Bits and Pieces for the Week of February 24 - March 1

Naomi Wolf, author of The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot writes, Why Barack Obama Got My Vote (7 of 6)

Officials: Clinton aides threatened lawsuit over Texas caucuses. "The Texas Democratic Party warned Thursday that election night caucuses scheduled for next Tuesday could be delayed or disrupted after aides to Hillary Clinton threatened to sue over the party's complicated delegate selection process." Go on Hillary... the sound of desperation is deafening! (7 of 6)

Excellent article: Obama's Mercenary Position - Jeremy Scahill "Hillary Clinton's staff did not respond to repeated requests for an interview or a statement on this issue." (7 of 6)

The best site I have found on Delegate and Super Delegate tracking. Guess what?... If you count MI and FL, Hillary is leading. For the good of the Democratic Party, let's hope that the nominee is decided March 4th! (7 of 6)

Just in from the "Rumors too good to be true" file: Romney may reenter race (Mike)

There wouldn't be so many water shortages if there weren't so many desalination plant 'shortages". It's a problem with a solution, both just waiting to be combined by currently ignorant governments. (Mike)

John and Elizabeth Edwards To Join Anti Iraq War Groups to Launch Multimillion Dollar Iraq/Recession Campaign (7 of 6)

DemFromCT at Daily Kos has the best update on the latest scandal from GOP frontrunner John McBu$h, er... John McOld, er... John McToast, er... John McCain. And in fairness, let me include the The Phoenix New Times, 1994 sordid prescription drug affair, involving Cindy Lou Hensley McCain, and the desperate measures a woman from a rich family, with a powerful husband will go through to stop a scandal in, Opiate For the Mrs. (7 of 6)

As I drive around Los Angeles every day I am amazed at the number of hybrid cars. I'm sure that many owners bought theirs because it was the environmentally "right" thing to do (it's the reason I got mine in 2002). However, I'm pretty sure that the majority of owners decided on their purchase because of the price of gasoline. I'm sorry to see so many low-income people paying exorbitant prices for their gasoline. The fact that the oil companies wring every last cent out of us in order to maximize their profit only adds to the overall misery.

Part of me hopes that the price of oil continues to rise, thus swaying even more people to drive hybrids or increase their demand of electric cars. I find that hybrid drivers tend to be better-behaved on the road, rarely are involved in accidents, and their cars rarely break down. Give credit to Toyota (and to a lesser extent, Honda) for designing quality hybrid vehicles and making them reasonably affordable.

What I'm really waiting for are mass-produced electric cars. It looks like we're about 2-3 years away from that, and I think my Prius will hold out 'till then. In spite of what one might read, the technology for electric cars is already here. What we need is a commitment by an automaker (like Toyota did with Prius) to push to model out there and let demand catch up with supply. Toyota did not adequately plan for the response and for a couple of years the demand actually outpaced the supply. I am convinced that the demand for electric cars is there and the car buyers will eat up a supply of moderately-priced cars that will get a couple hundred miles on a charge. I wonder which car maker will take the first plunge.

“Every conservative – every person who loves freedom – should thank God for William Buckley… and thank God for not giving the Left a William Buckley." - - - Richard A. Viguerie, publisher of ConservativeHQ.com

As a member of the "Left", I must wholeheartedly agree with the last part of that statement.

"The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair." --H.L. Mencken

FRIDAY F U N

• How many of these obsolete skills do you possess?
• A 360-degree view of the inside of the cockpit of an Airbus A380
• Test your company logo recognition. I scored 80%.
• Get your turkey leg phone today!
• I'm not quite sure how to describe this site. Just go and have some doggy music fun!
• Really cool hyperbolic space models, or really bad crocheting?
• Big companies try to steal others' artwork (give it a few seconds to load)
• Make any wall into a huge dry-erase board (without changing the color)

Bits and Pieces for the Week of February 17 - 23

OK, it's agreed that Bill O'Reilly is a scumbag, this takes the cake! “I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there’s evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels.” Re-think that, asshole, "Unless there's evidence!!" Where is the secret service on this kind of threat?? (7 of 6)

