Thoughts of a Common Man

Initially, winning first place in the Los Angeles Beach Book Festival for “Are You An Idiot?”, I felt angst. “I don’t want to go all the way out there.” And then, I had a moment where I thought, “You don’t have to always move on to what’s next. Enjoy it for a minute.” Writing has always been effortless. Even as a kid, I knew that it was something that I could do better than my classmates, but then, it became a hunger. Springsteen is in the Billy Joel documentary and he said, “Wanting to write is like wanting to eat. It’s just being hungry, and you have to get rid of the urge.” I’ve always felt that. I’ve been writing something for decades because I have to. I tried to take a break once about ten years ago and I yelled to my wife: “What do you people do all day?” So it’s ever present and to get an award for it is kind of a shrug. “I knew it was good,” I said, “Or I wouldn’t have put it out.” Which is cocky, but is certainly part of that mental makeup. “I tried to figure out why I lived ...

I’ve always loved Billy Joel. One of the clearest memories was of Mom taking us to a record store and letting us know - back in 1977 - that we could each get a record album. Corinne chose Tom Petty’s debut record with ‘Refugee’ on it. I couldn’t help it, I had to go with Bob Dylan’s ‘Slow Train Coming.’ And my brother John chose Billy Joel’s ‘Glass Houses.’ I still love that Dylan record, but I also love both of the choices that my siblings made that day. And my love affair with Billy Joel’s music started. It’s continued and now, Billy, like Bruce is opening up his life and his vault and showing us all the madness behind the music. I watched the start of the documentary on Tuesday and it blew me away. Just the talent! He wrote “New York State of Mind” in an hour. He wrote “Piano Man” which is a song-along for the world. And in true rock and roll sense, he was a manic depressive who built his world with one hand and burned it down with the other. As I was watching, I felt a little sadne...

I spend my days outside, which is one of the things I absolutely love about my job. I also have friends at each site, and there are thousands who know my name even though I don’t know theirs. I told Kathy that she’s going to have to rent an arena when I go. I thought I was going yesterday afternoon! It was above 90 degrees all day. I climbed at least 8 ladders and went on a couple of scaffolds that were way up there, but it’s important for me to go on days when the weather is extreme to show my guys that I’m not sitting in a cool office as they tear off a roof. A major part of my shtick these days is to beat home the point about heat stress and how they have to stay hydrated. I do blast the air in my car from one job to the next, but I also felt a little uncomfortable all day. It’s a serious heat wave! I got home and put dinner together - nothing major - but we did have Bowman’s sweet corn - which is ridiculously great. Then, as usual, Ollie and I hit the backyard for football. I threw...

There are three videos going around that show the liar-in-Chief cheating at golf over in Scotland. It’s a strange thing. I play golf every week, and I’ve played with all sorts of partners. Some are absolute sticklers for the rules as though they’re on tour. “You addressed the ball! That’s a stroke!” “You hit it into the woods. One in, one out, you’re hitting three, or you can tee off again and you’ll be hitting three when you get to the ball.” Then there are guys who play it truly casual and will hit shots over again a hundred times a round. We play it a little in the middle of those stringent rules. Sunday was an example. I had seriously hit 16 straight good drives. On the way to the 17th hole, I mentioned that going 18 for 18 would be cool. Then I promptly hit my drive into the pond on 17. “We do believe in breakfast balls,” John said. I was definitely going to swing again from the tee because I was pissed off at my lousy shot. I put the ball within 3’ of the cup. Made the putt for a...

I don’t know what can be done to stop the corruption. We may already be too far around the bend, and the Democracy may already be over. But he can’t pardon Maxwell. He just can’t. When asked about it he said, “I haven’t thought about it (a lie) but I can do it if I want to.” It’s too late to deny that he’s on the list. Why else would there be such a coverup? Congress went home to avoid a vote on the resolution. There’s a wild scenario being bantered about that Obama, Comey and Clinton created the list to attack him. Then they didn’t use it in 2016. Didn’t use it in 2020. Waited until he became president and finally used the list - through his appointed DOJ - to hammer him. Makes no sense. Now they’re offering a deal to Epstein’s wife and before we see the list or the facts of the case, she will cut a deal and then tell the world, what? That he didn’t have anything to do with the guy he hung out with for 20 years. This should be the end. All of this should’ve ended back when he made fun...

