I voted NO on 8...

...but I think I have an idea on why it may have passed, and why people with similar views to mine may have said 'yes.'

Let's forget the slanderous ads that we all heard and actually look at the issue. Obviously this is an equal rights issue; I would hope that any other logical individual could recognize that. And obviously, homosexual couples deserve the exact same rights as heterosexual couples. Tax advantages, inheritance and other estate benefits, child adoption, familial status for visitation purposes, etc....even the economic pain and suffering inherent in divorce. This is all a given, I'm sure, even for some people that said 'yes.' But I couldn't vote that way because eliminating unions between homosexual couples sets them back further than if those judges had just let things be. I can only imagine the subsequent legal challenges brought forward to further reduce gay rights, and that's just not okay. Adopting the simple mantra of 'live and let live' would be consistent with how I look at it. And why the hell not!?!

However, there is a truly inherent and biologic difference between hetero and homosexual 'life couples.' It is the instinctual defense of this difference that is so personal that makes it hard for most people to vocalize it....and also may have caused them to say 'yes.'

This biologic difference is that of a biological bond that a heterosexual couple can form that a homosexual couple cannot form, no matter how hard they try. It's not about rights, it's about science. And not even all heterosexual couples can form this bond....I have family that can't, and you probably do, too. That bond is the ability to procreate.

A homosexual couple cannot have offspring that has purely half of each of their DNA in it. That is something that is unique to most heterosexual couples. See, this isn't even a gay issue when you really think about it. It could have been decided by the people that got defensive and really were just saying, "hey, I have a kid that my husband/wife and I made. Can you two do that? I think not!' And surely any homosexual couple would have to concede that point. So what does this have to do with marriage?

Marriage is just so deeply rooted in religion that it's practically a religious word. Surely matrimony is a religious word, it is a sacrament after all. Most religions passively associate procreation with the matrimonial union by discouraging sex before marriage. We all know how often that's heeded in today's society, but it is still an ideal the deeply religious aspire to.

So, perhaps it's understandable that religiously inclined Californians, the land of 26 Spanish Catholic Missions and a highly Catholic Hispanic population, got a bit skiddish with homosexual couples adopting the same title of 'Marriage, Married, etc.' Perhaps these religiously inclined are fearful that their special bond, that bond which includes the ability to procreate, will no longer be recognized.

I guess if someone were to come up with a new, cooler, better name for matrimony and marriage, then religiously inclined folks everywhere could start using that name instead, and the civil courts (because I hope nobody thinks that they're going to force a Bible Belt Baptist to marry a gay couple. Live and let live, remember?) could issue Marriage Certificates.

I have a revolutionary idea, though. How about we give everybody blanketed equal rights under the law like the United States of America and the Great State of California are supposed to, and just call homosexual unions 'civil unions' (or a name they'd like to make up, if they'd prefer), and let's continue recognizing the biological distinction that the word Marriage passively recognizes. After all, that's how the government is able to get around the 'separation of Church and State' argument when issuing marriage licenses. Marriage has been a religious institution longer than a civil one.

What is so wrong with that idea? Huh? Why is that not good enough!?! And why is that too much!?! Live and let live, people!!!

Random Monday Thoughts

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted anything, and I hate being inatentive to my microcosm on the internet, so here we go....

On the Financial Mess...

Don't get it twisted, this bailout is not the end-all answer, but it's definitely a necessary step to restarting the US economy. It isn't going to stop foreclosures (nor should it) which means that housing prices will continue to fall for a while. The banking industry will consolidate further with failures and acquisitions over the next year or so, and the face of the US economy will be drastically different thereafter. It's bound to be an interesting ride going forward; it's already been pretty crazy since the rollercoaster started a year ago.

On Politics...

This election season is so played out.

On the Local Tip...

Vivan Los Doyers! The Blue Crew is headed to the postseason atop the NL West! What true Angelino isn't excited about that!?! Gotta love baseball in October, it's a nice Seguay to opening nite on the 29th, I'll let y'all stew on that one.

And those gloomy October mornings are already here, and it's not even the 1st yet!!! Geez, thought I was going to have a nice beach day on Saturday....DENIED!

Dumbing down the campaign trail....

While Sarah Palin's lipstick comment at the RNC was cute, firey, and funny, is a joke or makeup really a reason to support a candidate? Anyway, skin-deep loyalties asside, I just hope this lady meant to have her shirt spelled as such...though I don't get it if she did.

Any Takers?

