Reelected by acclamation

I found out at this morning’s Parks board planning meeting that I was the only candidate for Parks board chair and the current vice-chair Kimberley Siran was the only candidate for vice-chair. We’re thus going to be reelected by acclamation at the upcoming Parks board election.

In addition, on September 4th the Raleigh City Council reappointed me for another two-year term on the board.

I’m grateful for the trust of my fellow Parks board members and that of the City Council. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve!

Pullen Park punch passes

Let’s get rid of these lines at Pullen Park


On the beautiful, fall-like morning that was Sunday morning, the family joined Kelly’s parents for a visit to Raleigh’s Pullen Park. Pullen Park went through a recent renovation and is now more popular than ever. So popular, in fact, that there are now long lines queuing up for its attractions.

I got to Pullen before anyone else, so I bided my time by waiting in line for tickets to the attractions.

“This is unproductive,” I thought to myself.

The woman in front of me gave me a tip to buy a bunch of tickets at once so I wouldn’t have to wait again. That seemed like a good idea, until I saw she was purchasing 60 tickets. The ticket machine spit out 60 tickets, one at a time. It took a while and the pile of tickets she was handed was a bit unwieldy.
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The Kerry-ization of Mitt Romney – POLITICO.com

Wow. This Politico article is pretty damning of Romney’s stance on military issues.

“A presidential election is ultimately a character test,” a top GOP strategist said. “This speaks to the credibility and plausibility of being commander in chief, and any candidate for president has to get over that hump. [Romney] looks tone deaf. Everyone is in the faux outrage business. But this time, people are actually offended. He offended military families in some crucial states.”

via The Kerry-ization of Mitt Romney – Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei – POLITICO.com.

Romney rips off Obama website


Whoops! I guess Romney’s team has no original ideas.

After months of telling Democrats that they didn’t build that, the charge may be ironically accurate when it comes to Mitt Romney’s website. The Romney campaign’s “victory wallet” donation page bears a striking resemblance to the Obama campaign’s “quick donate” page. The Obama campaign published its in March and Romney’s site went up in late August.

via Romney rips off Obama website – Salon.com.

Lucky day anniversary

Thirteen years ago today, I became the luckiest guy in the world when I married Kelly Swanson Turner. Boy, what a smart decision that was!

Here’s to 58+ more years!

Sept. 9: Call It as You See It

The wizards at Five Thirty Eight give Obama an 80% chance of being reelected.

Personally, I predict Obama will be reelected but will lose North Carolina in a close race. I hope I’m wrong about him losing NC but that’s how I see things today. It’s still a long way until Election Day, however.

Nevertheless, the polling movement that we have seen over the past three days represents the most substantial shift that we’ve seen in the race all year, with the polls moving toward Mr. Obama since his convention.

How far will Mr. Obama’s numbers rise, and how long will his bounce last? We don’t know that, of course. But the range of possible outcomes reads pretty favorably for him.

via Sept. 9: Call It as You See It – NYTimes.com.