Woo-Hoo!! Teamsters Union to Endorse Obama! My wife is a Teamster and we are both Obama supporters (after Edwards suspended). I didn't think Hoffa Jr. would forget Bill Clinton's ties to NAFTA or that Hillary's campaign manager, Mark Penn, is a Union buster. (7 of 6)

Scientists Say SARS Originated in Bats. Damn Vampires! (7 of 6)

The credit crisis is starting to hit other-than-home: NEW YORK - Troubled retailers Sharper Image Corp. and Lillian Vernon Corp. have filed for bankruptcy ...and... a California city is on the verge of bankruptcy ...and... a boom in bankruptcies (Mike)

Well, one respected political pundit has called it for Obama. (Mike)

Depending on your point of view, this stick-figure Subprime Primer slideshow is either brutally hilarious or just plain brutal. (Mike)

The 12-step program for worldwide economic crisis. We're now entering Step 3. (Mike)

Steve Soto describes what I've been saying for a long time: watch out for McCain. We're spending so much effort on Clinton vs. Obama, we've lost track of McCain and the very sobering fact that he can easily win the election. (Mike)

People can't wait for bu$h to be gone, especially in Africa. Get used to it bu$h! Get over the fact it's not 'all about you' anymore! (7 of 6)

Bits and Pieces for the Week of February 10 - 16

Oh my, get some smelling salts, I'm feeling faint! The Democrats have actually opposed Bush! (Mike)

Dumb idea of the year: Astronauts bring a gun on space flights. Whom do they expect to encounter: burglars? cowboys? space monsters? astronauts who've lost it? Actually, that last one is a possibility. Supposedly the gun is for protection in case they land outside their target range on Earth. I know I might get a little pissed if a space capsule lands in my backyard, but I'm not going to treat them as trespassers and start attacking them (unless they use my pool and outdoor barbeque without my permission). (Mike)

So, how do you cover a $1 Trillion loss? (Mike)

Barack Obama defeats Bill Clinton... for a Grammy. (7 of 6)

Pavlo

If you appreciate good music, then you may have heard about Pavlo. I had the immense pleasure of seeing him perform live a couple of years ago (having never heard of him before that) and was hooked on his music before the show was half over. The music is Mediterranean jazz style, but just barely. I can only say that if you like energetic, colorful, melodic and original music, you will likely enjoy Pavlo. The video below is an intro to a PBS special that he'll be doing around June of this year.

100,000 and Counting

Sometime today LEFT is RIGHT will reach 100,000 hits. I could go with some standard expressions, like:

"It's been a labor of love....."
"When I started this it was just a simple blog....."
"Many thanks to our loyal readers over the years...."
"So much has changed since I started this...."
"Onward to the next 100,000....."

And so on. But really, when all is said and done, the most important things are that I gained a friend in Arizona (7 of 6), gained a much better perspective on life and politics, and lost my desire to partake in protest marches (big waste of time). Oh, and I learned how to do some basic HTML coding (woo-hoo!).

Thank you Blogger/Google for giving to me this free medium for communicating my thoughts, ideas and opinions. I can't imagine what kind of dictatorship we'd be living in these days without the internet tubes at our disposal.

Our Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate just sold us all out, as aptly expressed by Glenn Greenwald (snippets):

