Exile's Island

This journal is now Friends Only!

If you are used to coming here for political posts they will be posted here from now on.

Comment if you wish to be added.

( My thoughts below )

just my $.02

It took two days before I heard the news and another to process the passing of Stuart. We never managed to meet in person, but he was a friend. All I've thought about since I was told early yesterday is, "A life well lived."

It is sad to see someone go, but I smiled at his outlook and the impact he made to many people. Not much to say except that I shall miss him.

Congrats Roger!

At long last...

The place is mostly put together. A few lingering boxes here and there.

Overall, not too bad. The living area feels sooo empty, but not sure how I want to fix that.

Oh well, I'm glad the move is over.

Not much else to report really.

Well, I am getting a townhouse with my boyfriend in 2 weeks. Packing is a BITCH. Unpacking might be worse, can't remember.

Next week the new Dresden Files book comes out - can't wait.

My Lego addiction is still running rampant.

I got my official 401(k) statement from last year with the profit sharing piece as well. -42% WOO HOO! Even with my contributions I lost money last year.

I've got other stuff to write, but I've packing to do.

For those who waited almost three years for me to write The Foundation Cracks I have good news. The end of A Knife in the Dark was written today. This promises to be the shortest chapter in years, but it also promises to be the easiest to write because I wrote so many parts of it years ago.

I can't say that L'Etat C'est Moi, The Rise from Ruin, or Endgame won't take forever, but each of those already have sections written as well. However, none have the ending written - Endgame sort of does, but not completely.

I have to admit that is sooo easy to get someplace when the road is clear and right now Knife has a clear road.

Love & Glory: The Foundation Cracks is now posted.

Sorry for the long delay - enjoy.

Love & Glory: The Foundation Cracks is finished! It will be posted this weekend; most likely Sunday. I know its been almost three years so this is like a huge weight off my chest.

I am still alive - just busy and having serious back issues right now. Also that LJ is blocked from work means lots of less time able to spend here. Anyway...

My boyfriend has a theory about Santa Claus, it is called, "Santa is a liar-face!"

It goes like this: Santa lies about who has been naughty and adds people to the list as his production falls behind over the course of the year. So it's not so much that people are naughty just that Santa is a bad manager of production and not very good at running the workshops. Thus Santa is a liar-face.


Well, I hope to be around more in 2009 as business will be down and I can't be as busy as I have the last 2 years.

Happy Holidays all!

At long last our national nightmare is almost over.

Oh what a night!

OMG! McCain is now toast.

I am such a political junkie. I'm looking at this, but Daily Kos has a great map they developed that I am watching as well.

Scoreboard

Gov. Palin yesterday - "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans."

Listen you anti-intellectual, ignorance-loving, unethical, lying hypocrite, how dare you infer that people who don't see things the way you do are 'anti-American' much less that those areas are also not kind or good. You are the worst kind of person one who thinks you know best for everyone and will not tolerate challenges to your worldview.

I'm glad America is getting a good look at you and exposing, as David Brooks referred to it, the cancer on the Republican Party. You are the very reason that Christopher Buckley endorsed Sen. Obama. You may get some people all hot and bothered like Rich Lowery or William Kristol, but in fact you are a sad pathetic human being woefully mismatched for these circumstances. In fact I would not piss on you if you were on fire, that is how much I have come to despise you.

To quote the great Barbara Jordan of Texas:

Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States: "We, the people." It's a very eloquent beginning. But when that document was completed on the seventeenth of September in 1787, I was not included in that "We, the people." I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. But through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision, I have finally been included in "We, the people."

Today I am an inquisitor. An hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution."

So Gov. Palin, if you cannot stand that people who do not support you are somehow Pro-America as well, go back to Alaska and help your husband and his 'pals' secede from the Union.

As of this week I am watching a man lose himself in bitterness and ego. It is as if he is all but screaming, "How dare you think he's better than me!"

