An Andy Rooney Moment

Did you ever wonder why the good guys in sci-fi movies have blue lights while bad guys tend to have green lights?

Painless Giving

When I travel I tend to fly American Airlines and have found a way to give painlessly every time I do so I thought I would pass it on. Here is the information from The Center in San Diego:

Flying somewhere?

Every time you book a ticket with American Airlines, remember to take The Center with you. When making your reservations, include The Center’s “Business ExtrAA Account#: 527593.” You will still receive all your AA miles and The Center will earn airline tickets used to create vacation packages for silent auctions at our major events or to send staff to important trainings in different cities.

Flip-Side To Oedipus

I'm not a fan of Freud and especially not of his proposed Oedipus Complex but in some form it seems to exist in contemporary psychology. The idea of competition of son with father for whatever reason and the "trauma" for both when the son comes into his own and finally succeeds/supersedes the father seems to continually appear in book after book on human relationships. Honestly I have never gone through this. I have never thought of myself in competition with my father in any way, shape, or form for anything.

Recent events have made me think though of a "flip-side" to Freud's idea. Again, it isn't anything new but I have not seen this type of comparison in the books I have read (perhaps because it is too folksy or too sentimental), but my flip-side is rather than thinking about competition between father and son, focus on the moment when the father expresses his joy for the type of man the son has become. Rather than traumatic and a source of familial tension this view creates bonding and strengthening of the familial unit.

OK, so why I am bringing this up? Today I received a card from my father. As some of you know (but most don't) modern medicine has pronounced my father's condition as terminal, metastasized cancer in several organs and lymph nodes. In the card is a very simple message. My father told me how much he loves me and how proud he is to have me for his son. Now this isn't the first time he has said it, but like most fathers the message had come when I have done something or if I was sad and full of self-hatred (a common condition of mine in the past). This time there was nothing I had done, nothing going on in my life which prompted him to take pen in hand and write that message to me. He wanted me to know, once more and under no special conditions or causes that he is proud to have me for his son. When I read that I felt like I had arrived, that while we disagree, while I have not been the "perfect son", even through the "gay thing", he loves me and he is proud to have me as his son (I know that has to sound redundant but I love writing it). Because someone I view as a real man said this to me I felt like a man.

Perhaps I am so happy to have this written confirmation because I love him and an proud to be his son, but I will save that for a later post.

Thank you Dad.

I Coulda Been A Contender

Just pulled my "Motley Fools" CAPS rating for my stock picks where you select a basket of stocks and predict whether it will outperform or underperform the S&P 500 within a given timeframe. The lifetime results I have are:

tpape's rating is 96.75.

* Score: 193.88 (92nd percentile)
* Accuracy: 100.00% (99th percentile)

A member's rating indicates his percentile rank in CAPS. tpape is outperforming 96.75% of all CAPS members. A member's score is the total percentage return of all his picks subtracting out the S&P. A member's accuracy is how often that member has made correct predictions

So out of >65000 people I'm doing OK. :-)

Poor Paul Krugman

Give a guy a Nobel Prize and they think they can say anything and get away with it as we "mere mortals" should not question their pronouncements. Take the following from his editorial The era of good government appearing in the San Diego Union Tribune on 27-December-2008. Consider the following opening from the article:

... President-elect Barack Obama, riding a wave of revulsion over what conservatism has wrought, has said that he wants to "make government cool again."

What conservatism has wrought? What the heck is he talking about? As I have said time and time again on this site (and other conservatives have said before I started writing) President Bush is not a conservative. A conservative would not have done 3/4th of the things that he and his cabinet have done over the last eight years. But while Mr. Krugman doesn't name President Bush in the opening as the culprit (he does later in the article though which we will address in a moment), he says that conservatism is to blame. Mr. Krugman, please tell me how the conservative ideology is to blame when there hasn't been a conservative in power or a real conservative majority in over a decade. We have had Republicans in power in some way, shape, or form but not conservatives. For someone supposedly as smart as Mr. Krugman this is a terrible mistake to make... but of course it's not a mistake since Mr. Krugman is simply a "liberal" who is also a hack when it comes to trying to write about politics. As people who pay attention know, Republican does not equal conservative (just as Democrat does not equal liberal).

Now what about his attempted smearing of President Bush? Mr. Krugman says

Even when they failed on the job (as they so often did), they could claim that very failure as vindication of their anti-government ideology, a demonstration that the public sector can't do anything right.

Really? What "anti-government" ideology? Bush does not have an anti-government ideology. Sure, he has given a few speeches, but look at all the expanded government crap that Bush hath wrought (just for a few consider the massive drug program for Medicaid, "No Child Left Behind", and the current trillion-dollar plus "bailout"). Let's see Obama top THAT for expansion of government power and spending!