"....That's really the most extraordinary aspect of all of this, if one really thinks about it -- it isn't merely that the Democratic Senate failed to investigate or bring about accountability for the clearest and more brazen acts of lawbreaking in the Bush administration, although that is true. Far beyond that, once in power, they are eagerly and aggressively taking affirmative steps -- extraordinary steps -- to protect Bush officials. While still knowing virtually nothing about what they did, they are acting to legalize Bush's illegal spying programs and put an end to all pending investigations and efforts to uncover what happened. "How far we've come -- really: disgracefully tumbled -- from the days of the Church Committee, which aggressively uncovered surveillance abuses and then drafted legislation to outlaw them and prevent them from ever occurring again. It is, of course, precisely those post-Watergate laws which the Bush administration and their telecom conspirators purposely violated, and for which they are about to receive permanent, lawless protection. "What Harry Reid's Senate is about to do today would be tantamount to the Church Committee -- after discovering the decades of abuses of eavesdropping powers by various administrations -- proceeding in response to write legislation to legalize unchecked surveillance, bar any subjects of the illegal eavesdropping from obtaining remedies in court, and then pass a bill with no purpose other than to provide retroactive immunity for the surveillance lawbreakers. That would be an absurd and incomparably corrupt nonsequitur, but that is precisely what Harry Reid's Senate -- in response to the NYT's 2005 revelations of clear surveillance lawbreaking by the administration -- is going to do today." "....There's a temptation, particularly on days like today, to talk about what motivates "Democrats" -- as though they're a monolith acting collectively with the same drives. They're not. Some do what they do because their only concern is a craven desire to be re-elected. Others believe in one thing but are afraid to vote that way (because they'll be called Soft on Terror, Liberal, etc.), while others still are influenced by Beltway money and other cultural pressures. Some are motivated by a combination of those motives. "But a large number of elected Democrats vote in favor of the radical Bush agenda for a very simple reason: they believe in it. Despite the glorious "D" after their name, their views are materially indistinguishable from the defining ones of the Bush faction on the key issues. A huge portion of Congressional Democrats are members of the corrupt, bipartisan Beltway political establishment first, and everything only follows that, and they thus embrace and support the values of that establishment. "That's why Bush has won and -- even with "Democrats in control of Congress" -- continues to win most key votes. The fault lines in the Beltway aren't primarily between Republican and Democrat but between those who support the core values of our political establishment (as reflected by the Bush administration) and those who don't. Through a bulging coalition of both Democrats and Republicans, the pro-establishment forces have a strong, clear and easy majority, and that's why the most radical Bush measures continue not only to prevail, but -- as today -- do so easily."

Now I understand how Republicans sleep at night. They sign their pact with the devil, then blindly go along with whatever their party tells them without thinking. It's the "thinking" part that screws us Democrats and keeps us up at night, wondering what the hell is so wrong with everybody else.

Today is Free Pancake Day at IHOP! Stop by your local IHOP and help a worthy cause (Children's Hospitals).


I have been employed at our local Children's Hospital for 25 years and can verify that every penny donated goes directly to patient care and support, especially those patients whose parents can ill afford (pun intended) the astronomical costs of healthcare.

"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

About a week ago one tiny link to this blog ended up in an article on the NY Times website. The staff of Left is Right, as you can imagine, were amazed at the effect it had on daily hits:


I would have had a celebratory party, but half the staff is in Arizona.

FRIDAY F U N

• An exercise in understanding size
• Stick figure vs. mouse pointer: The Epic Battle
• Receive an email notification as soon as a celebrity dies.
• Col-Pop: the future of eating?
• Photos from lost cameras
• Evolution of companies' logos
• Amateur "how to" videos
• Step aside, Chanel No. 5.... It's cashew time.
• Watch 3,000 barrels fall
• Everything you could possibly want to know (or not know) about farts and farting

A FAILED SPECIES

"Now that the war is over...." - Here's a memory refresher, a May, 2003 interview of Thomas Friedman by Charlie Rose. Here's a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning political writer talking with an award-winning host, and they're both totally, completely, 100% wrong. And yet nearly everyone was buying into it.

Most Americans felt angry (about 9-11), excited (in the leadup to the Iraq invasion), patriotic and victorious (during the first few months afterwards), and confused and tired (of it all) since then.

I, and those other hippie liberal tree-hugging commies, have just been horrified since Summer, 2002. Horrified at how atrocious America has been, and horrified that no one else, those who also knew the truth and had the power and influence to change the discourse, did a damn thing.

I was raised in the U.S. public school system, was a military brat the first 13 years of my life, learned (in high school and college) all about the wonderfulness and perfection of our democratic government, and entered adulthood thinking that America was truly the greatest nation in history.

Seeing now how my America has, just in my lifetime, murdered millions of innocent and good humans in Vietnam, Central America, Kosovo, Iraq, and god knows where else, I can never again feel proud about calling myself an American citizen. Had we never entered any of these places, we would still be as safe today as ever, and more prosperous and helpful to the rest of the world. Terrorists would still be only a blip on the screen, and some of the trillions of dollars wasted on the military would instead have gone towards alleviating world poverty and illiteracy.

But we are not a good nation. Beneath our mask of democracy and hope, we are a violence-hungry people who would rather shoot first and then re-write the history to justify our actions.

