Since my wife is 8 1/2 months pregnant, I told her I would take care of lunch today while the kids were at school so she could relax. It figured it was the least I could do to help lower the stress level of a miserable woman who is about ready to pop!
One thing that continually amazes me about the St. George area is the vast number of good restaurants for a community of its size. So with that said, I decided to pick up sandwiches from Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. And although Capriotti's is a regional chain of sorts, it has the feel of a local neighborhood sandwich shop. On top of that, the sandwich I bought was one of the best I have had.
If you like turkey, you have to try the Cran-Slam Club. It is a triple decker sandwich with hand-pulled turkey, cranberry sauce, ham, mayo and lettuce. And of course I got it on wheat bread since I am trying to lose a few pounds to get into running shape! It was one great sandwich. I will definitely be going back to have it again.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Philpot vs. Matheson
In the race for Utah's second congressional district, it is interesting to hear what my friends and colleagues are saying about the two candidates; Morgan Philpot (R) and Jim Matheson (D).
Most of the feedback I have heard about Morgan Philpot is mixed. Even many republicans, while planning to vote for him, feel that Philpot doesn't seem to understand the demographics of the district. Observers draw this conclusion from watching and listening to Philpot look and sound like a candidate trying to sway voters of a younger age (i.e. He spikes his hair in the front and uses a vocabulary that you would expect to hear from a 25 year old). Philpot is struggling to rally his base in a year that he should have easily tied it down.
On the flip side, many republicans and democrats are not satisfied with the incumbent Jim Matheson. Democrats think he is too conservative, and republicans think he is too liberal. Matheson claims to be an independent, but most of the water cooler talk I hear leads me to believe that most don't buy into Matheson's self-proclaimed independent label. Upon review of his voting record, Matheson consistently votes with Nancy Pelosi, even though he touts the handful of times he broke ranks and didn't vote with his party. He continually reminds voters that he is a blue dog democrat, supposedly trying to keep the extreme liberal left of his own party in check. Furthermore, Matheson always falls back on his Southern Utah roots as a reason that he relates with the conservative, rural part of the district.
However, the fact remains that Jim Matheson is a democrat that helped bring Nancy Pelosi to power by casting his vote for her to be Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. My personal opinion is that Matheson's campaign slogan of him "putting Utah first" is a farce. He puts his own interests ahead of his constituents' interests. I would like Matheson to explain his votes for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker and with a straght face say that he believes those votes were the votes his constituents wanted him to cast. He couldn't do it without lying.
Additionally, it appears that Matheson broke ranks and voted with the republicans only on votes where Nancy Pelosi already had the votes she needed to pass the socialistic Obama agenda. If Jim Matheson was truly undecided on his vote for Obamacare until the day he cast his vote, which he claimed, that tells me all I need to know about him. He is either too stupid to understand that what his party is doing is destroying America, or he is putting his own interests ahead of his constituents. Either way, Matheson is not getting my vote.
So while many conversatives may buy into Matheson's propoganda, I hope they will come to their senses, overlook Philpot's perceived lack of credibility, and vote for the only true conservative in the race for Utah's second congressional district, Morgan Philpot.
Most of the feedback I have heard about Morgan Philpot is mixed. Even many republicans, while planning to vote for him, feel that Philpot doesn't seem to understand the demographics of the district. Observers draw this conclusion from watching and listening to Philpot look and sound like a candidate trying to sway voters of a younger age (i.e. He spikes his hair in the front and uses a vocabulary that you would expect to hear from a 25 year old). Philpot is struggling to rally his base in a year that he should have easily tied it down.
On the flip side, many republicans and democrats are not satisfied with the incumbent Jim Matheson. Democrats think he is too conservative, and republicans think he is too liberal. Matheson claims to be an independent, but most of the water cooler talk I hear leads me to believe that most don't buy into Matheson's self-proclaimed independent label. Upon review of his voting record, Matheson consistently votes with Nancy Pelosi, even though he touts the handful of times he broke ranks and didn't vote with his party. He continually reminds voters that he is a blue dog democrat, supposedly trying to keep the extreme liberal left of his own party in check. Furthermore, Matheson always falls back on his Southern Utah roots as a reason that he relates with the conservative, rural part of the district.