So Mr. Krugman, for a Nobel Prize winning economist and supposed "intellectual" (according to Wikipedia) please, please start getting your terms right. Such a supposedly smart man should not be making such mistakes.

Another Reason To Detest Elected Officials

As most of you know California is about to go over the financial waterfall into the abyss. Rather than face realities, what did the democrat majority conspire to do? The b*stards tried to call a tax a fee. That's right, they engaged in post-modern slight of hand. Why did they do this? In California, in order to increase a tax you need a 2/3 majority vote but with the current composition of the assembly they can't get it. They then realized that to increase a fee you need only a simple majority! With the swindler's mindset firmly in place here is how it went... they simply replaced a portion of the tax with a fee! Let's say you have a $1.00 tax. What they would do is say that they repeal 60 cents of this tax and replace it with a fee. Now to raise that "fee" they simply need a majority vote! So they put a .75% sales tax increase, er, fee increase, a 2.5% "surcharge" on income taxes, a fee on gasoline, a business fee, all to a vote and it passed in a straight party-line vote. Disgusting. All I can say is, thank God for the "Governator" who said he would not sign this package.

Evil... these people who supposedly represent the will of the people just try to find ways to circumvent the will of the people. Of course the greatest shame falls on the California voter for putting these jokers in power time and time again.

Clarence Page and Gay Rights

I have never liked Clarence Page, he's been too much of a sanctimonious liberal for me the entire duration of my political life, so my disagreement with his editorial in the 08-Dec-2008 edition of the San Diego Union Tribune isn't much of a shock, but it's just amazing how someone becomes so noted for writing virtually nothing. In the editorial Gay pride meets black prejudice Mr. Page opens with the following:


'Gay is the New Black,' declares the Dec 16 issue of The Advocate, a leading gay-oriented magazine. Well, not quite. How about "Gay is the new gray"?... I don't oppose same-sex marriage... But gay rights leaders should think twice before drawing too many compaisons to the right for racial equality. They are tragically correct to point out the murder, beatings, arson and other hate crimes that continue to be perpetrated against homosexuals. But the history and nature of our oppression is so different as to serve to alienate potential allies instead of winning them over.


Luckily I have that issue of The Advocate Mr. Page references. What is interesting is after opening with the above salvo he goes on to show two things. First, at best he skimmed the article, and second, he says nothing at all about why gay rights leaders need to think twice about making the comparison. In fact, as to the depths of his reading the article, when you do examine the contents of Michael Gross' article (titled "Pride and Prejudice", not "Gay is the New Black" which is on the cover of the 16-Dec-2008 issue of The Advocate), you almost get the sense that Mr Page simply lifted what he liked from the article and attacked the title, but the attack he proposed has virtually no substance in his editorial. In fact, had he bothered at all to read for content rather than skim for quotes he would have found Mr. Gross making the following statement:


Too many drew a simple parallel between our struggle and the black civil rights movement... There is someting to this, but it's dangerous territory, and we have to be careful not to lose our bearings here. Gay is the new black in only one meaningful way. At present we are the most socially acceptable targets for the kind of casual hatred that American society once approved for habitual use against black people... The comaprison becomes useful, though, in forcing us to consider the differences, between our civil rights struggle and theirs.


And I am sure that had Mr. Page read the article he would have liked the following penned by Mr. Gross:


Our oppression, by and large, is nowhere near as extreme as blacks' and we insult them when we make facile comparisons between our plights. Gay people have more resources thank blacks had in the 1960s. We are embedded in the power structure of every institution of this society.. Almost all gay people have the choice of passing [for straight]. Very few black people have that option.


* sigh *

Page's simple rendering of the the issue surfaces in his indignation of not only the comparison of gay rights and the Black civil rights movement (which if he had actually read the article he would have seen that was not the intent), but also that pointing out 70% of the black community voted for Proposition 8 which stripped away the right of gays to marry is mean spirited and a "bum rap". Now he does note that Mr. Gross says the same thing (wow, what a guy) but the sad thing is what typically happens when a liberal commentator writes about statistics... they speak about things of which they have no knowledge. In an effort to be politically correct both Mr. Page and Mr. Gross try to dance around the fact that ethincally blacks voted overwhelmingly for Proposition 8. So what if they are only 10% of the voting electorate, if they had voted in the same percentage as Whites or Asians (less than 50% of those blocks voted for for the proposition) Proposition 8 would have failed (after all it passed by a 52/48 vote so if Blacks voted for it less than 50% that two percentage point swing in the overall population would have been enough). Trying to make comparisons with how Mormons or Catholics or Evangelicals voted is a false comparison (especially evangelicals since ethnicity and religion here probably overlaps quite a bit and the percentage fact is focusing on race rather than religion or any other factor).

