Not Lost for Words: For today's picture I actually came up with several different things and kept deleting them. Then I just decided that it would be best to not say anything at all, the picture says enough.

Last night was a real blast as I stood in the yard just taking picture after picture, just changing the exposure a little each time. I found a great site that showed the difference with apeture settings, time, ISO, etc. and it really helped. I can't imagine doing this with film. It was really great to shoot a picture and get the instant feedback.

I got back into the house and started looking at some of the things that I could do to improve the astrophotography and it can get really expensive. Basically I would get a really big telescope and then mount my camera to it. That can go for just a few hundred for a cheap telescope, or thousands and thousands for the really great ones. Don't think that I will make that plunge for a while.

Warning: The following blog is "political" and may offend some of the less intellectual thinking visitors to this site.

Gearing up for the future. Recently Howard Dean made a terrific speech in Edinburg, TX, just a stone throw from my folks. He said that the Republicans ("who have never made an honest day's living in their lives") are going to make immigration an issue in the 2008 election. First, I am personally getting irratated with all of the talk over the 2008 election in 2005, but I suppose that when you have lost the last couple of elections and you lost control of the House and Senate there isn't a lot else to do. But, this talk of how the Rebuplicans are against immigrants is like how Clinton was the first black president and did a horrible job in bringing blacks to his administration. When Bush brings Powell, Powell, and Rice into his cabinet no one said a word. Now the Rebulicans are against hispanics, although the President brought the first hispanic to his administration in Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General.

Now, is it wrong to want responsible immigration? We have ridiculously easy borders to cross. Those that come into our country immediately demand rights of citizenship. I have no problem with those who come into our country through legal means, but I do have a little problem with those who do it illegally. Twenty years from now we will likely have a DMZ-type of border on the south side, and possibly to the north. Liberals will yell and scream that we are denying the illegal immigrants their rights, but one nuclear detonation will quickly put that arguement to rest.

Once again a struggling party is trying to use the race card to win an election. It doesn't work. Why not focus on things that do work like how they are going to make America better? Sure housing starts are at a 20 year high and unemployment rates are low. So probably ought to stay away from discussing the economy. Scaring seniors into thinking that the mean old Rebublicans are going to take away their Social Security was the big card in the last election and that didn't work so I suspect that they won't go there again. The used to cry out that the unions were the salvation of our labor woes, but lately even the few labor parties that are left are splitting. What's a poor democrat to do? Well, thankfully they have a woman in the wings who will be their saviorette. Her philandering husband continues to bed any woman that comes his way and she smiles and acts like it isn't happening (as she has with all of his affairs/rapes).

Can't wait for 2008.

Just Walkin Around: Kind of had a good time this week just walking around with my camera shooting some pictures. I just found out that I am getting Pennsylvania as a territory beginning immediately. I am looking forward to the opportunites to shoot some new areas.

If I were President: You will rarely find a person more patriotic than I. However, my patriotism doesn't mean blind loyalty and when I see something that I disagree with I lke to say so. My country gives me that freedom. If I were President of the United States there are a few things that I would do differently, and one of those things would be to actually be at the office. Nothing miffs me more at my current job is when managers take lots of extended vacation time. I am not talking about a few weeks a year or extended weekends here and there. I am talking about the kind of vacation that President George Bush is taking. If it were a working vacation I wouldn't say a word, or if it were in other areas than Crawford, but this is getting ridiculous! He is up over 300 days in his current tenure as President the days that he has spent on the ranch. By the time that his term is over he will likely have spent almost a year at the ranch. Why does that bug me? First, I am paying for his vacation. Second, there are so many other places that would love for a visit from the president. If I were president I think that I would forgo any non-working trips. Now some of you may be saying "Rick, that is not right, everyone needs a vacation." I disagree. I have taken vacations, but I think that a person who is responsible for the running of our government should be able to give up vacations for at least the 4/8 years that they are in office. I want a President that is working 6 days a week and when he is out of the office he is seeing the people.

You know who I want to see for President? Someone who knows how to successfully run a business. Steve Forbes and Ross Perot probably would have made great presidents. Can you imagine if someone like Bill Gates were President? We would have Mexico and Canada in no time. And if his political practices are anything like his business practices we would have one language in no time.

Rudy Giuliani would be a great President. I am sure that some of his personal baggage would be a problem, but Reagan seemed to get by with a divorce and no one cared. I don't care for his anti-life stance, but everything else seems pretty solid. But I think that Rudy is probably getting too old to make a run. Some think that he will try in 2008, that will be an election to end all elections for mud slinging. Hilary vs. Rudy. Wow!