  Wrangler is a BIG bastard. He’s my grandson, I suppose, and he came by for a visit and sent Miller’s world into a whirlwind of grief. Miller and Ollie are best buddies, of course, but I believe that Miller is thinking: “That huge thing is too much dog for me.” And you’d think that a dog that big would be imposing, but Wrangler is the biggest wussy on the planet. If you clear your throat in the room he panics. Which may be the direct result of being abused as a young dog before he was rescued. That angers me, of course.  How could anyone neglect or hurt an animal? So, Wrangler is getting the full grandchild treatment. “He doesn’t get bones at home,” Kathy mentioned. “Well, he gets them here.” Wrangler destroys bones! I went outside with him, and wondered if I could turn him into the athlete that Oliver is. He watched me as I picked up a tennis ball and bounced it. “Ready?” His ears perked up, and I lobbed the ball in his direction. He let it hit him right in the snout, and lo...

We leave for Los Angeles next week, and while I’m looking forward to it, it’s going to be weird. For one reason, it’s been a while since I’ve been out to California, which is always kind of exciting. Secondly, I get to make a speech that can be funny. A couple of stories from the book, and hanging out with some other authors will be interesting. Who knows what author may be there as well. I’ve met some authors at other shows, including some of the big names. One of my favorite nights was at the New England festival where I chatted with M.William Phelps who is a true crime writer. He filled me in on interviews he had with a serial killer who was on death row. It was an amazing conversation. At one awards show I was on a panel with a number of other writers and John Brubaker was also on the panel and he made a wise-ass comment immediately after I had made one and I thought: “Ah, another class clown.” We had lunch at the event and have been busting each other’s balls for about 15 years no...

The celebrity deaths are running wild. Hulk Hogan and Chuck Mangione today. That’s 4 in the last three days. Check the comments and morons will be on the list, asking: “Were they vaccinated?” How did we get so damn dumb? I never thought it was possible that people would take a deep breath and then defend an accused pedophile, but here we are. When news of the list broke, and it was apparent that there was to be a coverup we all heard that MAGA was livid and that it was all over. Finally. But I have been checking the stories whilst trying to relax at the end of the day and guess what? The tide is turning. MAGA is digging in, and trying to spin it in favor of Epstein’s best buddy. I never thought I would see such a thing. I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised because we have learned in the last 10 years that it’s a cult, but I seriously thought that the line that they wouldn’t cross would be defending anyone thought to be involved in a child sex ring. Surprise! They’re looking for the ...

It’s ridiculous. Congress is on the run. They’re going to tamper with the one witness who can identify her husband’s wingman and partner in the pedo ring is currently a fat, orange liar. There’s even a movement afoot to try and arrest Obama and Clinton and Biden for treason because… …because they’re trying to defend a pedophile. Think of that! They’re trying to defend a man who did unspeakable things to children. Children. I’m waiting for the Evangelical crowd to check in. How do they continue to say that they believe that he was sent by God. Also, have you seen the footage of the ‘assassination’. They were directing traffic to get photographers in position so that he could stand up and yell ‘Fight, Fight, Fight!’ It looked a little like a WWE event. This is absolutely stupid. Why not release the files? Why would Congress run away? Because he’s guilty. We all know it. Some of us can’t just let that stand. Children!

Ozzy was huge star in the early 1980’s. He was also legendary for his crazy behavior, including biting off the head of a bat. Those who overreact about everything felt that he was Satanic and that his music was devil sent. It wasn’t.. It was great rock and roll. He was great with Black Sabbath and great as a solo artist. Just Ozzy. A legend. And then the world got to know him and his family from their reality show. And suddenly Ozzy was mainstream. Just an old guy who loved his family and struggled to even speak clearly. Less than 3 weeks ago, Ozzy played his final show, and today he died. I have a bunch of his songs in my library and until I leave the world, I’ll crank them up and sing along. Damn. Kids of the 70’s and 80’s are losing their stars. May the Prince of darkness rest in peace.