The Ayers non issue is allowing some of the rhetoric the McCain campaign is using devolve into places they don't need to go. They are pushing anger at the idea that Obama may be president. That is NOT healthy in a civil society. Sure I've been plenty pissed when Bush won, but the idea of a riot never crossed my mind. The anger on display at McCain/Palin rallies now is borderline dangerous.

It is the pinnacle of stupidity to suggest that an association with a man who committed acts of violence in the Sixties now reflects on a person in the Aughts. That association was courtesy of the Annenberg Foundation. I have served on some Boards with some people I know nothing about and to say that I am responsible for their actions when I was eight is idiotic in the extreme. Serving on community boards is a way to promote civic pride and to get recognized. Obama's sin is that of ambition then and to dare to be close to the White House.

The Great Stock Market Crash of 2008 is going to lead to some serious economic pain. We were already heading that way, but it is going to get worse. Where we had a chest cold, we may get pneumonia now. I think Gordon Brown has the right idea - recapitalize the banks. take equity positions in the weakest ones and get them lending again. Call it a massive steroid shot to get the lungs to open up. If Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs get nationalized this weekend - so be it.

However, I NEVER EVER EVER want to hear about how markets solve everything. We forgot the lessons of 1929 and margin lending and excessive leveraging. Banks are required to keep capital reserves for a reason. Remember, this mess is less about the old school banks than it was about the big investment banks and other unregulated players and the gamble of making quick 'easy' money. There are no Investment Banks left on Wall Street.

The thing is, we are a in a mess and there is a man from Arizona who is trying to fire up his base and using examples that are either stupid or meant to play to the lowest part of humanity. The fact that those people at the rallies even think that Obama is a traitor is on McCain's head. It is to his detriment that he is stoking anger at the possibility that someone other than him will be in the Oval Office in January. He is failing to uphold his civic responsibility to make sure there will be a smooth transition of power. If there is violence, which seems more likely today than it did a week ago - on McCain's head it will be. And THAT is a present day association, from Palin's mouth to some nuthead's ear.

What is sad is seeing a man sell his soul and get nothing in return for it. A Market Crash and a worldwide financial crisis has a way of focusing an electorate. To bad it didn't grab the focus of the Republican nominee. Instead he's lashing out at shadows and trying to say that his opponent is the next bogeyman. Perhaps someone needs to remind Sen. McCain that Halloween is the weekend before the Election and not on it.

I looked at my end of Quarter 401(k) statement and almost cried. That doesn't include the total losses for October so far. *runs screaming*

Economics isn't my favorite subject, but what is going on right now is mass hysteria. People are running for the doors and that in turn just leads to more losses. If I had more spare capital I'd being buying the crap out of some stocks right now.

On the political front there are no words that express my absolute disgust and disdain for the Republican ticket right now. Sarah Palin is everything I find wrong with politics. She is uneducated and CELEBRATED for that fact. I find that it is so-called 'Joe Six-pack/Hockey mom's' that are the ones looking down on the so-called elites. It's like there is some pride in not knowing what history actually says or what science really is. It sad and it's wrong.

As for John McCain; who the hell is this man? When the going gets tough a person's true character is shown and he is showing himself to be a cranky, lying, two-faced hypocrite.

Current trend lines dictate a change in tactics, but at what cost?

There is one thing I would like to add as a footnote to all this: I have always viewed a house as a liability. They are money pits of repairs, taxes, and other assorted costs. Sure it's nice to have your own, but I fail to see why people think of them as investments. Part of this mess was people buying houses beyond their means and financial institutions letting them. Do people really need those granite counter tops or four bathrooms so no one has to share?

I don't know how things are going to play out, but I do know that we may be entering an era of austerity. And that is something several generations of Americans have never experienced.

I actually yelled, "FUCK!" at work when the Dow was down only 650 at the time. It ended down 777.68 which is about 7%. The S&P was down almost 9%. UGH!