For proof, one needs to look no further than the fact that our nation's highest priorities are not the mitigation of suffering and disease, but instead making sure our soldiers have the best weapons and body armor to fight mostly made-up enemies, and stealing petroleum from our fellow earthlings.

As much as I cling to my progressive values and altruistic mores, I realize now that our species just didn't work out quite right. We failed to grasp the importance of administering our technological development such that it would not exceed our ability to regulate it. Starting with gunpowder and ending with nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, we were always running to catch up to and grab the tail of their destructive powers, rather than steering their courses into a peaceful advancement of our civilization.

Humans are accellerating towards self-destruction via war, environmetal alteration and damage (including nuclear radiation), genetic engineering, and the inadvertent proliferation of deadly diseases through misuse of medical science (such as overuse of antibiotics). The fact that we all live in a state of denial only amplifies the deadly situation. And that doesn't even include what horrors we have done and continue to do to our planet's other species.

I will persist in living my life as always, striving to be as honest and charitable as I can, with an occasional self-indulgence, and to fight the "good" fight so that I can fall asleep each night knowing I tried to make things better.

What else can one do?

(cross-posted at Daily Kos)

Bits and Pieces for the Week of February 3 - 9

Wow. The conservative wingnuts of the Republican party really, REALLY hate John McCain! Imagine... some ultra-conservatives are planning to vote for the Democratic nominee just to spite him. (Mike)

Apparently Romney's kids were tired of watching their father throw away their inheritance by funding his own campaign. (Mike)

The Pacific Ocean is "the world's rubbish dump." "A 'plastic soup' of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean is growing at an alarming rate and now covers an area twice the size of the continental United States, scientists have said." (7 of 6)

Poor Ted Haggard! "New Life Church said Tuesday that former pastor Ted Haggard has prematurely ended a 'spiritual restoration' process begun when he was fired for sexual misconduct." (7 of 6)

Why you shouldn't be using cosmetics on your kids. (Mike)

Heather Wokusch is offering, for two weeks, free downloading of her best-selling two-volume book, The Progressives' Handbook: Get the Facts and Make a Difference Now (Mike)

The chief complaint that most Progressives have against Hillary Clinton (and repeated incessantly by the Obama campaign) is her AUMF vote in 2002. If you feel the same, then this analysis by Eriposte might change your mind. (Mike)

Perfection stopped! Of course I'd rather talk about the effect Pau Gasol going to the L.A. Lakers will have on the Phoenix Suns. Does the NBA need the great TV ratings a Celtics vs Lakers Championship will provide? (7 of 6)

"Veterans not entitled to mental health care, U.S. lawyers argue"

Veterans not entitled to mental health care, U.S. lawyers argue Veterans have no legal right to specific types of medical care, the Bush administration argues in a lawsuit accusing the government of illegally denying mental health treatment to some troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The arguments, filed Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, strike at the heart of a lawsuit filed on behalf of veterans that claims the health care system for returning troops provides little recourse when the government rejects their medical claims... They said the law entitles veterans only to "medical care which the secretary (of Veterans Affairs) determines is needed, and only to the extent funds ... are available." The plaintiffs say that the department has a backlog of more than 600,000 disability claims and that 120 veterans a week commit suicide...

King George,

They have done your dirty work for you. You extended their tours, preventing them from going home when their commitment was over (stop-loss) and repeatedly sent them back for longer tours.

Damn bu$h, what a sorry SOB! Support the Troops! HELP THESE MENTALLY ILL SOLDIERS!!!

From The Independent:

Scientists identify 'tipping points' of climate change

Arctic sea ice: some scientists believe that the tipping point for the total loss of summer sea ice is imminent. Greenland ice sheet: total melting could take 300 years or more but the tipping point that could see irreversible change might occur within 50 years. West Antarctic ice sheet: scientists believe it could unexpectedly collapse if it slips into the sea at its warming edges. Gulf Stream: few scientists believe it could be switched off completely this century but its collapse is a possibility. El Niño: the southern Pacific current may be affected by warmer seas, resulting in far-reaching climate change. Indian monsoon: relies on temperature difference between land and sea, which could be tipped off-balance by pollutants that cause localised cooling. West African monsoon: in the past it has changed, causing the greening of the Sahara, but in the future it could cause droughts. Amazon rainforest: a warmer world and further deforestation may cause a collapse of the rain supporting this ecosystem. Boreal forests: cold-adapted trees of Siberia and Canada are dying as temperatures rise.