However, the fact remains that Jim Matheson is a democrat that helped bring Nancy Pelosi to power by casting his vote for her to be Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. My personal opinion is that Matheson's campaign slogan of him "putting Utah first" is a farce. He puts his own interests ahead of his constituents' interests. I would like Matheson to explain his votes for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker and with a straght face say that he believes those votes were the votes his constituents wanted him to cast. He couldn't do it without lying.
Additionally, it appears that Matheson broke ranks and voted with the republicans only on votes where Nancy Pelosi already had the votes she needed to pass the socialistic Obama agenda. If Jim Matheson was truly undecided on his vote for Obamacare until the day he cast his vote, which he claimed, that tells me all I need to know about him. He is either too stupid to understand that what his party is doing is destroying America, or he is putting his own interests ahead of his constituents. Either way, Matheson is not getting my vote.
So while many conversatives may buy into Matheson's propoganda, I hope they will come to their senses, overlook Philpot's perceived lack of credibility, and vote for the only true conservative in the race for Utah's second congressional district, Morgan Philpot.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Lessons Learned From the Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial Elections
While many pundits are trying to decide if the republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey are a referendum on President Obama, my observation is that most Americans are angry about the direction our country is going. Barack Obama maintains a moderate level of popularity, but that popularity is a result of his personality and charisma, not his ability to govern effectively.
Literally from day one of his administration, President Obama has done exactly the opposite of what he promised during the campaign of uniting the country and implementing the best ideas regardless of which party the idea originates from. But now his true colors are shining through as we see him dismissing republican ideas, attacking Fox News, and disparaging the thousands of Americans who attended town hall meetings and voiced their opposition to socialized health care.
I have to admit, President Obama would probably be a fun guy to play a pick-up game of basketball with. But as the leader of our nation, he is doing a lousy job. I might be a little biased since I am a conservative, but I am also an American and I can't stand to sit back and watch Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi move our country one giant step closer to becoming a socialized, European style country. They are steering our country right down the same road that Jimmy Carter took us on. Spending is out of control and then some, and inflation is bound to become a serious economic factor for all Americans just like it did back in the 1970s.
With his actions over the last ten months, it is not surprising to me that the back lash of Americans has begun. And while most elections revolve around local issues, most voters consider heavily the candidate's positions on national issues. And in this case, the republicans in Virginia and New Jersey came out victorious because a majority of Americans are already starting to see through Barack Obama's smoke and mirrors and they are becoming angry and want to turn the bus back onto the Reagan highway.
Literally from day one of his administration, President Obama has done exactly the opposite of what he promised during the campaign of uniting the country and implementing the best ideas regardless of which party the idea originates from. But now his true colors are shining through as we see him dismissing republican ideas, attacking Fox News, and disparaging the thousands of Americans who attended town hall meetings and voiced their opposition to socialized health care.
I have to admit, President Obama would probably be a fun guy to play a pick-up game of basketball with. But as the leader of our nation, he is doing a lousy job. I might be a little biased since I am a conservative, but I am also an American and I can't stand to sit back and watch Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi move our country one giant step closer to becoming a socialized, European style country. They are steering our country right down the same road that Jimmy Carter took us on. Spending is out of control and then some, and inflation is bound to become a serious economic factor for all Americans just like it did back in the 1970s.