The more I look at this campaign the more I wonder what kind of crack John McCain is on. Seriously, can he try any more gimmicks?

As for the mess on Capitol Hill; the carnage on Wall Street will continue until Congress addresses the credit markets. This is a liquidity issue and a mess of people being too smart for their own good and regulatory oversight not keeping up with the times. Washington Mutual died because of an old fashioned bank run and Wachovia is now being eaten by Citigroup. Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and Citigroup will hold almost 30% of all deposits in the country as a result of one major bank failure and one on the verge of failing. The only other major player with a decent balance sheet is Wells Fargo and I doubt they will risk their earnings and sacred AAA credit rating to take on a ton of bad debt from institutions that had lax lending standards and tried to get on the gold rush of mortgage lending.

I really hate to see what happens tomorrow.

***

In other news, I do have power back. I have to admit that I appreciated the total darkness in the mornings as well as the massive piles of debris. It was so creepy with only moon and starlight to walk down streets. It was great to see the stars without interference from normal city lights. Of course, against that there was the humidity and lack of A/C which was a major downer.

I really don't want to go through that again. This was my second major hurricane and I doubt it will be my last, but I can wait 25 more years for the next one.

we should get power back today; 16 days since we lost it. I am at the BF's house right now. I miss a lot of things, but reading at night without sweating is one of them.

Anyway, things are slowly getting back to normal around here.

VoicePost 121K 0:38

“Hi everyone. Just letting you know that things are -- not great but at least liva--- somewhat livable here in Houston. Um. Telephone service is almost back to normal. I can't get um information through my Blackberry anymore because the data lines I guess are nuts at the moment. Anyway um thanks to a cool front its not miserable, but lots of the city is still without power and everything and this is the first time I've been able to get a decent line out and post this. So anyway I'm good, and hope that everyone else is fine.” Transcribed by: lugonn

It is getting very windy here. I may be without power for a few days, but will let people know how things are here.

It is going to be a long scary night.

Am on Disaster Recovery for the Bank on Sunday. This is not how I wanted to spend my weekend.

Can i just say that I am sick of tropical weather this year! Dolly, Eduard, Gustav, and now Ike (Tina needs to run!) Current projection have shifted it slightly south, but not enough to deny lots of wind and rain to the Houston Metro area. Looks like a wet weekend.

**

Now, I don't rec many Internet original stories, but I'm a fan of spy stories. The author gets credit for telling the same general story from three different POVs. You get the hints of overlap, but each story is has its own unique elements.

The Light in Your Eyes

How to Handle a Gay Son

and finally, my favorite (and it is a WIP):

Mann of My Dreams

I don't lie very well. I don't. And I cannot get myself to say that Barak Obama is the best person to be Commander-in-Chief. Seriously, given the Russian power play in Georgia, which I happen to think is entirely about strategic control of oil and gas routes out of the Caspian region, I'm not feeling the "Obama is a great leader" line.

Secondly, I don't trust Joe Biden ever since he pushed the changes to bankruptcy law. I definitely think of him as Joe Biden - (D) MBNA instead of (D) Delaware.

Where does this leave me? Leaves me pissed off that Al Gore didn't run, but who wants to clean up the mess W has left behind?

I am not going to watch any of Democratic National Convention. I don't need to hear Obama lie about what he plans to do since I have zero faith that he has any conviction to do any of it. He bad mouthed moves toward Universal Healthcare in the primaries and that is the ONE thing that can really help the economy - both for employers and employees. I sincerely hope that the Dems pick up 9 Senate seats to make the magical 60 and go for real Healthcare reform.

I don't plan on watching the RNC next week either, but it does have the value of seeing how few references are made to the sitting president. Someone could make a killing with buttons that say, "George Who?"

Wake me when it is all over. Maybe I can become at Ex-Pat and live in Belize.