At my age I guess I'm lucky that I won't be around to see the shit hit the fan. There's no way we, as a fucked-up civilization, are going to be able to coordinate the development of a cooperative among nations to reduce/reverse global warming in a short enough time. Kids: you guys are screwed! Sorry.

The Republican slime machine launches, I kid you not, C.U.N.T. (Citizens United Not Timid), which is a Hillary Clinton-bashing group. They plan on selling t-shirts with this acronym. Here's a photo of the shirt:



Note the vagina-like image. They thought of everything! (except for the huge blowback they will definitely receive from all women)

(Mike)

Erica Jong tries to view Hillary Clinton with a realistic perspective (Snippet):

"Nothing she did was ever enough to stop her detractors. Supporting a politician husband by being a successful lawyer, raising a terrific daughter, saving her marriage when the love of her life publicly humiliated her -- these are things that would be considered enormously admirable in most politicians and public figures. But because she's a white woman, she's been pilloried for them. "She's had to endure nutcrackers made in her image, insults about the shape of her ankles and nasty cracks from mediocrities in the media like Rush Limbaugh, Chris Matthews and Kristol. "When she decided to run for the Senate she was called a carpetbagger. When she won the hearts of her most conservative constituents by supporting their actual needs, the same poisonous pundits who said it couldn't be done attacked her."

Like Hillary, Obama has had to endure the prejudices of being other than a white male. Do all the other trials and tribulations that are exclusive to Hillary's history make her a better, more prepared candidate for President? I think that is the most important question for Democratic voters.

Since this blog is housed in California (with corporate offices also in Arizona), I thought I'd summarize the pros and cons of each major Democratic candidate in advance of tomorrow's primary:

Hillary

Pros:

• Washington experience
• Strong party support structure
• Bill (popular; draws crowds)
• Healthcare reform experience
• Relatively liberal Senate voting record
• Female (thwart anti-feminism)
• Enhance world's image of U.S.

Cons:

• 2002 AUMF vote; continues to support Iraq War appropriations
• Bill (overshadows Hillary at times)
• Female (election will inflame sexism)
• Excessive corporate support
• Centrist
• Copied Edwards' healthcare reform proposal
• Stiff personality in public
• Member of christian fundamentalist worship group
• Talks about indefinitely continuing (in a reduced fashion) military presence in Iraq

Obama

Pros:

• New (not a Washington insider), populist candidate
• Seems compassionate
• Inspiring speaker; good dancer; Oprah
• Black (thwart racism in general)
• Relatively liberal Senate voting record
• Inspires grassroots support (incl. financially)
• Enhance world's image of U.S.

Cons:

• Inexperienced; minimal track record
• Inconsistent Iraq War stance
• Black (election will inflame racism against blacks)
• Copied Edwards' healthcare reform proposal
• Not many original, well-thought-out policies

Both:

Pros:

• Not white male
• Not Republican

Cons:

• Not white male
• No strong Iraq-withdrawal proposal
• No commitment to reduce military spending and the federal deficit
• No commitment (other than lip service to Edwards supporters) to reduce poverty in the U.S. and Africa
• No commitment to hold lending industry accountable for its part in debt/mortgage crisis
• No commitment to universal/single-payor health care system
• Only lip service to Iraq War veterans

These aren't necessarily the most important positive and negative attributes of each. But these are what I hear people discussing. I don't have a BIG problem with either candidate and still don't know how I will vote tomorrow. Getting Bush and Cheney's cabal out of the government is more important than anything except one's love of family and spouse/mate. And garlic and chocolate.

