Days Until Vegas: 5
Days Until Birthday: 0

Here's my latest column for your consumption. We're talking about poker this time. I'm sure the poker craze has hit your town as well.

Yes today is officially my birthday. I'm going to do what I do most Fridays...work...Birthdays aren't a huge deal to me. I appreciate it when people wish me a happy one and I have a lot of cards. That's all I really need. My father is pretty much the same way. I think the only person that's really allowed to celebrate a birthday is my mother. I'm just much happier when it's over.

I will go and get my birthday steak though. That's one thing I've missed the last two years and the Texas Cattle Co. has damn good steaks so I'm getting my steak. And I bought myself the new Eminem CD. So far it's okay, I'm not getting the feeling about it that I did with the last three.

Well it's time to get ready for work, I must point you to Mudge's blog today. I disagree with most of it, but as always I respect the opinion. No one will convince me that anything other than race is the main reason the Ryder Cup team wasn't blasted like the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

iNeed to get into the market for an iPod. I already own an MP3 player but electronic gadgets need to be updated every 24 months (there should be a rule for this).

So iPod owners, educate me on which iPod iMust own. Bee-Ranom, Maese, I'm expecting your input as well.

Oh yeah, I must thank the unofficial love of my life Stephanie for putting in that ESPN Bottomline coding for me. So now my blogger even has timely sports updates.

....In Mel Gibson's world, a great being sacrificed himself for the the sins of man (and took an incredible shit-kicking in the process)...

But what about the world of pop. You know, those shitty no-talent hacks like...Ashlee Simpson. I mean who sacrifices their own shitty career so that this asshat (who doesn't even have a nice rack like her sister) can thrive on TRL?

Well shitty pop acts, here's the man who sacrificed himself for you. All of you should line up and kiss his ass because he gave up a million-dollar record contract for you. He went from being managed by firms to having someone named Ina take his bookings, which will definitely be off-Broadway.

So while you all shoot your covers for US Weekly and release albums called "Autobiography" and "Irresitible", think of this hack who sacrificed a potentially lucrative career of bad music just to save your sorry asses.

Now, I want to clarify some things I didn't in the first post. I don't consider Evan a part of the Christian Right. Like I said earlier, the Christian Right isn't Christians per say but the group of crazies pulpit bullies (Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, etc.) who use Christ to scare people into voting a certain way.

Evan isn't like that. He's my spiritual advisor, he's a guy who has legitimate beliefs and doesn't admit to understanding everything. Like I said, I respect the beliefs, I share some of the beliefs, but it's difficult to respect those who blindly follow.

Take Evan's pro-life stance. I respect that and he voted for Bush based on his pro-life stance.

However, how can you be pro-life and still be pro-war and pro-death penalty?. It never made real sense to me. As the governor of Texas, I'm sure Bush presided over as many deaths as a abortion doctor.

Oh, I forgot, war and the death penalty primarly affects lower class people. Now it seems to make more sense. We know how this administration feels about the working class and lower class. They want to eliminate it through any means necessary.

"I understand that," says the minister. "It's one of the many problems I have with Bush."

So we followed that by talking about the lower class and the primary difference between the two parties and how they are willing to recognize the have-nots and figure out ways to help...or hurt them. And Evan walked right into my trap.

"Do you really think we can stop the lower class?"

Hmmm. I guess it's disturbing coming from the minister, but I understand him.

"See this is the problem with the right, rather than try anything, they will just give up and go with what's easier. It's not easy to help the poor, to improve education and help the lower class rise. So rather than try to do it, they ignore the group and tax them more, cut jobs, cut education and put them that much farther back."

And that's the problem (or one of the problems) with the president. He has faith in god, but not in himself. He doesn't believe that he can stop the corporate takeovers or improve the quality of life for his country (education, environment, etc.) so he chooses to join in with the powerful because it's the easiest route.

I want my president to be extraordinary and a little unrealistic. I want a guy to say he's going to curb the homeless problem, he's going to add jobs, add income, improve education, make urban city life as safe as rural city life, fight the drug war, improve the environment, etc. etc. etc.

Unfortunately when that guy comes out the Rovians will demonize him as some amnesty crackpot and the guillable media will follow their lead.

It's all so depressing.

Days Until Vegas: 9

I knew I'd be taking in Sunday's Jets-Bills game (ugggh) with my friend Evan and I have to admit I wasn't really looking forward to the impending election discussion. Now I enjoy discussing these social issues with Evan because his background as a Pentacostal minister gives a different perspective, but I was afraid I'd be too frustrated to represent my side well.

After talking about the game, the weekend in college football and the new Mets manager, he just sort of asked me.... "So what did you think of the election?"

"Well, it was what it was...It was a close election but Bush won and I just hope he does better than he did in his first four years," I said.

And he was talked about how happy he was to her that optimism and how people just want him to do bad and hope America fails..

Huh?

Therein lies a problem. No one who lives here, or better yet almost no one who lives here wants to see this nation crash and burn. Many of us are afraid that's what's going to happen and I think we're justified but I speak for many when I say I hope Bush improves his governing skills tenfold.

Also, let me not point out the same people on the opposite end of the spectrum who couldn't stand Bill Clinton. I mean did they want America to fail? I don't think so, but they didn't like the man in office.

So for the last time...IT'S OK TO DISLIKE GEORGE W. BUSH!!!. It's not anti-American, hell it's pro-American to dislike authority because we're supposed to be free and what not...

Now to Evan's credit, he admittedly isn't happy with much of Bush's performance, but Bush's pro-life stance means a lot to the minister so it sways his vote. And I can respect that.

We went on to talk about the Christian Right. People have different opinions of the Christian Right. I believe the Christian Right is a glorified PAC who bully their way onto the pulpit and manipulate people by exposing them to hateful messages.

And Evan asked an interesting question, one that caught me off guard. Do I think a man of faith shouldn't be allowed to be president?

The first instinct is to say no but that's silly. Everyone in politics claims to be of faith, most are lying. So after a pause.

"Well yes, a man of faith should have to right to pursue whatever career path he likes. However, faith is a personal preference and should be used as such.

"Bush uses his faith as a scapegoat for his poor abilities to govern. No WMDs? Well he was just following his faith. Poor economy? Well the tax cuts were based on the faith he has. That's why a faith-based presidency is so concerning because he always seems to blame Jesus for every mistake."

I'll append more to this soon.