Damn the torpedoes...

It was interesting to see the returns from last night's primaries and caucuses. While I'm currently undecided who to vote for, three candidates I like did well last night.

I voted for John McCain in the Mississippi party primary in 2000. I've always liked him because he's a pragmatist who isn't afraid to challenge the conventional wisdom in his party and has an aura of trustworthiness in spite of whatever differences exist between him and voters such as myself.

I like Hillary Clinton because I have the feeling that she's also a pragmatist. Also, she knows how government works.

Barack Obama is intriguing. He's running as a candidate of change, and, well, while he's gotten plenty of endorsements, I still have the impression that his campaign is more about style than substance.

So, three good candidates and a decision to make sometime in the future, and as far as the others are concerned...

Mike Huckabee. Yes, he's likable, but his amiable campaign style reminds me a lot of our current president's initial campaign in 2000. So, no.

Mitt Romney. Bleh. My impression of him is that his stands are not concrete-- he looks at what way the wind is blowing before he decides what to do.

Ron Paul and Mike Gravel. No.

I just hope the candidate who I eventually decide to support doesn't have his or her campaign torpedoed.

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Before I saw the returns, I had dinner last night at Hamil's. It was put on by an investment outfit that gets a little bit of my money each month.

While the Dow Jones may have gone down some 370 points yesterday, at least I had some outstanding barbecue, vegetables, and fish. Oh, and sweet tea. Mustn't forget that.

I was probably their youngest client present. The overwhelming majority of the others who were there were retirees. Part of the reason why I showed up was that I was wondering about a letter I received in the mail from the company advising investors to move into bonds.

I'm in a different situation than the retirees, and I figured that I should still maintain my investment strategy, and one of the financial folks I talked to agreed. So for me, it's still "Damn the recession! Full speed ahead!"

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Otherwise, the past few days have been uneventful. I was in Hattiesburg for a day. I visited my mother and stepfather.

I also spent a day in Starkville. Unfortunately MSU lost to Tennessee. I also watched the Super Bowl there.

I was for the Patriots simply because I wanted to see a perfect season-- not to mention that there are times I like to go against the conventional wisdom and root for the team cast in the role of the bad guy. It was an outstanding game, and for those of you who care more about the commercials, here's my favorite:



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Oh, and in response to Jay, here are some selected anagrams of my full name:

Bandana Demur Geese Jerky
Banana Jeered Greedy Musk
Anagram Beer Seeded Junky
Abraded Enema Geyser Junk
Barraged Jay Demesne Nuke