So the fact remains... 70% of people in the black community voted for Proposition 8. Now the question to ask is "Why?" I am sure that most gays had a false sense of security given the Obama affect as well as the usual support for what is often considered liberal causes (though I think a strong conservative case can be made for gay marriage), I was saying early on not to do this. Most people who have studied sociology know that there does run through the black (and hispanic community)of social conservatism (more aptly called perhaps traditionalism). Both Mr. Page and Mr. Gross point this out and use it to attack the statistic but rather than attacking the statistic with it we need to address this. Rather than dancing around the percentage of blacks voting against gay marriage we need to address their underlying reasons. If we can tie our issue to that of civil rights (and it is because civil rights means "everyone's right" or "the rights of the public"), we have the opportunity to swing the percentage around... and that is what politics has become, a game of percentages.

Everyone Can Give Something

This morning I was listening to KFI and my heart was breaking. The station is doing a Radiothon for the Salvation Army. Donations are off from last year and service requests have nearly tripled due to the situation out there. Bill Handel was telling people just give up Starbucks for one day and donate the money and that anyone, regardless of how bad off you think you are, can donate something whether it is time, goods, or money. So acting on both good conservative principles (individuals give to help other individuals) and in some part in answer to a bit of a guilty conscious (thanks Mr. Handel) I upped my giving to a couple of local charities. Now I know I am blessed in so many ways and can do this, but if you can't that does not exempt you. Maybe you can help a friend or neighbor having a hard time, maybe you can take a couple of cans of food to a local food bank or donate time at a shelter... but you can do something to help people less fortunate than you. If we all did this, if we got off our behinds and did something no matter how small and tell ourselves "This is for those less fortunate than I am" just think of how much better off the world would be.

Just to help, here are some links to some of my favorites at this time of the year (and you don't even have to search the site as these links take you right to the donate page):

National:

Salvation Army

Feeding America

Children's Health Fund

San Diego:

Mama's Kitchen

And one for you east-side Missouri folks:

St. Louis Foodbank

Words From Yeats

One of the benefits of being educated in a small, Midwest high school was being made to read and memorize famous works of literature. With all that has been happening in the news I am reminded of the following lines written by Yeats in his famous poem The Second Coming:

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

How Much Does It Take To Buy The Presidency?

And here people worried about Ross Perot back in 1992. You can read the full story here.

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama, who rewrote the book on presidential fundraising, amassed more than $745 million during his marathon campaign, more than twice the amount obtained by his rival, Republican John McCain.

In his latest finance report, Obama reported raising $104 million in more than five weeks immediately before and after Election Day. It was his second biggest fundraising period and a fitting coda to a successful presidential bid that shattered fundraising records.

In the end, Obama still had $30 million left over.

Overall, Obama exceeded the combined finances of the two major parties' nominees four years ago. George W. Bush and John Kerry pulled in a total of $653 million in the 2004 primary and general election campaigns, including federal public financing money.


Of course, this was the man who repeatedly said that if his rival took federal funds so would he. First promise he broke... and no wonder.

Non Sequitur

But Hunter will understand it...

World AIDS Day

Today marks the 20th World AIDS Day... how many of you knew that? How many of you cared? I am old enough to remember, and participating in those early years of the fight. It's strange to look back at what we did then compared to the attitudes of today.

Tonight I have my own little memorial service. A glass of wine and some 15 year old picture of a young, smiling blond man I had in my life for a few years before he fell to the opportunistic diseases that is often the end of too-short life. Jerry Heard came out when he was 17 and had his first sexual encounter... six months later he tested positivie for the HIV virus. I met him right after I moved to St. Louis. We were part of a large group who met to see a local production of "Pippin" and have dinner afterward. He sat at the opposite end of the table from me but he kept looking at me and whispering to his friend. After a few awkward dates we decided to make a go of it. He was always up front with his disease and told me that if at any time I wanted out he understood (he said that was why most men didn't hang around him). I didn't leave. When his health was in steep decline I asked him what he wanted more than anything else... he said to be married. We were, if not in the eyes of any government we were in our eyes and our hearts. I was with him when he died, holding him in my arms. He was 25.

So today, as I have entered a relatively new chapter in my life, on this 20th annual World AIDS DAY I am thinking of how HIV has impacted my life. I am sure many of you have more stories you can add to mine. What we have to remember is that the fight is NOT over. There is no vaccine, there is no cure. We have no solid evidence that long-term application of the new drug "cocktails" (with apologies to Larry Kramer who says that cocktails are supposed to make you feel good while his HIV cocktails gives him severe intestinal problems) can be tolerated and while in the short term a better quality of life exists, after almost 30 years of it being out in the open we still have not beaten this enemy.