Sad. Malcolm-Jamal-Warner passed away today at just 54 years old.  He drowned while on vacation with his family, and man, that’s just too sad. Warner was part of our lives during the ‘Cosby Show’ years - no one missed that show when it was on! It was an important show too because it was probably the first time that black, middle-class Americans were on television. I recall someone writing a story that said that it was a fairy tale because blacks didn’t live such a life… …which is insane. Malcolm-Jamal-Warner was a thoughtful guy. I heard him on some podcasts and he always spoke brilliantly about race relations. A true loss. Just 54 years old and he had young children. Another lost television character from our past… …but so much more than that. May his family find some peace.

I had a lot of back trouble last week. Every day was a chore, but I refused to sit anything out. “You can take a day off,” Kathy said, as I iced the back each night. I knew that I just had to get to the weekend and I got a massage that changed everything. I was loose again, so, I could tee off this morning. When I opened my eyes, I forced to do a bit of an inventory. Back felt good, but I couldn’t bend my right leg. “That’s new.” How does one go to sleep in decent shape and wake up with a leg that won’t work? At all! I was in deep trouble. An hour before we were set to tee off. I took an Ibuprofen and scrolled through stupid crap on my phone and waited. I thought of something one of my golfing buddies said. “Someday it won’t come back. You’ll get sick or hurt and you’ll just have to live with it.” I didn’t want today to be the day. It came around.  I walked most of the first hole and knew I’d be able to play. We noticed that the foursome in front of us were Buffalo Bills players, a...

I saw a photo today of a beautiful girl that I knew a long time ago. She passed away about five or ten years back (who knows how long - time has a way of tricking you) Yet: There she was in the photo, smiling, radiant, and I imagine that her beauty is what caught my eye, but I had to remind myself that she was gone. And still, it bothered me all day, because she truly isn’t. She’s right there and in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. And it got me thinking about all the people who have walked this earth. So many lives, with all their hopes and thoughts and lives and troubles. They say that you die twice: Once when your physical body falters and again when the last person who knew you passes on, but the energy of all those lives is what powers the universe. And of course there’s the thought that we need to cherish every day because who knows when it may be our last… …was good to see my old friend and think about her a little while. She hasn’t gone anywhere yet. Her life was captu...

Back in college the girl that I had a crush on loved to watch ‘Days of Our Lives’. So, I watched a lot of the show so that we could talk about it. Of course, I felt stupid falling into such a trap, but man, I really got into it, and the fact that every character underwent unbelievable trauma that would destroy most people. A brain tumor, a coma, a long-lost sibling, an ex-girlfriend that wanted revenge. The storylines were insane. I fell out of the habit of watching the soap opera after my long crush subsided, but here I am now… …along with every other American… …in the throes of a soap opera that is so ridiculous that we have to wonder if it can continue. Tariffs. Pedophile. A health scare. A hoax. Russia, Russia, Russia. Billions being stolen. Floods, fires and immigrants being kidnapped. It’s truly exhausting and I feel like I did back in the day when I was captured by ‘Days’. I feel stupid for wasting my time, but I have to tune in. Like any good story, there’s a true villain. I’m ...

The CEO of Astronomer went to the Coldplay concert with some of his coworkers, including the head of Human Resources. I don’t know how much he paid for the tickets but the concert is probably going to cost him, roughly $20-$30 million if his wife dumps him. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the clip, but it’s all over the internet. I didn’t know anything about Astronomer or the CEO or his Human Resources director, but there isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room for either of the married participants. They were caught on the Jumbotron in a very loving situation, his arms wrapped around her. When they realized they were on the screen they panicked, and one of their coworkers erupted in laughter. Now, truth be told, it’s not truly anyone else’s business except for the couples involved, but it’s pretty hard not to feel bad for the spouses who were being cheated on. Imagine if they didn’t have any idea at all. A hell of a way to find out that your marriages are over. If it does cost him 8 figures in t...

Following the bouncing Epstein ball? 1). We can’t wait to release the list!  They posed with copies of the binders. 2). The deep state will be exposed! MAGA voted along those lines. 3). Epstein killed himself and there was no list. 4). Stop talking about it! 5). There is no list! 6). Obama and Comey wrote the list!! 7). There isn’t a list! 8). Why didn’t Biden release the list? 9). It’s a hoax!!! (This one is a rerun and has been used on all the previous things that SHOULD HAVE ended this. And then finally: 10). “My supporters are dumb and I don’t need them anymore.” And as I perused the comments under the articles written about Epstein, I started to see a turn. Not against him! The turn is that the supporters, who wanted all the pedos to be exposed, and are mere hours clear from being called dumb… …are starting to defend him!!! I can’t believe it. I should have realized that eventually his supporters were going to come around. I’m waiting for Fox News and the idiot who spews conse...