With his actions over the last ten months, it is not surprising to me that the back lash of Americans has begun. And while most elections revolve around local issues, most voters consider heavily the candidate's positions on national issues. And in this case, the republicans in Virginia and New Jersey came out victorious because a majority of Americans are already starting to see through Barack Obama's smoke and mirrors and they are becoming angry and want to turn the bus back onto the Reagan highway.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
St. George City Municipal Elections
It has been quite a while since I have posted on my blog - a little over 8 months in fact. I decided today that although I am extremely busy with some big projects at work, I need to make the time to share my thoughts about the current events and issues affecting my community.
Yesterday, the City of St. George held its election for mayor and two city council seats. While I am generally pleased with the outcome, I do wish that Suzanne Allen could have had a better showing. Suzanne has worked extremely hard for the citizens of St. George over the last 16 years, and I believe that she has always had the interests of the greater good at heart during her time on the city council. Voters reelected Gail Bunker to the council where she will continue to serve the citizens of St. George for four more years.
After his third run at the St. George City Council, Ben Nickle won a seat on the council. I don't personally know Mr. Nickle, but I have some concerns about his ability to govern as a member of the city council and work effectively with the other council members. While some have criticized Mr. Nickle over his extreme positions on certain issues, my concerns are more with his demeanor and delivery of his message. However, I will wait and pass judgment on Mr. Nickle after he has had an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and intentions on the council.
Finally, while I do not always agree with Mayor McArthur on some of the positions he takes, I do believe that he is currently the right guy to be our mayor. He has worked hard and given his heart and soul to the city. He deserves our thanks for his commitment and dedication to service.
Again, congratulations to all of those who stuck their neck on the line and emerged victorious last night.
Yesterday, the City of St. George held its election for mayor and two city council seats. While I am generally pleased with the outcome, I do wish that Suzanne Allen could have had a better showing. Suzanne has worked extremely hard for the citizens of St. George over the last 16 years, and I believe that she has always had the interests of the greater good at heart during her time on the city council. Voters reelected Gail Bunker to the council where she will continue to serve the citizens of St. George for four more years.
After his third run at the St. George City Council, Ben Nickle won a seat on the council. I don't personally know Mr. Nickle, but I have some concerns about his ability to govern as a member of the city council and work effectively with the other council members. While some have criticized Mr. Nickle over his extreme positions on certain issues, my concerns are more with his demeanor and delivery of his message. However, I will wait and pass judgment on Mr. Nickle after he has had an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and intentions on the council.
Finally, while I do not always agree with Mayor McArthur on some of the positions he takes, I do believe that he is currently the right guy to be our mayor. He has worked hard and given his heart and soul to the city. He deserves our thanks for his commitment and dedication to service.
Again, congratulations to all of those who stuck their neck on the line and emerged victorious last night.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Daschle Tax Plan
As we hear the news of President Obama's cabinet nominees dropping like flies because of tax problems, I can't help but laugh at the hypocrisy of these liberal policy makers. For the past few years Tom Daschle, and I'm sure Nancy Killefer included, have been railing on President Bush and the Republicans for the tax cuts that were made law early in Bush's administration. These are the same people who have been advocating for a tax increase on those making over $250,000 a year and reversing many other aspects of the Bush tax cuts.
As we are now finding out, many top democrats have adopted a tax plan that they think should apply to them, while we, ordinary hard working Americans, continue to bear the burden of a congress that appears to have no concept of fiscal restraint. So what is this special tax plan the democrats have adopted? It's called the "Everyone Has to Pay Tax Except Me" plan. We know that Tom Daschle has failed to pay roughly $146,000 in back taxes, and Nancy Killefer quickly removed herself from consideration for the Chief Performance Officer position citing tax problems. Tim Geithner, the new Treasury Secretary, also faced grilling from members of congress during his confirmation hearing over his failure to pay his taxes. That is a novel concept - put a man who does not pay his taxes over the very agency that is charged with collecting the tax revenue for our government.
