCIAL CRISIS SURVIVAL TIP

Great Example of Terrible Service

Here's the dialogue with an online "help operator" named Rajesh.

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Rajesh'
Rajesh: Hi James,
Rajesh: Welcome to Snapfish Live Help. How may I help you please?
James West: Every time I send an order to check out and submit I get an error message
Rajesh: Can you please tell me the error id?
James West: We're sorry-there's been a system error. Click on the button below to return to Snapfish. If you have a moment, please give us feedback on what you were doing when this happened. This will help us solve the problem. Thanks! Error Id : 10.50.9.71-09.25.2008-714568
Rajesh: I am sorry it is an unexpected error ,I will forward it to our technical support team .Please try to place an order after few hours and I assure you that it will be resolved soon.
James West: I already did that - I tried placing the order many times yesterday evening. I guess I'll just use another photo service
James West: Thanks anyway
James West: bye
Rajesh: I certainly regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
Rajesh: Thank you for using Snapfish Live Support. Goodbye and have a great day.

Don't Worry, I Have A Plan

In preparation for the financial collapse that will be taking place, I have been working diligently on putting together the "West Compound" in a secret location out in the countryside of KY. (see photo) Consider this an open invitation to all family & friends to join us at the compound for commune living at it's best. We'll be able to hunt squirrels, rabbits, deer and anything else we can find. There is a stream for catching fish and a flat piece of ground for growing some vegetables. So, now you can relax. When all the money is gone, don't worry. With all of us working together, we'll be just fine.

Big Blue Madness Tickets Go On Sale Saturday Morning

That's why people starting camping out last night. 70 tents set up as of noon today.
Big Blue Madness - the kickoff to the KY basketball season - Friday Oct 10th - 10:30pm - 23,000 people show up to watch a 2 hour practice session. Only in KY.

Lexington Man Poses For 1000 Mug Shots

He's hit another a milestone. A Lexington man, famous for how many times he's been arrested, took his 1,000th trip to jail.
Police arrested Henry Earl for alcohol intoxication, a charge he's faced hundreds of times before. Earl is a pseudo-celebrity because of his extensive record. He's been featured on late night talk shows and has several websites dedicated to tracking his arrest record. Earl's 1,000th arrest happened late Monday night on South Limestone. He'll be in court Tuesday afternoon to answer to this latest charge. If you're wondering what 1,000 arrests equals, here's a look at Henry Earl's history.
In all, he's spent 4,123 days in jail. 35 of his 1000 arrests have been this year alone, landing him behind bars 189 days in 2008.
On average, Earl is out of jail about two days before he lands back behind bars, although this time he was out for four days before his latest arrest.

I'm On A Banana Kick

Maybe it's psychosomatic but I really think I get these benefits when I eat one. 
Health Benefits of Banana :

• Banana is an energy booster.
• Banana contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that is known to make you feel happy and improve your mood.
• Banana is a rich source of iron, thus it is helpful in cases of anemia.

How Bout The KY Boys?

By John Clay
Boo Weekley, left, Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes showed their colors after the American team won the 37th Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club on Sunday in Louisville. Together, the three provided the spirit the United States needed to take back the cup in a matchup on Kentucky soil.
Those snooty, country-club golf types had racked their brains for nearly a decade trying to find some scenario to retake the coveted Ryder Cup from the hands of those dastardly Europeans, all to no avail. What they needed were some down-home, Southern-fried country boys to get the job done.
Kentucky boys. Two by birth, (JB Holmes & Kenny Perry )one by adoption. (Boo Weekley) Thanks to a duo of Kentuckians and a now-favorite son from the Florida panhandle, the United States upset the Europeans 16½ to 11½ to win the 37th Ryder Cup at Valhalla on Sunday, snapping a three-match European winning streak and claiming the precious trophy for the first time since 1999.

Need A Place To Stay When In The Bluegrass?

The CastlePost will be available for select events beginning in fall of 2008. Operating as a bed and breakfast establishment, double occupancy room rates begin at $1,000.00 per night and include a gourmet breakfast service and use of all property amenities. Turret guest suites are $3,000 per night. LINK
We drove by the empty castle for years. Lexington contractor Rex Martin Sr. began building the castle on U.S. 60 in 1969 but it was never completed and sat vacant for more than 30 years. (You can stay at our castle for free however)

Sunrise At The Waffle House

I haven't been in a while but I woke up this morning hungry for the Waffle House. "Mornin!" I love how the staff greets you as soon as you walk in. "How are ya?" As soon as I sit down, boom - there's the coffee. "Do you know what you want?" The assumption is I come here all the time like many of their regulars and would know right away what I want. "Give me a minute please." Sooo much to choose from but I settle on the cheese eggs, bacon, grits and raisin toast. They even have Worcestershire sauce on the table with all the other condiments. As I give my order she asks if I would like to substitute tomato slices for the grits. Suddenly, an image of Mary pops in my head (She didn't go with me this morning but encourages me to eat healthy) and I say "yes, that sounds good." I sit there quietly waiting on my breakfast, wishing I had brought along the sports section. I glance out the window toward Tates Creek Rd and I see an American flag, a church steeple and the big Waffle House sign with the sun coming up in the background. You had to be there. I felt like standing up and saluting. Suddenly, I'm snapped out of my daydreaming by a couple getting out of their car. I think I know him. They sit a few booths away, just close enough for me to observe a little better. As I'm checking them out, he looks right at me and I look away quickly. Maybe he recognizes me because now I know who he is. He's Mike Reilly, my resident advisor at Holmes Hall at UK when I was a freshman back in 1975. It's only been 33 years, surely he'll recognize me too. I'm finishing up my coffee and tomato slices thinking, 'should I say something before I leave?' "Excuse me....excuse me" I say loud enough for most of the people in the Waffle House to hear. "Weren't you an RA at Holmes Hall in 1975?" "Ahh...yeah." "You're Mike Reilly aren't you?" He's freaking out a little bit now. "Yes I am" he says. "I'm Mike West and was on your floor with the UK basketball players." "Mike West? I recognize the name but I would never have recognized you." I'm pretty good at recognizing people and knowing where I saw them. As I begin to walk out, I get up and shake his hand and tell him "you were a good RA." "I was scared to death when I first got to UK....you were a good RA." He is genuinely appreciative. As I walk to my car, I take another glance at the sun coming up behind the Waffle House sign and think to myself, next time, I'll know what I want to order right away. I like the Waffle House.

No Game Today But....

A Fix - From The Ky Sports Radio Blog - Featuring KY's Defense

With Friends Like These.....

Michelle Obama Pictured With Louis Farrakhan's Wife

By Vasko Kohlmayer
One of the most striking aspects of this presidential campaign is the enthusiasm the candidacy of Barack Obama has engendered among Muslims both at home and abroad. On April 13 of this year, Ahmed Yousef, a public relations man for the terrorist organization Hamas, said in an interview: "We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the election." He then gave the reason for Hamas' support: "He has a vision to change America." Earlier this month, Libya's strongman Muammar Khadafi gave an endorsement speech in which he called Barack Obama a "brother" and expressed his hope that he will "change America from evil to good and that America will establish relations that will serve it well with other people, especially the Arabs." He also said:
[A]ll the people in the Arab and Islamic world and in Africa applauded this man. They welcomed him and prayed for him and for his success and they may have even been involved in legitimate contribution campaigns to enable him to win the American Presidency. The Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan gushed "this young man [Obama] is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better." He went on to say that Obama "could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall." In another appearance, Farrakhan stated that he "represents hope that the United States will change for the better."
STORY

Feeling Old?

Now ON DVD. I haven't rented it yet but I'm planning on it.