CPAC 2012

I know where I am going to be in February 2012.

I can't wait to be back with all my Conservative friends and experience the excitement of CPAC in a Presidential election year.

I'll be with the "Perry for President" crowd there.

Steve Jobs: The Visionary of The Computer Age

Steve Jobs died yesterday and technology fans all over the world were saddened to hear the news. However, it wasn't completely unexpected. Jobs had cancer and had been in declining health for several years. He had stepped down from his executive position at Apple several months ago.

News media and pundits around the world were all hailing him as the modern day Thomas Edison, or Henry Ford. I wouldn't go quite that far. There are still over a billion people in the world who don't have a computer or an iPhone. But there are almost none whose lives haven't been affected by the motor vehicles pioneered by Ford or the electric light bulb of Thomas Edison. But still, Jobs is in the same general zip code as those men.

Jobs was the visionary of the computer age. Although he made few actual breakthroughs or innovations, Jobs just continued to push the envelope of what was new and cutting edge for the consumers. People were eager to run to the store and give him their money to obtain the newest, coolest project he had created. His competitors were also creating personal computers and MP3 players and smart phones. Jobs just did things a little better and eventually started to dominate the market in digital music and cellular phones.

In 1974, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computers with a few thousand dollars in the garage of Jobs' home. In 2011 stock market valuations, Apple temporarily surpassed ExxonMobil to become the most valuable company in the world.

At his death, Steve Jobs had acquired a net wealth of $8.3 billion dollars.

In my opinion, he was worth a hell of a lot more than that.

We were lucky to live in the same time as Steve Jobs.

His speech at Stanfords graduation (above) is one of the best I have ever heard.

Sarah Palins New Deadline: October 28, 2011

Now that potential front-runner New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has dropped out of consideration for the 2012 GOP Presidential nomination, the spotlight turns to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Palin has hinted for months that she might run, but time is now running very short for her.

In order to be on the ballot in New Hampshire, you have to have filed the proper paperwork in advance of the election. The new deadline is Friday, October 28th. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner has had to move the deadline up slightly in anticipation of political stunts by the states of Florida and others who are threatening to move the date of their primaries. New Hampshire has for decades held the tradition of holding the first primary in the Presidential nominating races. Gardner says that New Hampshire will protect that "first in the nation" status.

So the question remains....will she run or will she decline?

I'm inclined to believe she will run.

She says she has the "fire in the belly".

She clearly can't stand Obama or his policies and what they are doing to America.

She has an army of ferociously devoted followers.

If she runs, she could probably raise $500 million dollars -- enough to compete with Obama.

But, lately in TV interviews, she has hedged her bets by making comments about the office of President being "restrictive" to getting things done. So, maybe she is leaning towards not running.

Her path is uncertain, and her choice unclear.....but we do know one thing.

In 23 days, we will know -- one way or another -- what her plans are.

Greek Tragedy

We are about to witness the most unpleasant Greek tragedy of all time.

The country of Greece is going to default on its debt.

Years and years of irresponsible Socialist leadership kept voting higher and higher benefits for people who did not work. Eventually, the math doesn't work anymore.

There are more people drawing out benefits than putting money into the system.

The system teeters on the brink...then collapses.

Greece is on the brink.

Saving them now only encourages more irresponsibility.

Better to let them collapse and start over.

Pensions, benefits...all of it nullified and voided.

The Greeks can start over with the drachma, a currency that will be nearly worthless at the start and will probably get worse from there.

The Germans and the French will probably dissolve the Euro and the European union may collapse. This may start a run on the banks and a total collapse of the worldwide economy.

Greece is a perfect example of why you do not let a government have too much power over its citizens. Bad things happen.

It's a lesson that we Americans are not too far off from learning ourselves.

"Losers" Occupy L.A.

Here is a classic photo of three losers who are part of the angry mob that has decided to "Occupy L.A" by taking over the south lawn at City Hall.

Two of the losers are fiddling around on their iPhones/Blackberrys.

Courtesy of those "evil corporations" who have made wireless internet service on their cell phones easily available in almost every location, and made it readily available to everyone at such a low price point that even these "poor, disadvantaged 1%ers" can take advantage of their cellular network services.

The same evil corporations that are ruining their lives.

These people are clueless. They are hypocrites and they are full of shit.

Why I don't believe in Herman Cain

Herman Cain won the Florida Straw Poll in a convincing fashion. So what?

I find it strange that some in the media would allow a private event like this to influence their view of the GOP Presidential Primary race. Congressman Ron Paul has won tons of Straw Polls. But he has never won a primary and he won't be winning the nomination in 2012.

There are things I like about Herman Cain... he seems to have a pretty solid background in business, and he talks about reducing the tax rates. Check and check. Those work for me.

However, there are several other factors that show me that Herman Cain isn't the right guy to be our President. He has never won elected office, and he seems to only be interested in the highest possible ones. He has run for President and U.S. Senate before, and he didn't come close to winning either time. To me, this shows that he has a certain attitude of self-importance. (What, he couldn't be a Mayor or Congressman first?)

One of the things I liked the most about Cain was his truth about Islam. He said he wouldn't hire a Muslim to be in his Cabinet if elected. I agree with this because Muslims follow a prophet who raped and murdered people. A prophet who encourages his followers to murder non-believers of Islam. If you can choose to follow someone like that, there is already something wrong with you.

Of course, when these comments started to be attacked by the media, Cain did the typical politician thing and started walking back his comments. I don't care for that. The truth is the truth, no matter how well you disguise it. If he can't stand his ground on those comments, I don't need him in the White House. I prefer candidates like Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry... who have made some controversial statements, but stand behind their positions. To me, that shows leadership and an unwillingness to bend to political correctness.

Cain also spends a lot of time talking about "reforming" different troublesome areas of our government. Again, I prefer Conservatives like Bachmann and Perry who talk about dismantling certain departments of our government and getting rid of them altogether. Cains conservatism doesn't ring true to me. He seems like a moderate who is willing to slide towards liberalism if pushed hard enough.

There are some strange people in our party who feel that we need to run an African-American candidate in order to beat Obama in 2012. I feel that this is crazy and the furthest thing from the truth. We need to run a competent professional in 2012, with a history of results. That is what will defeat the ineffective and incompetent Barack Obama. Not skin color.

Voters know a leader when they see one. Rick Perry jumped into the race and soared to first place over a pack of candidates who had been running for a year. Voters liked what they saw in him.

Herman Cain will receive a fair amount of votes for the GOP nomination. But he won't be our candidate in 2012. He is not good enough. I actually suspect Cain is "building his brand" so that he can win a race for Governor or U.S. Senate a few years down the road. He is certainly getting more famous and drawing in more supporters as he goes along... but I am not one of them.

Nebraska @ Wisconsin

I only care about one thing today.

I'm wearing my Badgers gear to support my school.

#7 Wisconsin plays #8 Nebraska in the debut game for Nebraska in its new Big Ten Conference.

Massive game.

ESPN Gameday is on Bascom Hill early in the day.