I hear that Exxon sells much higher quality gas, worth paying a serious premium for. Maybe you'd like some, too. Check out the link, and thanks again to the Road Sage for taking the time to call attention to this.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/09/come-and-get-it.html

The politics of saying big things and yet nothing at all

Is anyone else pissed off by election season this go-around? Without a doubt, the last eight years have been really crappy for most all of us, and I'm pretty sure that everyone can agree that America isn't in the same position it was 10 years ago, when spirits were probably higher than they've ever been and everyone was in an SUV frenzy. Stocks were soaring and the American people were prospering. Uh oh, 'is he about to give a Democrat's pitch?' No, nor am I going to give a Republican one. I'm not a fan of partisan politics, I think they're counterproductive.

But this election's season is turning out like almost every other. Accusatory remarks and generalizations of platforms promising the People everything....from BOTH sides. Then listen to each opposing party's message and they're conveying that the other candidate is promising the OPPOSITE of what was said. How is this helpful?

I for one, would like some actually informative remarks. I did hear a solid statement from John McCain last night, however. He said that if elected president, he will double the dependednt child tax credit from $3,500 to $7,000. I know that people near and dear to me would benefit significantly from the implemententation of that plan. However, so as not to sound biased (because I'm not, I still haven't made up my mind how I'm voting yet), I was perplexed when the same candidate said that Barack Obama's plan was to raise taxes. I'm pretty sure that I heard Mr. Obama say that he wanted to cut taxes for 95% of all Americans. So I'm confused; are the Republican charges categorically false? Probably not, because nothing in politics ever is, but what are the taxes they believe he intends to raise? And on the flip side, what are the taxes he plans to cut? When you can throw out a number like 95% of the population, you'd better be able to explain that figure to me, otherwise I'm going to think you're just blowing smoke up my ass, which I'm not the biggest fan of.

Long story short and to summarize my point....unless these two candidates stop the BS and start talking issues and more specifically on how they plan to help the people and change the country, then McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, is correct in saying the election would be decided more by voters' views about the candidates' personalities than about issues.

And Mr. Obama, if you believe that your personality is really not why you think you're going to get elected into the oval office, then let's start putting some SERIOUS substance in your speeches and start talking to the American people about them, not John McCain. We don't know you so well, Mr. Obama, but we really would like to, honestly. Just be a true leader and explain to us what specific actions you are going to take in order to achieve the change you are promising. And I don't want to hear that you're going to cut taxes and spend money on programs without telling me how you plan to fund these programs. It's basic math; you can't take in less money and go out and spend more without going deeper into debt, which the average Ameircan is feeling pretty adverse to at this point, given the credit crunch and all.

Okay, end rant. Begin with the info gathering!

Another One...(couldn't resist)

Another classic "Hoofy and Boo"

Check this out....

Okay, so I'm a bit of a financial markets nerd, so I found this on one of my finance websites, but this is hilarious!

Thanks for the Shout!

The good Road Sage over at the LA Times is an excellent purveyour of Southland traffic knowledge, and it's an honor to be involved with a part of his work. Check it out!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/09/these-are-bike.html

Those Crazy Russians

Okay, let's get it out there; the recent Russian 'liberation' of South Ossettia and Abkhazia is rather unnerving. Not that I don't see what they are doing, and it's pretty smart. It's just their approach that's flawed is all, which makes me think that something else is up.

Think about it....Bush wanted to get us into Iraq and get Saddam out. Critics say he wanted the oil, and more critics looked at it as invading the sovereign country of Iraq. The Black Sea area is ripe with oil and natural gas distribution and production, and Russia has stood behind its actions as helping the people of S. Ossettia and Abkhazia while the rest of the world looks at it as an invasion. Parallels? Bush cried WMD, Medvedev is crying ethnic cleansing. Only difference is that Bush tried to direct attention to the WMD issue before going into Iraq, and that's where Russia has muddied itself with the rest of the West. Immediate unilateral military action without first saber-rattling is uncouth in Western Politics these days. But are we really going to descend into Cold War II over a misjudged communication slip?

One thing is for sure, though. This little sqwabble is most likely going down in history as a large bullett point in what will probably known as "The Energy Revolution." Who cares who is right and who is wrong and which state is sovereign, etc. What matters is that the Russians screwed up. The United States, led by people like T. Boone Pickens, who has more than a little influence over a good part of American aristocracy, has begun changing its habits. As this energy shift gains steam, it won't matter that China's energy need grows by a high percentage...in shear numbers, American consumption will decrease world consumption of oil as we switch to solar, wind, and natural gas, of which we have an abundance of all. Good luck propping up $100 barrells of oil when nobody wants or needs them anymore. So hang on for Cold War II, the Russians have gone short-sighted again, shooting themselves in the foot on the way to another economic bust. Moscow awoke from the coma of communism only to find that it was on life support, but apparently doesn't believe it and is about to pull its own plug. Crazy Russians!