Of all the pro sports the baseball all-star game is the best. I also think baseball is the best sport, but football dominates the media and people pretend that football is a great game. It ain’t. But, anyway, I do love baseball and through the years there were a lot of legendary All-Star games. Pete Rose destroyed the career of catcher Ray Fosse by running him over at home plate. Reggie hit the light tower. Jeter won the MVP one year, and on Mariano’s last year the teams stayed in the dugout until everyone showed their appreciation. I remember Fred Lynn hitting the first grand slam ever in the all-star game. There was the tie…. …because they ran out of pitchers. I recall seeing Aaron and Frank Robinson and a whole bunch of others playing in that game. It seems like the players enjoy going. Gary Templeton once said: “If I ain’t starting, I ain’t departing.” He skipped it. How could you not want to be an all-star? It’s funny but my little league all-star trophy is in the front room. I lo...

My wife is way more involved in my boy’s lives than me. Now, I’m not talking about talking to the boys because we both do that every day, all day, but she knows the names, birth days and interests of women that they date. Or want to date. “Sam got invited to go play two rounds of golf and then off to Cooperstown to visit the baseball Hall of Fame.” “That’s a good trip,” I said. “But he also was invited to a party by a girl that he’s interested in. Same day as the golf trip. Which one would you choose?” I frowned. I felt I was being setup because she knew my answer… …same answer as when I was 25. “When do we tee off?” I asked. “Yeah, well, he’s going to the party!” “Really!” Kathy laughed. “Seriously, that’s always what a man needs,” she said. “A good woman to keep him on the straight and narrow.” I laughed. “You don’t agree that a man needs a woman in his life?” (Another setup). “You mean at 25 or at 60?” I asked. “You needed one at all stages of your life. If I hadn’t saved you, you’d...

A huge orange pig is trying to get the world to stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein and the client list. His reasoning is a tad faulty when he explains that it’s a list that was made up by Obama, Biden and others to smear his good name, but that the list wasn’t made public by those same people…because? Because? If they made a list to bash him wouldn’t they have made it public? And of course, now it is available for all the world to see and his incompetent department of injustice is pretending that the list doesn’t exist…because? Because? Because he’s on it!! Of course he is! There are hundreds of photos of the two of them chumming around. Their names appear beside one another on paperwork filed in a lawsuit by a woman who claimed she was raped by the two men when she was 13 years old. Stop talking about it???? MAGA was so excited by the prospect of exposing all the criminal predators that hung around with Epstein. Some of the names that they threw out there were absolutely ridiculous. O...

I simply can’t resist reading an old newspaper.  I love the different sense of style and language in the writing and I also marvel over the idea that the world was here in full color way before me. North Collins High School debuted in 1937. Just 45 years later, I graduated from that school. For some reason I’m fascinated by the whole concept of all of it. I zoomed in and read all the quotes about how great the new school was going to be. I checked out how the members of the school board were dressed. And the school building itself? It looks exactly as it did in 1982 when I walked those halls, and even now, 43 years after that. Finally, I think about all of the stuff that will still be here after I’m gone… …and there are times when it bothers me that our end comes before the end of the entire deal… …well, I hope so anyway… …I don’t want to be around for the Big Bang. I always think about Louis C.K. talking about life after death. “There will be life after death…you just won’t be in ...

Summer months are unbelievably busy in the world of construction. I got a call at 5:48 a.m. on Friday. “Sorry to call you so early but are you coming out here today?” I laughed. “You ain’t sorry.” “Well, I figured that we are all up early.” “It’s a little too early,” I said. “I’ll see you in an hour or so.” By 8:00, the number of texts was at about twenty and there were at least that many emails, and a couple of more calls. By noon I had been on three roofs and a couple of scaffolds. By seven p.m., I had mowed the lawn and ran Ollie into the ground with football passes. As we close in on 8:00, I’m trying to figure out how I can stay up to a respectable time. Wasn’t too long ago that Friday night at 8:00 was prime time to hit the bars. Every week was a trip to getting ready for the debauchery of the weekend. Now? I just feel a sense of relief… …I made it. Tired for sure, but ready to relax a little, cook some dinners, chase the golf ball and watch the Yankees. “Who called you at six in ...

