Romney 276

Obama 262

AND popular vote Romney 54%

No mandate. Just "not Obama."

I'm an Oklahoma graduate with 2 sons at the university. I love college football on several levels but the system today is surreal. I'll call on the muse of Thomas Sowell -- commercialize college football. Eliminate the sham of amateurism and the scandal of the NCAA. Playing for money would allow players and their families to make rational choices. Money would flow as it does in other professional sports. Given commercial success universities would be hard pressed to wean themselves from branding teams. But at least the forces might be more visible than they are today. College football is many things. It ain't pretty.

Refrigeration and its derivative air conditioning.

Von Neumann architecture and all the computing technology we use today.

Antibiotics.

Hydrocarbon driven power. Transportation, farming, military power, and manufacturing have been transformed.

Modern logistics that deliver a safe, rich, and historically inexpensive food supply; enables low-cost manufacturing; and puts a cheap cell phone in the hands of almost anyone in the world.

That fence is a great idea! Obviously,  California is included in the North. In a less than a generation we will also conclude that our interests have diverged. Let the South go and prosper. Leave the North with the entire Federal state of affairs. Can I bring a shovel to help get things started? Oh, and we need to be exceedingly cautious about visitors from the North. Stringent visa controls and all that. ;-)

These gizmos stink. Literally. I first faced these no-flush urinals at several of the large companies that I call upon for business. These include a leading no-frills, cost-conscious retailer at their headquarters buildings. No-flush toilets are unpleasant.

Clearly they must be cheap or such companies would not use them internally. In California I can accept their use as having another motivation. In Arkansas they simply must be low cost.

I was jumping out of my chair and cheering and then came the image of T-Paw. But still a great message.

I heard a title in a throw away line from Rob. I think it fits.

Derailed.

The entire line was something about hating to derail the conversation. But this train never even touched the rails. I think it would be a great name for the show

Well said, Katherine!

Dave, you set me to howling this morning. Great stuff. 

Ken, it's unfortunate that the myth of SS has been perpetuated since the program's inception. Some of my fellow corporate types still count on the "trust fund" to be good for another 15+ years. HA.

I resent the annual statement for my Social Security account. My employers and I have sent several $100Ks to Washington. I'm not banking on any benefit from that. Obama investment, eh?

Your point about the "retirement age" being raised as a matter of policy is unavoidable. It is simply a matter of demographics. The US cannot sustain the transfer payments.

The decision as to when I retire? I'm 51. 5 years from now our kids should be done with college. My assets just might offer alternative to the daily grind. Whee. The door will not hit my backside. If I have to work a bit longer so be it. Our personal plans are not built on gummit benefits. The risks created by runaway federal spending... that is another story altogether.

Finally, retirement is not idle time. There's far too much to do.

Congratulations and welcome, Mrs. K!

Sure makes me glad to have invested years of my life in raising MEN. Both at home and in working as a Scoutmaster. Somewhere and sometime the opportunity was lost to take 2 boys camping and show them how to be MEN. Gee whiz.

From the perspective of 2011, NO. But I am waiting to see the view from 2036. It may age well. It may not.

Not yet. And may it never be. I see a brilliant thought from raycon.

We are at a mere 28 years. Being happy and being happily married require an intense effort.

King, in my weekly business travel I frequently encounter automated check-in. Hilton properties are the first that come to mind. It is increasingly common today.

Hands down, Bugs Bunny.

A great memory of college days was Mel Blanc as a campus speaker. Mel was witty and fun. The characters were beyond belief.

The Disney empire bored me from earliest times. But I still find joy with Looney Tunes.