So after much consideration, I have decided that President Bush had a much better tax plan for America. A tax plan that lowers taxes has shown that it will stimulate the economy by leaving more of our hard earned dollars in our pockets for us to spend, while at the same time increasing revenue for the government. In addition to cutting marginal tax rates, cuts in capital gains rates, lowering taxes on dividends, and accelerating depreciation deductions for property, plant and equipment purchases will help give any economy a kick in the rear end and get it moving in the right direction at a faster pace.
However, if all else fails, I can always adopt the Daschle tax plan and just not pay my taxes. By doing that, I will have the additional capital to invest in the stock market or invest in any of my businesses and help create new jobs. Either way, I come out ahead and the economy comes out a big winner!
As we are now finding out, many top democrats have adopted a tax plan that they think should apply to them, while we, ordinary hard working Americans, continue to bear the burden of a congress that appears to have no concept of fiscal restraint. So what is this special tax plan the democrats have adopted? It's called the "Everyone Has to Pay Tax Except Me" plan. We know that Tom Daschle has failed to pay roughly $146,000 in back taxes, and Nancy Killefer quickly removed herself from consideration for the Chief Performance Officer position citing tax problems. Tim Geithner, the new Treasury Secretary, also faced grilling from members of congress during his confirmation hearing over his failure to pay his taxes. That is a novel concept - put a man who does not pay his taxes over the very agency that is charged with collecting the tax revenue for our government.
So after much consideration, I have decided that President Bush had a much better tax plan for America. A tax plan that lowers taxes has shown that it will stimulate the economy by leaving more of our hard earned dollars in our pockets for us to spend, while at the same time increasing revenue for the government. In addition to cutting marginal tax rates, cuts in capital gains rates, lowering taxes on dividends, and accelerating depreciation deductions for property, plant and equipment purchases will help give any economy a kick in the rear end and get it moving in the right direction at a faster pace.
However, if all else fails, I can always adopt the Daschle tax plan and just not pay my taxes. By doing that, I will have the additional capital to invest in the stock market or invest in any of my businesses and help create new jobs. Either way, I come out ahead and the economy comes out a big winner!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Launch of New Websites
I have been very busy at work lately as we have been closing out the year and rolling out our strategy for 2009. Between the various businesses that I am affiliated with, it seems that there is never a shortage of work to be done.
My partner and I have been working very hard to roll out some new, information rich websites that consumers and business owners alike will hopefully find useful and beneficial. A summary of our latest projects is as follows:
1. FreeHostReview.com is one of our latest offerings on the web hosting front. The site offers insights and reviews on paid web hosting providers as well as free hosts. If you are looking to host a website or blog, this site can help steer you in the right direction.
2. BestShoppingCartReviews.com is a site that helps business owners select the right shopping cart software for their ecommerce website. Online business has been a bright spot for many businesses during the current recession. This site can help a business owner find the right tools and solutions, including shopping carts, merchant services, payment gateways, and ecommerce web hosts that will help a business website succeed.
3. 100Best-Credit-Card-Reports.com is a site that we have recently updated and relaunched. This website is jam packed with useful information and articles about credit cards and how to apply for one, managing credit card debt and developing good financial habits. We hope many people will find this site to be a valuable resource and help them improve their financial position.
4. 100Best-Merchant-Accounts.com is another site we have recently updated and relaunched with great information for business owners looking to accept credit cards in their business. Merchant accounts are the vehicle for accepting and processing credit cards for all types of businesses and this site will guide a business owner to the best merchant account provider for their unique situation.
We are excited about these sites and hope they will be of value to many people. To all of you bloggers that may see this post, we would appreciate any feed back or reviews on these sites. A link to these sites from a blog post or your blog roll would be much appreciated.
My partner and I have been working very hard to roll out some new, information rich websites that consumers and business owners alike will hopefully find useful and beneficial. A summary of our latest projects is as follows:
1. FreeHostReview.com is one of our latest offerings on the web hosting front. The site offers insights and reviews on paid web hosting providers as well as free hosts. If you are looking to host a website or blog, this site can help steer you in the right direction.