What Do You Get For 7 Trillion Dollars?

I heard this over the weekend but just in case you haven't, you're wonderful government has committed 7 TRILLION DOLLARS to clean up the mess (read about it here). Given that our current GDP is about $14.5 trillion, this means we've committed roughly half of everything produced this year, both goods and services, to this catastrophe!

Bastards!

But wait, there's more. As of November 19, 2008, the total U.S. federal debt was $10.6 trillion, about $37,316 for each U.S. resident. Of this amount, debt held by the public was roughly $6.3 trillion! Adding unfunded Medicaid, Social Security, Medicare, veterans' pensions, and similar obligations we come up with (drum roll please)...

$59.1 trillion, or $516,348 per household.

I want to see bodies. I want not only CEOs do the perp walk, but those f*cking people in DC to do time as well (there's enough blame to spread around, so the ranks of both Democrats and Republicans will be thinned)... and I want my money back. I want their salaries for the last 10 years paid back for allowing this crap to happen. I want them publicly shamed and humiliated.

God help us all.

Where Rush Is Wrong

I generally like Rush Limbaugh. Call it two Missourians sticking together but after 17 years of his show I still enjoy listening to him from time to time and on many issues we are in agreement. One recent area of disagreement (and a key on regarding the identity and future of the Republican Party) is his reaction to those who are saying the Republican Party needs to move forward in several areas. An example of his reaction to people like David Brooks, Peggy Noonan, and Christopher Buckley can be found here. But as often as he is right, here I think the great MahaRushie is wrong. What helped bring this to light was a short interview on the DVD Mr. Conservative from another conservative thinker, George Will. The question put out was whether or not Barry Goldwater became more liberal as he became older. Liberals like Al Franken were giddy in saying he had but George Will put a more thoughtful idea forward. He said that issues like gays in the military were not key in the years of Goldwater's era. What Goldwater did was take his well-thought ideals of what it meant to be a conservative and applied them to these new issues and came down on the side of literal interpretation of the Constitution and freedom to live one's life with minimal interference by the government (the bedrocks of Conservatism) and said "Nothing prevents it, so let 'em do it". Conservatism doesn't mean intellectual stagnation just as the attempts by Brooks et al does not mean giving up core conservative values nor jettison the image of Ronald Reagan. The idea, which Rush seems to miss, is that we have to take our basic values and apply them to a whole new world of issues that Reagan, God bless him, never had to face as key issues. Society has moved to new issues, in part because Conservatism won several of its fights in the '80 and '90, so we have to take the idea of what it means to be a conservative and apply them to the issues of the day. We cannot just look back at Goldwater and Reagan and sigh wistfully for the old days, we have to take the tools they gave us and move onward to build a conservative ideology worthy of the 21st century.

An Accurate Take On The Current Financial Mess

This was sent to me by my friend Andrew. Generated lots of painful laughs...

Support In Repealing The Ban On Service

Here's the teaser:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday for repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays so they can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.

You can read the whole article here.

I have two political heroes in my life... my dad (for practical applications of what it means to be a Conservative) and Senator Barry Goldwater (who started what I consider "real Conservatism"). My dad has never made any statements about gays serving in the military but Senator Goldwater did. First, the man known as "Mr. Conservatism" is famously quoted as saying "You don't have to be straight to shoot straight." Nice and pithy, accurate on sentiment but not content. The "quote" comes from his famous 1993 Washington Post editorial:


We have wasted enough precious time, money and talent trying to
persecute and pretend. It's time to stop burying our heads in the sand and
denying reality for the sake of politics. It's time to deal with this
straight on and be done with it. It's time to get on with more important
business.

The conservative movement, to which I subscribe, has as one of its basic
tenets the belief that government should stay out of people's private
lives. Government governs best when it governs least-and stays out of the
impossible task of legislating morality. But legislating someone's version
of morality is exactly what we do by perpetuating discrimination against
gays.

We can take polls. We can visit submarines to get opinions on who are
the best citizens. But that is not the role of a democratic government in a
free society. Under our Constitution, everyone is guaranteed the right to
do as he pleases as long as it does not harm someone else. You don't need to be "straight" to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight.

With all the good this country has accomplished and stood for, I know
that we can rise to the challenge, do the right thing and lift the ban on
gays in the military. Countries with far less leadership and discipline
have traveled this way, and successfully.

When you get down to it, no American able to serve should be allowed, much less given an excuse, not to serve his or her country. We need all our talent.

This is my brand of Conservatism (emphasis on that second paragraph of his). It's time for the rest of the GOP and the rest of the military to catch up.