Wait, where'd August Go!?!

Uh, time flies when you're having fun? Yeah, that's what I'm going with. Not that I'm sure that anyone reads this (I hardly do, so I can't blame anyone) but let me appologize for being a horrible ammature blogger and letting the entire month of August elapse without so much as a peep from this page. I have, though, begun watching television's greatest show, and have an example of how to conduct a blog. How great is Californication, by the way? I never really liked David Duchoveny, but I do now; Hank's the man!

And now that it's September, I've got a few things stored up to talk about and some material to share, so perhaps I'll actually be able to pay a little more attention here and not be such a terrible blog host.

Now back to your regularly scheduled internet surfing in search of additional methods of procrastination.

EARTHQUAKE!!!

Wahoo!!! It's been awhile since we've registered a noteworthy earthquake in So-Cal, and today we most definitely got one! Right around 11:45am, a 5.8 magnitude temblor struck in Chino Hills, 29 miles east-southeast of downtown LA.



Of course, I didn't really feel the quake, or at least didn't know what it was. I happened to be walking on the sidewalk after grabbing a drink at the Mobil gas station at the corner of Calabasas Rd. and Parkway Calabasas, cruising by the newsstands when they started shaking. As I looked up, a large tractor with an overhead shovel-scoop was scooting down the other side of the road. I was impressed with the effect that tractor had on the newsstands....until I got back into the office to everyone clammored around the TV to check the news.



Now, this 5.8 fun treat was nothing even close to the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, but it's been about that long since anything over 5.5 has been felit in LA, so naturally I got a little excited. That's right, true native Southern Californians actually get excited for earthquakes. Why? Because what are you going to do about them? You can't evacuate in advance like during a hurricane or tornado, or fire, and there really isn't anything that rushing around in a panic is going to accomplish, so why not enjoy the crazed natural occurance as it happens, right? I mean, obviously, finding a doorway to get underneath isn't a bad idea, but 'surfing' the ground over to the doorway definitely lightens the mood a bit!



Best part of this earthquake (which will get it off of headlines by the end of the day tomorrow) is that there is no reported damage from it. So, I hope everyone enjoyed the free E-Ticket today and remember, the fun only ends when buildings start looking like this one......

You're kidding....

Remember in 2000, when the Southwest Flight from Vegas to Burbank ran through the runway and came within about a hundred feet of the gas station? Oh yeah, check out the price board....

Up-Down.....check it out!

I've recently stumbled upon a financial social networking site centered around individual investing and various investment strategies. The site sets you up with a virtual $1MM portfolio, and actually pays you if you outperform the S&P 500 over a given month period. Sadly, I got caught up in the whole transaction process of it all and became over enamored with taking short positions, so the S&P kicked my butt in June. July has been a different story so far, however. Check it out, search for me, and add me! You can also post and read various analyses on every stock and ETF out there. Happy fake-trading!

Going, going, Gone!

Just wanted to pause for a moment of silence for Countrywide Financial Corporation, my former employer, which was assumed last week by Bank of America, another former employer of mine. I'll be damned if they come knockin' at SBBT's door, too! I left for a reason, so the giant that is B of A had better not follow me to the greener pastures I've found!

Let's Talk Finance

So, 2008 has been a crazy year so far, hasn't it? And it's only half over! The biggest theme of the year so far....finances, and how messed up all of ours are with this, the worst recession (yes I, Chris Bucka, am officially declaring this a recession) since the Great Depression. I almost laugh when I hear the over-optimistic economic analysts saying we've hit bottom- no, we haven't!

The United States' glory days were in the 50's and 60's, when the generation running the country had grown up during the Great Depression and helped build a better country because of it. So, while politicians and economists are making their best attempts to spin the sunny-side up, let's call this what it is, an introspective period where the American citizen must critically look into how he or she manages their finances. It's a time when credit procuring organizations should probably have their reins drawn in, with practices to limit the indebtedness consumers can get themselves into, and a focus on domestic savings. Let's try and stimulate our economy by getting the rest of the world to spend while we fix our financial mess at home.