2. BestShoppingCartReviews.com is a site that helps business owners select the right shopping cart software for their ecommerce website. Online business has been a bright spot for many businesses during the current recession. This site can help a business owner find the right tools and solutions, including shopping carts, merchant services, payment gateways, and ecommerce web hosts that will help a business website succeed.
3. 100Best-Credit-Card-Reports.com is a site that we have recently updated and relaunched. This website is jam packed with useful information and articles about credit cards and how to apply for one, managing credit card debt and developing good financial habits. We hope many people will find this site to be a valuable resource and help them improve their financial position.
4. 100Best-Merchant-Accounts.com is another site we have recently updated and relaunched with great information for business owners looking to accept credit cards in their business. Merchant accounts are the vehicle for accepting and processing credit cards for all types of businesses and this site will guide a business owner to the best merchant account provider for their unique situation.
We are excited about these sites and hope they will be of value to many people. To all of you bloggers that may see this post, we would appreciate any feed back or reviews on these sites. A link to these sites from a blog post or your blog roll would be much appreciated.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Painters Half Marathon
It has been a while since I have posted here. The last couple of months have been crazy with work, church, family and time spent trying to get into shape. We had a great holiday season and the kids were spoiled as usual on Christmas morning.
As the title of this post indicates, I ran in the St. George Half Marathon sponsored by Painter's. Liesel and I both ran in the race as we each have other races coming up that we need to prepare for. This is the first time I have run in this half marathon and it ended up being a fun race. There were around 1,500 runners participating in the race (about 1,000 for the half marathon and 500 for the 5K).
Liesel and I both ended up with decent times considering the condition we are both in right now. Liesel has only ran a handful of times since the St. George marathon in October and I have been struggling with knee and IT band problems the last couple of months. I finished the race in 1 hour 37 minutes and Liesel finished it in 1 hour 47 minutes. I was on pace to beat my goal of 1 hour 30 minutes through the first 4 miles, then my knee started acting up and I had to back down a little bit. (Click on the link to view the official Painters Half Marathon results)
I am now going to rest my knee for a few weeks and see if I can get it feeling good for the Ragnar Relay in Los Angeles scheduled for late April. Liesel is getting ready for the Ragnar Relay Del Sol next month in Arizona. After the Ragner in April, it will be on to the St. George Triathlon in May for me.
I am learning that at 34 years old I physically can't do a lot of what I used to. I have learned that rehabbing a knee from a sports injury and trying to rebuild strength in an arm that suffered a break from a snowboarding injury take time to heal. I am just pushing forward hoping to exceed more of my personal goals.
As the title of this post indicates, I ran in the St. George Half Marathon sponsored by Painter's. Liesel and I both ran in the race as we each have other races coming up that we need to prepare for. This is the first time I have run in this half marathon and it ended up being a fun race. There were around 1,500 runners participating in the race (about 1,000 for the half marathon and 500 for the 5K).
Liesel and I both ended up with decent times considering the condition we are both in right now. Liesel has only ran a handful of times since the St. George marathon in October and I have been struggling with knee and IT band problems the last couple of months. I finished the race in 1 hour 37 minutes and Liesel finished it in 1 hour 47 minutes. I was on pace to beat my goal of 1 hour 30 minutes through the first 4 miles, then my knee started acting up and I had to back down a little bit. (Click on the link to view the official Painters Half Marathon results)
I am now going to rest my knee for a few weeks and see if I can get it feeling good for the Ragnar Relay in Los Angeles scheduled for late April. Liesel is getting ready for the Ragnar Relay Del Sol next month in Arizona. After the Ragner in April, it will be on to the St. George Triathlon in May for me.
I am learning that at 34 years old I physically can't do a lot of what I used to. I have learned that rehabbing a knee from a sports injury and trying to rebuild strength in an arm that suffered a break from a snowboarding injury take time to heal. I am just pushing forward hoping to exceed more of my personal goals.
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