I’m back to the sleepless nights again. It’s brutal. Ultimately, I decided to get out of bed at 3:00 AM and went back for a snooze around 5:30 AM. Even then, I feel like I am bouncing around the bed like a kid in a trampoline tent but having a lot less fun.  Instead of sleeping though, I wonder. I wonder about EVERYTHING.

By the way, on a quick housekeeping note, the Golf in Scotland tab that you see above has been vigorously updated. If you are a golfer and interested in a trip to the Home of Golf, I would recommend that you pay a visit to this page.

☞Today, we are one week away from electing a new President. With my entire heart, soul and brain, I hope that new President is Barack Obama but I hardly feel complacent about its likelihood. Anything can happen and usually does. Today, I read  a great posting on Andrew Sullivan’s blog, Atlantic Magazine columnist and author of the book The Conservative Soul, about the Top 10 Reason Why Conservatives Should Vote for Obama. If you are still undecided, this may be of help. Sullivan makes a rational and compelling argument for an Obama Presidency even if you list to the Right.

☞Will someone please tell me why McCain has latched onto Joe the Plumber like a dog with his favorite chew toy?  Sure, I get the metaphor but use it once, maybe twice but don’t revolve your last week of campaigning around a plumber. Joe is now finding out that everyone may get their 15 minutes of fame but as John Oliver says, ” 12 of those minutes are a rectal exam.”

☞Late last week, this story was reported by Reuters: during the Cold War, two U.S. fighter planes were scrambled over the English countryside to shoot down a UFO that was as big as a aircraft carrier. When the U.S. pilot was seconds away from firing 24 rockets into this mass, it vacated the area at 7600 miles per hour. The pilot was sworn to secrecy but the secret files were opened on October 20. Here’s the rest of the Reuters’ story.

If that didn’t creep you out a bit, this surely will. This is considered to be the most important photograph ever taken.

☞In honor of the above and Richard Garriott, the first space tourist (paying $30 million for the privilege) and who just returned after 12 days in space, I present for you this week’s Aye Wonder Song of the Week. It’s an oldie, Bowie’s Life on Mars.

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☞Lately, I have been thinking a great deal about the economy, the stock market and employment. I don’t agree with what I have heard lately about the timing of the recovery in all of the above. I think that much of the depression in prices, the economy and employment is demographically driven and it is likely you haven’t heard anyone say that before. I thought the bull market in the 90’s was demographics driven also. Here’s what I mean: the baby boomers are the largest demographic mass to ever move through any era in the history of the world. That’s significant because it represents demand. It’s one of the reasons that housing costs skyrocketed. But now baby boomers are in an asset dispersal mode. Plain and simple, they are getting old. Second homes are not selling because the demand has disappeared. This will continue for…a decade. I hope to hell that I am wrong but the fundamentals, to me, look horrific. Keep your powder dry.

☞I know I am kind of late to this party but Facebook seems to have taken on a life of its own. For awhile it seemed like it would disappear but now it’s virtually ubiquitous. Here’s my Facebook badge for whatever it is worth.

☞I just read that the NFL is investigating 6-8 players for steroids violations. After all that has been written about this subject, it is hard to believe that in this day and age, there are still knuckleheads out there attempting to get away with violating the league’s drug policy. They must not be paying enough in the NFL.

☞I want to throw another song at you this week. If you are a fan of the Dundee, Scotland based Snow Patrol’s building crescendo of BritPop goodness then you may like their new single, Take Back the City, as well. It doesn’t have the nervous romanticism of Chasing Cars but there is a bit of an endearing classic rock/anthemic feel to it.

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☞The following quote is one of my favorites and one that is apropos of the upcoming election. I present to you, this week’s Aye Wonder quote:

Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. ~Mark Twain

☞Finally, I have to think that with Sarah Palin becoming a national joke, we would be having a much different conversation had John McCain selected either Tom Ridge or Mitt Romney as his running mate. She may be charming but she adds absolutely nothing to the national conversation. You couldn’t have a more damning indictment of her candidacy.

Aye Wonder

And I hope all of you are wondering too.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Time for an AWT Good News Edition
• A New Decade AWT – I Feel Better Already
• AWT is on the Record
• The Insanity Continues
• Two Days Remain