Lose One, Win One

Been up 24 hours straight working but I had to acknowledge this. Thanks Connecticut. The east coast is looking more attractive with each passing day.

Singing The Prop 8 Blues

Well, just in case you've been hiding in the caves with Bin Laden, Prop 8 passed and the people of California have changed the state constitution to enshrine a definition of marriage that removes the rights of same-sex couples to marry. When others were spouting early polls with glee that it was losing I was hesitant to join in. I guess I have been a student of politics too long and had paid attention to what was going on to jump to the conclusion that the proposition would lose. Sadly I was right. The ads promoting Proposition 8 were far too effective on an electorate that was not politically aware. Add to this the way the vote worked (voting for Prop 8 meant gays could no longer marry most likely did work on some... I have anecdotal evidence that this did happen) along with the racial nature of the election (Blacks and Latinos, out in force for Obama, voted heavily for the proposition) spelled a squeeker at best for us. Sadly we didn't even get 50% plus 1, enough to have defeated the proposition.

So what now? There are protests. People are upset and rightfully so, but I hope they are careful in how they proceed. One of the more effective ads was that of the idiot mayor of San Francisco spouting how "whether you like it or not" gay marriage was here to stay. I've heard on the radio and read in news papers of some protests getting ugly, people saying things and doing things that are at worst damaging and at best stupid in trying to get out their anger. But lets understand, this is no long a voting matter... the prop passed, the Constitution as of now will change. The fight, which should continue, now goes to the courts. It falls to the small group of lawyers petitioning the state's supreme court to hear their arguments against the merits of such an amendment. At this time I am not quite sure the courts will decide in their favor but we can continue to hope and pray that is so.

What if this is the case... what if the courts don't come down on our side? Our only real alternative is to put up our own initiative to change the constitution again. Now that will be interesting but given California's silly initiative process it is possible... and we could be in a war of constitutional amendments.

Post Election

Well, Obama won. I hope he really is a Christian and that he spends time in prayer because he does not have the experience necessary to lead a country like this in times of crisis. Unlike some of the people who were against Obama, I do not think Obama is evil or a "bad man", I simply think he is wrong and that many of his ideas and proposed policies are, in the words of Sarkozy, "immature".

In a related story, Prop 8 passed so no marriage for me despite time, energy, and cash contributed to the cause. Why related? Well, a majority of the people that Obama pulled to the polls voted for Prop 8. All you pro-8/anti-Obama folks needs to send him a big ol' thanks, his people put the prop over the top.

In a perverse addition, Prop 4 failed so no adult notification for abortions on young women. Murder can continue without the counsel and notification of an adult. Just goes to show you the schizophrenia of California... homos get put in their (our) place but murder of the unborn misses this one small potential impediment.

Economically the wonderful people of this state voted even more debt. I have come to the realization that people here simply do not understand the concept of a bond. People, you have to pay for it. It is not free money.

So there you have it. Now the hard work comes...

Crumudgeon Voting

Well, I voted. I got to my polling place 15 minutes early and was second in line. They reindexed the polling places and mine was moved so I was a little nervous about the state not getting the address right (what, California screwing things up?) but it went fine.

My strategy for voting this year was rather simple:

I couldn't vote for Obama. I simply don't trust him. This man broke his very first promise of taking federal financing to fund his run for office so why should I trust him on anything else?

If you are an incumbent I voted against you. If you are a Democrat incumbent I voted Republican. If you are a Republican incumbent I voted Libertarian. I just want new liars in office, I'm tired of old lies (which is why I voted yes on Prop 11). Hopefully the new liars will be more creative.

On the props, if you directly cost money I voted against you regardless of my actual feelings about the prop. Why? If you ask this you simply are not paying attention to what is happening in this state. WE HAVE NO MONEY!. I'm sorry, but this state is already $14 billion in the red and we just passed the budget less than two months ago. We simply cannot afford to spend more now and it is not right to saddle the young with the thoughtlessness of the old. We have to straighten out the mess before we start piling on more debt.

And of course I voted NO on Proposition 8.

So yes, I voted like a "crusty, ill-tempered, usually older person"... I voted like a crumudgeon, but I felt like it was the appropriate way to vote this election cycle.

Heck, He Gets My Vote Then!

I'm sorry... this has to be the most simple-minded person ever to be on television. I am getting so sick of politics... between McCain not able to run a campaign to the Obama worshipers I can't stand it any more. Regardless of who wins I get screwed and the real problem is I don't think either candidate is proficient enough to get me to like it.