There are jugs at every counter in every business that is looking for loose change or donations. Usually there’s a disease or affliction attached for the hand out, and I’m sure that if everyone rounded up on every transaction there would be a healthy amount going somewhere. It aggravates me and I’m not sure if it should. Wal-Mart, for instance, racks in record profits every quarter and they ask for more money. If there’s a cashier there it is a little more irritating when she gives you the look like: “You don’t want to help the kids?” It’s truly embarrassing to live in a nation where getting sick can be a death sentence to a family bank account. Nowhere else on this planet do people go bankrupt because they break their leg and need care. “Go fund me” requests go around on social media and damn if it’s not disheartening to know that care is denied because people don’t have enough money. Even worse are the people on the streets, living in their shoes. Now, I bring this all up because, it...

They really could study me for mental illness. I’ve been out of whack since Sunday for two simple reasons: 1). Jake and Maggie took Oliver for a couple of days. We refer to it as Ollie going to his summer getaway. I missed my constant companion! Not having to go and throw passes should’ve been a break for me, but they passed along a photo of Oliver going swimming and it was like seeing an old girlfriend on a date. He’s back now. 2). My vehicle was at the shop. My inspection was overdue and of course, a couple of weeks before I was to get it inspected my check engine light came on. It’s such a scam. I borrowed Jake’s car for a couple of days, and going from an SUV to a car is a nightmare. I felt like I was a hundred years old as I tried to get in and out of the car, and certainly things are out of whack. The cup holders are off. The key is different. The gas tank is even on the opposite side. We have been watching episodes of ‘Monk’ during our slow television moments and I believe that ...

Epstein died in jail. They said it was a suicide, but the circumstances of that were wild. Meanwhile, there was a list! Oh boy! The rich and powerful and the connected were all going to be exposed. Finally! The Justice Department promised a swift review of the evidence and then the world would find out who the scoundrels were. We know the suspected names by now. One of the biggest names on the list is the guy who currently can either publish or kill the list. Believe me, he would go to great lengths to expose all the liberals and democrats that he hates (and it appears there are big liberal names on the flight logs)… …but there can only be one reason why he is resistant to releasing even a single name. Of course he’s on the list. He was the best friend of the world’s biggest trafficker of underage girls. He can’t release the list because he’s the star of it. So, instead of trying to grill those who are also on it, we now have a statement. It was definitely a suicide. There was no list....

We have had so many horrific, devastating storms, wild fires, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes and other disasters that it becomes just another story in the news. Yet, I read a recap of the flash flood that killed so many people that I couldn’t even finish the article because it was simply too sad. And, of course, there can’t be a disaster or a mass shooting or any other tragedy without the instantaneous pointing of fingers. Usually the blame is passed around along red or blue lines, as if being on the right side of the argument will somehow lessen the tragedy. It’s so hard to even imagine how something like this might happen. ,Was there a lack of prognostication? Was it due to recent cuts? Is it climate change related? I don’t know any of the above answers, but I’m certain that the weather has changed in the course of my lifetime. The wild fires seem more deadly. The hurricanes bring wide swaths of utter destruction. And the heat! How can we protect our citizenry from such catastrophi...

The Saturday round of golf was so much fun. Had another round on tap for this morning and met up with Pops and hoped we’d get it in before it got too hot. Along the way I had an idea - straight spaghetti and meatballs. Had been a while since we went old school. The golf was good (although some of those putts that were an inch away could’ve dropped), and the pasta was great. Meanwhile, I’ve been doing my best to just ignore the phone because the news is simply awful. Bad news every day. And the Yankees were just plain strugggggggggling! I didn’t even want to look in, but 60 years of wondering how the Yankees are doing is a hard habit to break. Getting the last 6 outs was like having teeth pulled, but they did it. “Hey! The Yankees won!!” My son texted me. And man, I can get used to 3-day weekends. Slept well, ate well, voice came back, golfed well and got a deeper tan. Hoping we are able to get weather forecasted, asbestos stays illegal and that my darker tan doesn’t get ICE chasing me....

