I am from smack dab in the middle of Gen-X so I am an intrinsic philosophical enemy of the Boomers. They worshiped corporate loyalty we spit on the concept. They wanted to change the world, we just want to live in it. They wanted to fix every problem with more problems, we want to just find out what works. Boomers obeyed authority, we ignored it.

Generation-X slacked all of those years because we knew that we would need their energy later in life to clean-up the mess they were gonna' leave us with. So you better thank God your future is in the hands of a bunch of individualistic pragmatists who like to have fun.

Quick,

I hope you are right about the the three TD's. I always get nervous about the Hogs, they have been a spoiler team for LSU in the past. Still I think the Tigers can beat them handedly but until we are in the BCS championship I am gonna' keep treating it like we have a whole season ahead of us.

On the Heisman front don't forget the Mathieu, the infamous "Honey Badger." Although the shot he took against the kid in the Alabama game was BS.

LSU - Oregon has still been my favorite non-Husker game of the year. Les and Chip are about as unconventional as college ball gets.

Quick, I still talk about that damn game! The Ducks truly do possess a high octane offense. That being said I would not be bummed out at all if LSU played Oregon in championship, that is if LSU makes it. (I don't want to get cocky.)

Well, the grass is always greener in Death Valley anyway,...and Les said it tastes pretty good too. 

Dave, Les was quoted as saying that Death Valley has the best tastin' grass in the NCAA. It may be the secret to his brain power. Either that or the hat is the real coach and Les is just its host.

Dave,

That is a totally acceptable segue from the topic! The grass in Death Valley is fueling the Mad-Hatter's diabolical brain.

...you've gotta have some sort of pain threshold to go that long without modern hygiene amenities and sleeping comforts...

True, but don't forget, if there is pot in every tent, pain is severely muted with every puff.

Thought I was the lone Tiger's fan here in the mix. All I have to say is the Ducks are gonna' learn what happens when you grab a Tiger by the tail. 

Lol, if they interfere with the opening game of the NFL season it is more than on.

 Hmmm...when a Tiger fights a Duck what tends to happen? The Duck gets devoured. Kidding. I went to LSU for three years so I am obviously a die-hard. Still the Ducks and BSU as well are my favorite Western teams. Good luck, it's going to be one helluva game!

I don't fear what will happen if he is not re-elected. I fear what will happen if he IS re-elected!

Simple...generational awarenes and generational change. Most Baby-Boomers have spent their working adult years paying into a system which promised benefits to them. In other words they want a return on their "investment." As a person who is considerably younger than them, I have be resigned to the fact that Social Security and other entitlements I might have received, either won't be there or will be severely parsed down. This is why I think that over the past 10-15 years we have had 401 k's, IRA's, etc. incentivized and then had it crammed into our grey matter, be prepared for retirement, you can only count on yourself.

Fruthermore, I think you might see a different attitude when today's 40-30 year olds dominate the electorate and political landscapes. Since most already feel the safety net has holes in it, trying to fix it may not be that big of a deal to them in the future. Of course this is just my opinion, not fact. BTW, good topic.

Rob-Thank you very much for your greetings. It's great to be here and I will remember your advice.

Bryan-I like the idea of a Flat Tax. However, are we talking about a flat sales tax or just a flat tax on income?

Terrell-Mellon was a fascinating man. I first read about him in Amity Shlaes's book the "Forgotten Man" and was amazed at how FDR, the patron saint of the Left, ruthlessly attempted to destroy him.

And yes your final statement in your comment is a truism. Just a little reading of men like Mellon or even Reagan put's their legacies in an even better light than the myths we now swim through. We degraded their real accomplishments with propaganda designed to canonize them, not appreciate their talents and wisdom.

I believe precedent may be on Amazon's side. In Quill Corp. v. North Dakota the SCOUTS ruled that a company must have a physical presence in the state in order to be taxed. Of course, the depth of Amazon's physical presence in California is what is in question here.

Mr. Rahe,

Since you invoke Brutus to Cassius, let me remind you of Thucydides's words:

"We alone regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as a harmless, but as a useless character: and if few of us are originators, we are all sound judges of a policy. The great impediment to action is, in our opinion, not discussion, but the want of that knowledge which is gained by discussion preparatory to action. For we have a peculiar power of thinking before we act and of acting too, whereas other men are courageous from ignorance hut hesitate upon reflection. And they are surely to be esteemed the bravest spirits who, having the clearest sense both of the pains and pleasures of life, do not on that account shrink from danger."

Rep. Ryan has already thought and hesitated...twice.