I’m not sure if we’re learning much from these presidential debates between Obama and McCain.  That’s because one of them says something.  The other says it’s not true. Then the other one says something.  And the other one says that’s not true.

How are voters really supposed to know who’s telling the truth?  I mean Obama makes a claim.  McCain says he’s full of it.  McCain makes a claim and Obama says he’s all wet.  So how do we know who to believe?

What it really comes down is…which one of them do you trust?  And how do you decide which one to trust?  Well, the way you know whether you can trust anyone…is really pretty simple.   It has to do with whether they do what they say they do.

And that has everything to do with character.  Anyone can come up with a plan…but knowing who to trust means looking at who they really are and what they’re made of.  So when you make up your mind November 4^th, just keep that in mind.

The curse continues.  And if you’re a fan of the Chicago Cubs, and there are plenty of them around here, you may be thinking the curse is forever.

The Chicago Cubs were in a position this year to finally break the curse and win a World Series for the first time in 100 years.   Most experts thought their team this year was one of their all-time best.  They had a great season, won their division going away, and everyone said the 100 year old curse was finally about to broken.

And maybe now, after blowing it again this year, all those Cub fans who show up at Petco Park every year when the team comes to town will finally shut up.

Another 100 years of that would be nice.

With all the attention on Sarah Palin in the vice presidential debate…and with all the TV and cable news channel pundits deciding how she did….I thought I’d go on line and see what newspapers around the country…and the world were saying about her performance in the showdown with Joe Biden.

The NY Post headline read…."Sarah Stands Tall".

The Chicago Sun Times, in Barack Obama’s hometown, had a more critical approach with a headline that read…."Palin Survives".

In her home state of Alaska, the headline in the Anchorage Alaska Daily News said "Palin Stands her Ground"…while the Fairbanks Daily News headline read "Palin Held Her Own".

The Toronto Star headline in Canada read…."Palin Tops Expectations"….while the front page headline in the London Daily Mail was a little long and read…."Gaffe-prone Palin Survives Big Vice-Presidential Debate With a Smile and a Wink."

The Baltimore Sun kind of picked up on that same theme…with its headline that read…"Palin Delivers Charm".

But the Washington Post may have described it the best with its headline that read… "Palin Outdoes Herself, You Betcha".

It’s going to take a while for government and big business to recover from this financial mess, but even longer to do something about the real problem.  And that’s a real loss of trust in these institutions and in the people who run them.

Going into this mess, Americans didn’t trust politicians and business leaders all that much.  Survey after survey shows approval ratings for the White House and Congress are at near all-time lows.

And now a new Better Business Bureau survey has found that close to half of all American consumers say they have little or no trust in businesses, even the ones they do business with. 

So is it any wonder why the political leaders and the business leaders have been unable so far to convince doubting Americans that this bail out plan is good for them.  You see, most Americans don’t trust much of what they hear from their leaders these days. 

But don’t expect things to change quickly, as much as you hear about change. Because just as in a marriage…when you lose the trust of the people who depend on you…it can be a long, long time before you earn it back.

How do you spell stupid?  That’s about the only way you can describe the decision by the San Diego School Board to approve a new code of conduct that requires board members to keep their mouths shut in public.

In case you haven’t heard, the San Diego Unified School district board members have okayed a new policy that says they are not to say negative things about each other or criticize the school district superintendent or his staff in public.

You believe this?  A public agency like this, a board of education nonetheless, saying that board members are not allowed free speech rights?

This has to be a joke right?  Nope says the school board president who says they just want to try to work together more and argue less. Oh please.  What’s next?  Afternoon naps together and group hugs at recess?

The members of the San Diego School Board need to grow up and until they do, they get an F for this move.

Well, it’s finally over. The major league baseball season in San Diego is done. The very long and painful season for the Padres ended with another loss…their 99^th of the year…on the last day of the season for the last place team.

And when all you have to celebrate is the fact that you didn’t lose 100 games, you know it’s been a very tough year.

But despite their lousy record, the Padres’ attendance incredibly was just shy of 2 and a half million.  And while some of those were fans of the other team playing the Padres…and while some fans were probably came to see Petco Park more than they did the home team…the attendance for the year is still quite an accomplishment really.

So, now like all the other baseball teams that didn’t make it to the post-season…the Padres can say…wait till next year.  What about next year?   There are sure to be some familiar players going bye-bye…replaced by new ones.

But unless owner John Moores is ready spend more money to compete with the big boys of baseball….waiting till next year may not make any difference at all.