Updates

Holy shit. It has been more than four months since I have written anything here. Where should I begin with the updates? Shortly after my last post, the wife and I moved to western South Dakota. While there, I worked on a ranch and my wife and I had our daughter. After four months of killing myself, we decided to move onto Wyoming, to be closer to family.

I know, my lack of attention here has lost whatever readers that I once had and I own that. Seven-day work weeks, a lack of internet connection, and recent additions to my immediate family have taken all of my spare time. I mean, I've barely had enough time to wipe my ass, but only on times where I don't have to shit. It's been horrendous! 

South Dakota was an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world, though. When you take away the lack of time with the family, the slave-driver of a ranch-manager, blown Jeep engine, and the lack of human interaction (aside from the constant contact with the aforementioned slave-driving ranch-manager), it was a wonderful period of my life. That, and the time spent with the owner of the ranch. He is one of the most awesome people I have ever had the opportunity to come across in my life.

Through all of South Dakota's insanity, I was blessed with a daughter. She's nearly four months old, now, but in mid-to-late August she was nine pounds, and twenty-one inches of pure Raider Fan. That's right, friends, she spent a good portion of her first day of life, curled up with her dad, watching pre-season Raider football. It's just too bad that our Jeep's engine blew on the way to come get us from the hospital. I will try not to dwell on that part, though.

Towards the end of November I got tired of being beaten like a rented mule (every fucking day), and looking for a way out of that insanity, we found the hole and jumped through it. I know, friends, you're asking yourselves, selves, why would Ray go to Wyoming? Ray hates Wyoming. Bad things come from and happen to Ray in Wyoming.

Trust me, I had a long talk with myself over this. I had an ex-wife from here, I have been stuck in this state twice in my life. I get it. But, all three of the previously mentioned issues came from one city in Wyoming, Rock Springs. I'm on the other side of the planet, as far as that is concerned. I am two whole miles from the Nebraska border. I might as well be on Mars. See what I mean?

I've missed you all and hope to stay in contact better than I have recently. Peace out, A-Town down.

S.C. Governor Must Take Stimulus Funds

In a unanimous ruling handed down by the S.C. Supreme Court, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford must request the $700 million in federal stimulus money he had wanted to reject. The court says Sanford has a duty to execute the state budget, which includes provisions for using the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Governor Sanford had contended that accepting the cash would make the state budget dependent on federal aid. He had said he would accept the money only if he could use it to pay down the state’s debt. The Obama administration rejected that idea, saying the money was intended to spur the economy, not apply to debts. The state Supreme Court ruling settles the issue. This week, Sanford said he wouldn’t appeal the decision if it came down against him. (Information courtesy of the Charlotte Business Journal).

I believe that it is the governor's right to accept, or deny, this federal aid. This is more a battle for state sovereignty than it is a question of applied stimulus funds. Also, where does the state's legislature fall into this? Are we going to have high courts all over the land fighting battles based on a united agenda? With things stacking all over this nation on a one-sided point of view, I fear that our "stack" will come toppling over, due to imbalance.