Gas prices are at all-time highs. Are they going to go down anytime soon? No, so why aren't we putting any sense of urgency behind making mainstream alternative energy a reality the same way we put a sense of urgency in the space program when an actual leader was in the Oval Office and declared that we were going to the moon- and did it in under 9 years (too bad he couldn't see what we accomplished, but nonetheless, we made JFK proud). Are we that uninspired, or has our society regressed that much that we aren't prducing enough engineers and scientists who actually care to put in the research in this field. Surely, there's wealthy individuals out there willing to invest in what will eventually reap unbelievable returns as alternatives replace our oil dependence and free us from oil slavery.

So what's to come for the rest of the year? Hold on tight, because we're in a volitile BEAR market. Save your hard earned dollars, because who knows when the income stream may get interrupted in the near term, and let's stop spending frivilously. Let's also make our charitable donations domestically where they are needed. Yeah, I know they're starving in Africa, but are you aware of how many people in the United States have lost homes in the last 12 months due to natural disasters? Let's keep it in the family for now, folks.

On the bright side, dub-yah is gone in 7 months and we will be able to see a slightly clearer picture of how next year will play out. Perhaps we need an election to turn this economy around. I don't want to make any comparisons, but we did see some of the greatest government action after the election of 1932. Only problem is that we haven't really seen it since. But let's keep optimistic because, well, that's really all we've got, right?

Give it up to the Times!

....and mainly, Steve Hymon for taking over and vastly improving the quality of the bottleneck blog. As an Angelino, commuter, and disdainer of traffic and high gasoline prices, Steve's got all the issues covered! Here's a link to the bottleneck blog....

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/

From the ADD Desk of Chris Bucka

* $4.45 a gallon is ludicrous, and there isn’t any reason for gas to cost this much or for oil prices to be so high. A bubble is coming; supply and demand is as scientific a law as physics. If there’s an inconsistency, then obviously there are artificial influences. Geopolitical concerns, inflation of the dollar, and any other excuse do not explain how prices continue to go up when consumption has eased and irreversible consumption habit changes are being made to permanently curb demand, little by little.

* How the hell were the Lakers favored in the NBA finals!?! I mean, after game 2, I’m convinced that we really could take the Celtics if our team actually showed up, ran an offense, and remembered how to play defense and box out, but c’mon, Boston won 66 games this year. Did ESPN want to set up a Lakers-favored final so they could bash on us for losing on the road?

* Any asshole who does not support the subway to the sea, or any other proliferation of Mass Transit in Los Angeles, for that matter, should be taken out back and beaten by the masses that they are so selfishly stalling from improving their productivity and quality of life.

* California is in a serious budget crisis…..why haven’t we added a penny across the state to sales tax yet? That way, the throngs of tourists that come here every summer can help support the cause! And why are gasoline tax revenues being used for anything other than transportation? You don’t plug a leak by fixing it with another section of the leaky object; that does nothing!

* Salmonella: Not California’s fault!

* I had repeatedly bashed on Guitar Hero for being detrimental to the learning of instruments and to genuine musical talent and creativity, but after playing it for the first time over the weekend, I see the value it can add in helping to improve hand-eye coordination, and can definitely sympathize with the game’s addictive nature. Now, if only I can get good enough to beat “Black Magic Woman” on hard……

It's all I need to know...

...'cause they're KNX 1070, News Radio! Let's forget that I've called the traffic tip-line multiple times and have been able to get them to essentially give me a personalized report of where I'm headed, becuase that alone would be almost any reason you'd need to tune in. But in addition to the awesome traffic response, this newsteam is lively, sarcastic, playful, and informative.

For example, being in banking, I've had a few clients ask why mortgage rates have remained flat or increased slightly over the last couple of weeks even though the Fed Funds rate has been slashed over a point and a half. I had been trying to explain that the rates are mutually exclusive and tied to different economic benchmarks, but now I just direct people to Bob McCormick's podcast that covers the topic. It's a firey, quick, and highly insightful 45 seconds on the topic which speaks to the level of most consumers.

Again, I can't praise these guys enough, but don't take my word for it; go to www.knx1070.com and stream them live. It's the most entertaining news you'll ever listen to, and it's heavily in part due to the fact that it sounds like the personalities on air are having a fun time with what they do.

My Ballot for the KNX all star lineup:

Host: Jim Thornton

Anchor: Vicki Moore

Field Reporter 1: Vidas Sopranikus

Field Reporter 2: Aiden Pickering

Politics: Dick Helton

Money: Bob McCormick

Sports: Steve Grad

Traffic (studio): Tommy Jaxson

Traffic (chopper): Scott Burt

Traffic (air): Meghan Reyes