My boy Sam loves golf, and while he’s not great at it, he loves every single swing of the club. For the last couple of years he’s been telling me about his buddy, who he claimed was really good. Today was the day. Sam and Eric joined me and JC at my favorite course. Golf isn’t a game where I’m interested in competing with anyone but myself, but I was looking forward to playing with the boys. I hit the first ball down the middle - decent enough shot - and Eric pounded the ball about 50 yards further, but it was toying with the rough. The ball was flying all around. He put a ball within 14” on a par 3 and made the birdie putt. I popped up a drive but hit a couple of good fairway shots and then dropped it within 6” of the cup from 140 yards out. “Oh! The old dog can bark,” I heard Eric mention to Sam. I can’t hit a ball 310 yards - A 28-year old kid can - I have to play my game with the slower swing, the aches and pains. We were close enough score wise as we came down the stretch… …even t...

My voice was a little hoarse on Thursday. By this morning, it was basically gone. It’s a little concerning as I’m not feeling any symptoms other than I sound like a coal miner. So, I spent the day trying not to talk at all, which is usually fine by me. The weather was outstanding… …did a little around the house and played with Ollie, of course. There are tee times coming up. I barbecued some ribs and chicken and added corn on the cob - a true 4th of July meal… …and then I ignored any thoughts of the country. I did not want to hear a word from the government especially regarding the transfer of wealth from low class and the lower middle class to the ultra-wealthy so that those dozens of men can buy more yachts. Sick of it. Sick of the Yankees playing poorly. I think my voice left because it didn’t want me to talk about any of it. Of course, there were plenty of fireworks all over the neighborhood. Didn’t it used to be illegal to shoot off fireworks all over suburbia?? The cats and dogs ...

I came around the corner at a job site and there he was, my buddy from El Salvador. “They didn’t deport you yet?” I asked. He laughed. “You’re such a d*ck,” he said. “They haven’t found me.” I laughed, but as I shook his hand, I said, “Sorry you have to worry about this every day.” “I’m here on a work visa. I’ve been here for almost two decades. I speak better English than most of the people here, but if they find me, I’m gone.” “Crazy,” I said. “You know, you’re as dark as me. If ICE came around the corner right now there’d be two of us in the back of that van.” We laughed again. “Seriously, are you Hispanic?” “Bite your tongue!” I said. “I have Italian blood.” He put his arm up and I matched him. “You are darker than me! Are you ready to go to Portugal?” We couldn’t stop laughing, but I saw, by the look on his face that he was scared. “What I don’t get is that people hate me! Why would anyone hate me?” He was talking about Americans who hate all immigrants… …no matter what. “It’s bec...

We are one step away from concentration camps, aren’t we? The economy is reeling. We are now saying that gas is down to $1.99 a gallon in 5 states. No one can name a single state where that is happening. Sending people away and imprisoning them in a place surrounded by alligators because they entered the country illegally… …if they even did that??? There have been ICE raids all over the country. The “agents” are wearing masks and I’ve heard of a few such raids on sites around this town. The agents are not accepting any explanations. Work visas? They don’t care. Passports and having entered illegally? Tell it to the judge… …if we allow you to even have a hearing. People are just being pulled off jobs, jammed into vans, and sent away. “We haven’t heard from our guys,” one supervisor said. “They’re just gone.” And soon, they will be sent to Alligator Alcatraz. “I think it’s great. It’s funny too,” one very racist guy mentioned to me on a job site. “Now people will think twice about coming...

So, the tax cut for the wealthy has passed through the Senate, and there’s a movement afoot to paint it as: “Thirty-five year olds playing video games in their Mom’s basement are going to have to get off Medicaid and find a job.” Even if that was the goal of such a bill why does that have to happen so that the ultra-wealthy can get another tax cut??? It’s infuriating. How much money do these people need? The millions of people who will be without healthcare doesn’t matter to the wealthy? And to top it off, the big, fat, idiot president is selling perfume. Trump fragrances. Not kidding. He posted it yesterday. So, let’s get it straight… …people without healthcare, paying $1,800 a month for an apartment, making just above minimum wage, are going to rush out an buy a bottle of Trump Fragrance for $75 an ounce? So that they can smell like him? What’s the fragrance? A full diaper and Big Mac? It would be comical if it weren’t so sad. If this tax cut for the wealthy gets through the house th...