I really hesitate to make any announcement on when The Foundation Cracks will be posted. There have been some minor updates to the website and the story is approaching conclusion. This chapter is really like climbing the last rise of a mountain for the whole series; so many pieces have to be put in place for the end to be complete and meet my expectations.

140 pages have been written and edited so far. However, I am at least another 20 pages or so from completion baring other thoughts coming into my head and requiring adjustments. I'd hoped to have this finally posted by Labor Day, but can't make that promise.

I've posted snippets in the past and here is one as well.

This is from June 2017

( The Foundation Cracks )

I usually don't make this a habit, but I have share books that touch something in me.

Three fortunes in one cookie

The writing is slightly confusing who is saying what during dialog, but the heart of the story is a Southern boy named Phillip Powell, who ran away from his life in Mississippi to New York City. The story is one of family, friends, bitterness, love, and truth.

There are a few other books of late that I've enjoyed and may or may not say something about them. I just reread Flying with Angels which is a slightly depressing story and ends too quickly, but it has good characters.

I've discovered I'll go with the flow on a book if there is a strong aspect to it, like characters or plot. But my bookshelves are littered with books that failed to capture me fast enough to finish them. I'll try again from time to time, but that isn't guaranteed.

I don't do this often, but there is a book I received fro my birthday. My Fair Captain by J.L. Langley is an incredibly fun, exciting, erotic, and adventurous tale.

Now, I almost didn't want to read this because I've picked up two of her other books and wasn't that impressed. Without Reservation and The Broken H were okay, but weren't exciting. THIS book was a page turner. I almost wanted to call into work so I could finish it.

This is a romance, science fiction adventure, and erotic novel all in one. Hell, even without the sex this would have been a great read. (Some of the sex scenes were distracting from the plot.)

I found this book inventive and funny as well. At 300 pages, its a quick read. I truly hope that this becomes a series because there is so much that can be done with this universe.

saw it, LOVED it!!!

It is my pleasure to say that my friend, beresfordlane has just posted With Charity for None. It has been four and a half years since this series was updated, but there it is.

Enjoy!

SVU will have a closeted jock case next week."

Bailey Chase will play the football player facing issues. I like Bailey is a smoking hot guy. ROAR!

The think is I recall an active duty Oiler (Houston's old football team) who committed suicide right after his lover died by being ejected from the convertible they were driving in. There were a few other circumstances that are gruesome about the case, but gay jocks happen and back then it was probably even worse to be outed than now.

NOTE: There are NO 'Out' active gay players in a major professional sports league in the United States. Several have come out after their playing days, but none while playing. Out Magazine did spark a massive controversy several years ago when their Editor wrote about dating a baseball player from one of MLB's East Coast teams. Players came out actively stressed their heterosexuality. Odd, but true.

Soooo...I'll see how this show handles the subject and get some eye-candy in at the same time. :)

Small Favor, the tenth book of the series, came out on Tuesday and I finished last night.

"DREAD BEAST MISTER!" I love this series and this book did not disappoint. I now am stuck waiting for months or years for book 11. *sigh*

I'll post my full thoughts later.

I went to the precinct convention (Caucus) yesterday and it was packed. Actually it was chaotic, but it's the Democratic Party which is like herding cats. The voting did not end until 8:30 and then the caucus could begin.

I will be attending the Senatorial District Convention as a delegate for Hillary Clinton. I was the top Clinton vote getter. I can't wait for the Senate convention. No idea if I even want to try to go to State. Very remote possibility, but that could be fun.

I am amazed by the turnout in the election though, over 2.8 million people voted in the presidential primary. WOW! Don't forget that Texas is supposed to be the Republican Crown Jewel. Not saying Texas is going to go 'blue' this fall, but if it does start trending purple then national electoral politics will be a changing.

Finally, my DEEPEST sympathies to Iowa and New Hampshire. We only had 2 weeks of political ads I don't think I could stand MONTHS of them.