ENFJ

Over lunch today I took one of those only personality tests ("Jung Typology Test") and I came out ENFJ: Extraverted Intuitive Feeling Judging. I always try to answer truthfully rather than what I think I should answer or how I think some people might answer for me, so this is accurate for the test. What does it mean? Well according to Wikipedia:


They excel at picking up on the tone of a situation and acting accordingly, adding warmth to a cool setting or turning sour into sweet. They naturally seek to know what people do well, what they enjoy, and where and how they work. They seem to have an infinite number of acquaintances from all walks of life and are always on the lookout for people in need and those who can help out. ENFJs weave and strengthen the collective fabric of social conventions and interactions. Inclusiveness is important and they are particularly sensitive to those who are excluded.

They are natural cheerleaders, often expressing support, gratitude, and encouragement, and heaping praise onto those they appreciate. They take note of what is being done and what needs doing, offering their assistance wherever necessary.

ENFJs enjoy organizing group activities and tend to take their commitments seriously. In general, they are reliable and do not like to disappoint others. As team players and project leaders, they have a gift for rallying their players, focusing on what is being done right and each member's strengths. They are loyal and they expect loyalty. They carry conversations well, finding common ground with their speaker. They tend to find the correct and gracious way to respond in any given situation, no matter how tense or uncomfortable it is.


Here is the more complete description (warning, lengthy):


ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it's usually not meant as manipulation -- ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are.

ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.

ENFJs are, by definition, Js, with whom we associate organization and decisiveness. But they don't resemble the SJs or even the NTJs in organization of the environment nor occasional recalcitrance. ENFJs are organized in the arena of interpersonal affairs. Their offices may or may not be cluttered, but their conclusions (reached through feelings) about people and motives are drawn much more quickly and are more resilient than those of their NFP counterparts.

ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.
TRADEMARK: "The first shall be last"

This refers to the open-door policy of ENFJs. One ENFJ colleague always welcomes me into his office regardless of his own circumstances. If another person comes to the door, he allows them to interrupt our conversation with their need. While discussing that need, the phone rings and he stops to answer it. Others drop in with a 'quick question.' I finally get up, go to my office and use the call waiting feature on the telephone. When he hangs up, I have his undivided attention!

Functional Analysis:
Extraverted Feeling

Extraverted Feeling rules the ENFJ's psyche. In the sway of this rational function, these folks are predisposed to closure in matters pertaining to people, and especially on behalf of their beloved. As extraverts, their contacts are wide ranging. Face-to-face relationships are intense, personable and warm, though they may be so infrequently achieved that intimate friendships are rare.
Introverted iNtuition

Like their INFJ cousins, ENFJs are blessed through introverted intuition with clarity of perception in the inner, unconscious world. Dominant Feeling prefers to find the silver lining in even the most beggarly perceptions of those in their expanding circle of friends and, of course, in themselves. In less balanced individuals, such mitigation of the unseemly eventually undermines the ENFJ's integrity and frequently their good name. In healthier individuals, deft use of this awareness of the inner needs and desires of others enables this astute type to win friends, influence people, and avoid compromising entanglements.

The dynamic nature of their intuition moves ENFJs from one project to another with the assurance that the next one will be perfect, or much more nearly so than the last. ENFJs are continually looking for newer and better solutions to benefit their extensive family, staff, or organization.
Extraverted Sensing

Sensing is extraverted. ENFJs can manage details, particularly those necessary to implement the prevailing vision. These data have, however, a magical flexible quality. Something to be bought can be had for a song; the same something is invaluable when it's time to sell. (We are not certain, but we suspect that such is the influence of the primary function.) This wavering of sensory perception is made possible by the weaker and less mature status with which the tertiary is endowed.
Introverted Thinking

Introverted Thinking is least apparent and most enigmatic in this type. In fact, it often appears only when summoned by Feeling. At times only in jest, but in earnest if need be, Thinking entertains as logical only those conclusions which support Feeling's values. Other scenarios can be shown invalid or at best significantly inferior. Such "Thinking in the service of Feeling" has the appearance of logic, but somehow it never quite adds up.

Introverted Thinking is frequently the focus of the spiritual quest of ENFJs. David's lengthiest psalm, 119, pays it homage. "Law," "precept," "commandment," "statute:" these essences of inner thinking are the mysteries of Deity for which this great Feeler's soul searched.
Famous ENFJs:

David, King of Israel
U.S. Presidents:
Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan

