The whole band is in town rehearsing for our shows this weekend. Lots of different meetings last few nights. Made some time to watch the debates right in the middle of one meeting with one management team. They were in shock as I flipped on the TV right in the middle of the meeting so I could watch the debates. I just turned the volume way up and got really absorbed into it while everyone played name their favorite band while they waited for me. I think that they all think that I am insane. but I wasn't going to miss it.

So the entire country watched John Kerry wipe the floor with a very nervous and fidgety George w. bush. At times it almost appeared that bush was so scared or frustrated with his own performance and lack of information and knowledge that he wanted to walk off the stage. I don't think we have ever had a president so unfit for the job. None perhaps besides Ford of course, who never wanted to be president in the first place and just ended up there by some crazy twist of unfortunate luck. But boy Bush was just really off last night and Kerry of course was better than ever. I felt proud watching him and listening to him last night at the thought he may eventually be our president. But at heart I am pretty much a blind idealist so I wouldn’t take my admiration of the man too seriously. not even I do. I felt the same way about Clinton/gore in 92 as a kid, and we all know how they turned out. I'm not saying it was all bad ---the nineties were a pretty wonderful time for us in American, but that administration had its fair share of problems, that's for sure.

I know some people don't agree with me, but that's cool. I respect that. I always bounce back and forth in elections. Never take the repub or the democrat side a hundred percent of the time. just depends on the year and the candidate and the issues that are most important for the country that year. this year its Kerry and the dems. Maybe in four years it will be the other side or a whole different party. Just have to wait and see.

I was amazed to learn that we’re in the middle of a dead heat right now, which I think is truly amazing because I really can’t imagine anyone voting for bush after seeing him in these last three debates. I wouldn’t vote for him for president of any of my own little companies, let alone the biggest most powerful country in the known universe. I honestly can’t figure out what people are thinking when they see him speak and still want to vote for him for anything. But that's just me.

Although if you take a look at the map of the United States and how we voted in the year 2000, it is actually quite telling. It is divided between the blue democratic states and the red republican states. what you notice is that all the big city states like New York and la and Boston and phili and Chicago and Seattle voted democrat. And so did all the cool states like new Mexico and Wisconsin and Oregon and of course the predominantly upper class New England states. but then the majority of the states actually, all the small town American states, the rural states and farming states and southern states, what we city folk call the scary places in America all voted republican. telling indeed.

I guess its easier to sell “values” as a word or a concept rather than a real tangible thing we can put into action to these states. they can lose their jobs and income and health care and education and even lose their loved ones in misleading wars and still be sold “values” as a concept, rather than just voting for real values. It’s a phenomenon of the frailty of the human mind really.

And this whole thing about the word liberal being a bad word to these people is hilarious  our country was founded on the idea of liberty. And we have worked our asses off at defining and defending those liberties. Why the hell would liberal be a bad word? My brother and his wife voted for W in 2000 for no other reason than the abortion issue. I respected that. but they sure have changed their tune in the last four years. I think a lot of people have. but if these crazies somehow find a way to get W back in office for another four years and things keep going the way they are going for this country for another four years, God help us all, I think the whole damn country is just going to go berserk on the guy and mutiny. There's only so far the values card can be played before even the simplest minds begin to get the real picture.

Anyway, enough of that. Beaver is going crazy. being promoted again at his big oil company. Something has shifted in him now. he realizes that he is wasting his life by  not being in a job that is more focused on helping people. so mom just left me and flew home and now she is headed back out on a flight tonight to be with Beav and his family. I'll tell you, we are the luckiest guys in the world to have the mom that we do. she is just so there for us in her role as mother. Its so inspiring. She just says hang on I'll be there in five hours and hops on a plane to come be by our side and help us. she's always been that way since we we’re little kids. God bless her a hundred times a day please.

We have a real chance that our next election will be a tie and no man will win the majority of votes needed to win the white house. so I did some research to see what would happen. google it. its fascinating stuff:

How the Electoral College works
(CNN) -- The 2000 election was the fourth time the Electoral College selected a candidate other than the one who won the popular vote.
So do we the people really elect the president and vice president? Technically, we don't. Presidents are elected by the states and the District of Columbia, not by a national tally of voters. When you vote, you cast your ballot for electors who will vote for a candidate they are politically aligned with.
Most of the time, that means the candidate who wins the popular vote also wins the Electoral College vote.
There are 538 Electoral College voters, one per senator and representative from each state. The District of Columbia, which has no congressional representation, has three votes - the minimum.
California has 55 votes, while Texas (34) and New York (31) have the second and third most, respectively. Besides D.C., seven states have three votes.