The Waiting Room

Today, I was attending my regular, every 3 month psychiatric appointment. In the waiting room at the Veteran's Administration Clinic was a young man, age 25 - 30. He had an ashen, pale look on his face and was sitting with both his parents. I couldn't help but make eye contact with this young, troubled Veteran. Somehow, his soul seemed fragile, fractured if you will, by the horrors he'd seen. He glanced at me, I looked at him... I could see fear, mistrust, doubt, apprehension, and the dread in his eyes. He looked away and down, as if mortified. Tears were welling up in his eyes. By this time, I was starting to get a big lump in my throat. Remembering the confusion I first felt when I was going through the "VA mental healthcare system". Finally, he glanced back up... I nodded to him... gave him a clenched fist... a subtle, positive sign, as if to say... please, stay strong, hang in there... your not alone. By this time I had tears welling in my eyes. He leaned back and looked up toward the ceiling wiping a tear away.

Introspectively, I was yearning to reach out to him. I wanted to tell him he's in the right place... doing the right thing... well on his way to some sort of recovery. I wish I could have communicated that seeking help is the first, huge, step in getting better. Let him know that his mind will never be 100% or be the person he once was, but it's his heart that matters. Explain to him, he's lucky he has two wonderful parents who love and care for him... something I never appreciated.

My wish was to give him a big bear hug. God, the stories I could tell this young man of my personal battles with the VA. Of course, he certainly didn't need some 50 year old disabled Veteran confessing his plight of chronic back and shoulder pain. In addition to his own light case of PTSD. Actually, I was thinking more of providing my experience to help guide him through the red tape of the VA. And be there for him if he ever needed someone to talk to.
Unfortunately, I was summoned suddenly for my appointment... I bounced up with intensity and a slight smile on my face for being called.

When I left my appointment... driving home... I started to reflect on my start with the "VA mental health system"... my anger grew. I had shed tears exactly like this young man. I remembered the shame I felt... of feeling ashamed. Why the fuck should I be embarrassed about anything... I didn't ask for these emotions! The Army tried its best to desensitized my feelings, dehumanize me. A pure and simple mind fuck. The Army wanted me to feel disgraced... let me carry around the stigma of not being able to handle the sights and sounds of war. I found out, most people can't. I'm not their little automaton, emotionally or physically. I'm on the road to recovering my passion for life... my life. No doubt, it's still a struggle. But I will cherish it with all the gusto I can muster. That's a good thing.

Damn, can I go back and talk to this young, mentally ill Veteran and tell him everything? Perhaps... he saw it in my eyes.

Barack Obama is definitely becoming increasingly popular with many voters. All campaign rhetoric aside, with his relatively minor experience in federal government and politics, he is a truly risky candidate when contemplating the potential success of his presidency.

If he wins the Democratic nomination, I predict that there will be a slanderous, racist and truth-starved attack launched by the Republican party that will make the swiftboating of Kerry seem like a pleasant walk in the park.

If Obama should somehow survive the right-wing onslaught and get elected, we will then see the hybernating racism that is permanently entrenched in our social body burst forth in the media, in politics and in our education system. The right-wing blowback should be something to behold and for once give most Americans a genuine clarity about the racial tension that they thought was mostly purged by the civil rights movement of the '60s.

I'm not saying that these are excuses for not making Obama President. If he somehow figures out how to cope with and move beyond this social sewage, maybe he will provide adequate leadership for starting the repair of the devastation of the country and planet which was spearheaded by the Bush-fronted Neocons. I think it's great that maybe we are finally going to confront and resolve this issue (black president), as it would have happened eventually.

What bothers me the most is my serious doubts that the country is ready for this inevitable confrontation, and thus we may all suffer the consequences of a nation ripped apart by racism. Am I being too pessimistic here?

(UPDATE: A link to this post was added to the NY Times and we've had 2,500 hits and counting. I guess we've struck a nerve.)

Bits and Pieces for the Week of January 27 - February 2

Things must be rosy if you're an Exxon Mobil Corp. executive or investor. Record profits (again)... while the rest of America takes it in the... rear end! (7 of 6)

Hey, I got quoted! (Mike)

Mitt Ronmey's solution to the recession: Put old people back into the workforce. (Mike)

Sometimes it does pay to have your picture in the paper (Mike)

Finally. Vending machines that dispense pot. (Mike)

A life raft for being $54,000 in debt? I bet this guy is very typical of most Americans. With my mortgage and new vehicle debt, I'm $170,000 in debt! And I doubt I have much equity in my home now that the bubble is bursting here in AZ. (7 of 6)