As November approaches, most Americans are thinking about the best candidate to run the country for the next four years. For a special, breed, however, the 4th will only be a prelude to a much bigger event. On November 8, the television show Dallas will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Nowadays, it's hard to remember how significant Dallas once was. In the '80s, it perfectly captured the spirit of Reagan-era optimism and self-indulgence, when there was money to burn and the biggest worry was deciding which bed to hop into. Even though the show premiered three years before the Gipper entered the Oval Office, it will always be linked in the public mind to the sky-is-the-limit excess of his two terms.

Given the current economic downturn, it's hardly surprising that Dallas fans are longing for to the simpler, more affluent '80s. Many will be attending the show's 30th reunion, which will be held on November 8 at South Fork Ranch, the Ewing homestead. Most of the cast has been invited, and fans can buy tickets to the festivities for between $100 and $250. The event is being sponsored by DiMora motorcars, the company that provided many of the show's ostentatious luxury automobiles.

While I will not be attending, I like the idea of a cast reunion, particularly given the fact that Fantasy Island is also nearing its 30th anniversary, and The Six Million Dollar Man will turn 35 in 2009. Never mind who shot JR; I'm holding out for Steve Austin!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. He's sad that Tattoo won't make it to the 35th anniversary.

Earlier this week I was having lunch with a coworker, discussing the current financial situation and comparing cutbacks at home and in our various departments at work. While we were talking about issues facing people we knew he shared the account of a close friend who had recently begun to look for a home. He had already been pre-approved for a home loan and was busy finding homes in his price range when the lender let him know that his pre-approval had been pulled, leaving him without the ability to purchase a house.

Having home ownership snatched from your fingertips, especially after you already met the tighter loan restrictions that the meltdown brought about would be a major downer. When I was telling my parents about this unfortunate story they said it reminded them of the circumstances surrounding their home buying process. My parents had been house hunting for a while and my dad left work early to get the loan finalized. In the time it took my him to take a shower their ability to buy afford the homes they had picked was wiped out because Ronald Reagan had been shot, causing the financial markets to take a drastic hit.