William Cullen Bryant, poet
Abraham Maslow, psychologist and proponent of self-actualization
Ross Perot
Sean Connery
Elizabeth Dole
Francois Mitterand
Dick Van Dyke
Andy Griffith
James Garner
William Aramony, former president of United Way
Gene Hackman (Superman, Antz)
Dennis Hopper (Speed)
Brenda Vaccaro
Craig T. Nelson (Coach)
Diane Sawyer (Good Morning America)
Randy Quaid (Bye Bye, Love; Independence Day)
Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive)
Kirstie Alley ("Cheers," Look Who's Talking movies)
Michael Jordan, NBA basketball player
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Oprah Winfrey
Bob Saget America's Funniest Home Videos, Full House
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Seinfeld")
Ben Stiller (The Royal Tenenbaums)
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Matthew McConaughey (The Wedding Planner)
Pete Sampras, Tennis Champion
Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls")
Ben Affleck (The Sum Of All Fears)
John Cusack (High Fidelity)

Home

Sorry for the recent neglect of the site but even with all the easy targets our recent political and financial environments have provided my heart just hasn't been in it. As some of you know, my father's health has been in rapid decline and that has occupied my thoughts. The problems became such that I made a trip "home" to see him and the family. It was my first trip in a little over three years and I have to say the trip did me a bit of good in that it reinforced in me the idea of what it means to have a home... not a house, but a home.

It is at home where I am loved, unconditionally. Home is that one port in the storms of life where I know I will always be welcome, made to feel safe, made warm, be fed, listened to, cried with and laughed with. Home is where it isn't Mike the success, Mike the intellectual, Mike the "pillar of society" or anything other than "Mike the son", "Mike the brother", and "Mike the uncle" that holds any weight and has any standing. Home is where people are waiting out in the cold mist just to hug me and say "Welcome home, we're happy to see you" and where those same people with mist in their eyes hold me tight as I leave and say "We love you. Be safe. Be happy. Come home more often" and I know in the depths of your soul they mean it.

Home is the place that laid the foundations of all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will be. Home is where not necessarily everything went over well, but was always done in the spirit of love and desire of helping me to become better. Sometimes those lessons worked, sometimes they didn't, but even when I said "No" and openly rebelled home is where I can always return without heaps of shame thrown on me.

Home is where I learned the lessons of celebrating life and the cold reality of death, of the value of spiritual riches in the absense of material riches, of the importance of the small things in a big ol' world.

Home is where I learned the power of love in the face of evil and hatred which has given me a generally optimistic view of life (after all, the end of Scripture can be summarized as "Good wins"). Home isn't the place of perfection but it is the place of freedom to try and the freedom to fail. Home is where I learned to be human and was privileged to see the true heights to which humanity can rise in the face of adversity. Home is also where I learned the following poem by Edgar Guest from my great grandfather, my grandmother, and my mother:


It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
It don't make any differunce how rich ye get t' be,
How much yer chairs an' tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped round everything.

Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it's home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it;
Within the walls there's got t' be some babies born, and then
Right there ye've got t' bring 'em up t' women good, an' men;
And gradjerly as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn't part
With anything they ever used—they've grown into yer heart:
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; an' if ye could ye'd keep the thumb-marks on the door.

Ye've got t' weep t' make it home, ye've got t' sit an' sigh
An' watch beside a loved one's bed, an' know that Death is nigh;
An' in the stillness o' the night t' see Death's angel come,
An' close the eyes o' her that smiled, an' leave her sweet voice dumb.
Fer these are scenes that grip the heart, an'when yer tears are dried,
Ye find the home is dearer than it was, an' sanctified;
An' tuggin' at ye always are the pleasant memories
O' her that was an' is no more—ye can't escape from these.

Ye've got t' sing an' dance fer years, ye've got t' romp an' play,
An' learn t' love the things ye have by usin' 'em each day;
Even the roses 'round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they 'come a part o' ye, suggestin' someone dear
Who used t' love 'em long ago, an' trained 'em jes t' run
The way they do, so's they would get the early mornin' sun;
Ye've got t' love each brick an' stone from cellar up t' dome:
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home.


Having gone "back home" and been reminded of "home" I have come to realize that "home" has expanded. "Home" is back in Missouri, but given all that I have said "home" is, I see it shaping here in California too for I see my beau as part of home as well... and I am the richer for it.

Two Quotes

One long, one short, both by J. R. R. Tolkien:

We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed, only by myth-making, only by becoming a 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbor, while materialistic "progress" leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil.

And one that is perhaps more potent...

...the power of Evil in the world is not finally resistible by incarnate creatures, however "good"; and the Writer of the Story is not one of us.

Fairly Quiet Oktoberfest

Well, it didn't turn out like I had planned, but sometimes it is good to throw the plan away and just go with the flow. I had intended to have a group over to the house for a wine tasting and then go to Oktoberfest in OB. Sent out an invitation, saw that most people did actually view the invitation but for some strange reason most didn't even bother to reply to the RSVP. It's really frustrating and a total lack of courtesy and consideration, something that bothers me more than most things these days about how people are out here. I mean, I wouldn't have minded had people just said "No, have other plans" or if they said "Yes" but called to give their regrets about not coming (which I had to do on Sunday because I was on call and had problems to deal with during an event my beau and I were attend)... at least that is information. No news though it hard to work with.

