Though Ms. Palin was clearly, painfully, not ready to take over had President McCain passed away in office it is also clear that she sets a leadership example that all of us, D, R, and I should show respect.

Ms. Palin attacked the obvious corruption in her State, and in her Party quite effectively at a time before the current crisis of national corporate and government leadership. Viewed in this perspective the continuing righteous vitriol from the left, strongest from 'independent' women, takes on a different meaning. Are these vocal folks actually nothing more than the patsy retaliators for the man? For the alcohol drug addicted man who thinks anyone who asks for personal responsibility from them is a sex predator?

We need more Sarah Palins, lots and lots, and each in her own style, whether it be Democrat, Republican, or truly 'independent'. And, FWIW, who cares if they are qualified to be President or not?

The de facto Republican in the King County (Seattle and environs) Executive race, Susan Hutchison is running her race as a Sarah Palin. Her campaign is really just getting going after an easy cruise through the primary based on name recognition - but as of today it sure looks like we've got a Sarah Palin - **without** the predilection for tackling Washington State's not unrelated corruption,

Perhaps what we truly need right now is a Sarah Conner?

And, of course, Arnold?

I think it is safe to say that Barack Obama's presidential honeymoon is fading as quickly as summer 2009 and that an objective look at the man and where he is going is timely. All of us after all are along for the ride. Perhaps we all need to get on the bus and head back to school?

And what better measuing stick than the student Sarah Palin, another relative political neophyte? Obama is no doubt the quicker study and much better versed on foreign affairs. But when it comes to domestic matters is his inexperience our greatest danger?

It's been said that corporate America has become about privatizing profit and socializing risk - well under George W, corporate America became about legalizing private fraud and socializing corporate thuggery.

And Obama, in name of moderation and being pro-business has done nothing but continue to assist these Chicago school gangsters to operate through the likes of Haliburton, Goldman Sachs and the protection racket AIG - with the full support of our federal government.

Mr. 'O' - this Fall is your opportunity, perhaps your only one, to step up to the plate and lead an honest America. Fail, and you corrupt us all and turn us into nothing but the corporate version of the USSR, complete with an alcohol ridden aparatchik quite happy to sit in their smoke free rooms decrying the degeneracy of the working American Man, and Woman.

Or, in other words, let's stop ourselves from throwing the entire country **under** the bus....

My plan was to head towards Mount St. Helens and take a second shot at getting some full moon shots from the blast zone, then head east over White Pass ahead of the forecasted Saturday storms. Well, now I know why they call the access point on the east side of St. Helens 'Windy Ridge', especially when the storms come in a bit quicker and stronger than forecast.

Goat Rocks from the east of the Cascade mountain crest was promising, but not on this weekend, perhaps the wettest Labor Day ever in Washington. It is amazing how quickly 40 mph winds and winchill combined with heavy sleet can make you start to go hypothermic.

In economic theory positive thinking has been proved to be directly related to economic performance. Positive or negative expectations are self fulfilling, but not as some elected leaders would like to believe are they the only thing that matters.

So, on this 9/11, 2009, let's take a look at our mental economic twin towers - are they standing tall or collapsing in a pile of dust? What will it take for our perception of economic details to reset with reality?

September 11 should stay as a day of reflection on the operation of our financial markets. As such I wonder if the massive removal of senior Financial professionals due the World Trade center disaster was a factor in the collapse of the financial markets last year?

Could it be that professional integrity was so concentrated in the industry that a single disaster removed the ability for the profession to self-regulate itself, to keep it's 'penis' in its pants?

Could be, but who knows?

Wit

Starring Emma Thompson

Directed by Mike Nichols

2001

A first person account of the cancer experience - coincidentally also the most expensive in American health care. Emma Thompson is superb in this role, but be warned it is a very tough and honest movie.