So while the group was small we still had fun. The grill was flaring, wine was flowing and we just enjoyed sitting outside in the autumnal sun enjoying life. Our friend Sarah came over towards the end of the wine time and we all headed to the OB Pier area for Oktoberfest to find... a bunch of drunk straight people. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing but the limit on the size of the venue made the concentration a little tough to handle so after a quick beer we went over to The Vine for dinner and some more fellowship. It was quite fun and I got to build up some positive energy for the trip home.

Hugs to you who were there and thank you.

With Supporters Like This...

So Obama is the Messiah? When I see him walk on water and return from the dead after three days then I might believe...

Comforting Angels

People talk a lot about guardian angels. I am lucky to have two special angels in my life right now. Given all the problems happening in my family it would be hard to carry on with my day-to-day work. I don't sleep well, my mind is filled with worry but I honestly believe that these two are in my life for a reason.

First I have Romeo. OK, go ahead and laugh, but Romeo just appeared in my life when I was going through some rough times and now, over nine years later he's still here. When I first heard about my father Romeo seemed to go into a comforting mode... when I am here by myself he hops up into bed and curls up near my pillow. When I am laying down he always comes and lays next to me. He follows me around and is always watching out for me (ok, sometimes it is because he wants food but not ALL the time). Just having someone in the house makes it much easier to come home these days.

The other is my beau. I needed someone in my life with a big heart and now I have someone who has chosen to be with me regardless of my faults and frailties. He always lets me know he loves me and cares for me but more importantly he backs up his words with his actions. Even though we don't live together he tells me every morning he loves me and every night he lets me know that he is there.

So, there you go. For all the crap that is happening, God makes his presence known through my two angels. I don't know how I would cope without them.

Obama Supports Iraq Invasion?

Given that the "Obama Doctrine" as espoused in the second debate is based on morality (apparently even over national interest), I think that the pre-invasion situation in Iraq would warrant us going in to liberate an oppressed people. Thanks for the support Obama! I suppose that means if Obama is elected president we go next to what is probably the longest running conflict in modern history, Sri Lanka, followed by sending troops into Zimbabwe to oust that blight on humanity Robert Mugabe.

Hawaii

Market tanks, dumb and dumber running for the top office in the country, family medical problems... can't take it right now so I thought I would post something to lighten the mood (well, my mood anyway).

The first hotel, Ala Moana. BEAUTIFUL property. Our room was an ocean view on the 28th floor:


It was wonderful... my beau literally took me. I didn't pay for air, hotel, sights... first time in my adult life this happened and he hit a home run (and raised the bar for my turn).

One of the first places he took me was someplace I always wanted to see, the USS Arizona Memorial:




Our activites included climbing Diamond Head (even have a certificate to prove it * grin *). This is a shot from the top of the mount looking back towards the hotel area:



We changed hotels to the Waikiki Grand Hotel literally across the street from the beach. This was a cool little hotel, recently remodeled and we got a nice little suite with again an ocean view. Here is the view from across the street from the hotel:



This place was really the "surfer side" of the hotel strip:



After the move we spent a day at the north shore. Here I am during our hike of Waimea Valley Park headed to the water fall:



Then there was the day we spent snorkling and relaxing at Hanauma Bay. This is a pick from the trail leading down to the beach area:



The time with my beau was magical, near perfect and far too short. But God willing we'll back back.

Aloha!

Obama Is Just Another Politician

I am still amazed at the people who seem to view Senator Obama as the second coming of the Messiah (though at the Democratic National Convention he looked more like Apollo with that silly backdrop). With all the financial mess going on what does Obama do? He distorts McCain's record and McCain's words on the matter. Since he has little to no record of his own to tout he twists what McCain says to try to make himself look better and play off the fears of the masses. On a recent speech (the one thing that Obama has proven capable of doing) in New Mexico he says of McCain:

He has consistently opposed the sorts of common-sense regulations that might have lessened the current crisis. When I was warning about the danger ahead on Wall Street months ago because of the lack of oversight, Senator McCain was telling the Wall Street Journal — and I quote — 'I'm always for less regulation.'

What McCain actually said was:

I'm always for less regulation. But I am aware of the view that there is a need for government oversight. I think we found this in the subprime lending crisis — that there are people that game the system and if not outright broke the law, they certainly engaged in unethical conduct which made this problem worse. So I do believe that there is role for oversight... I'd like to see a lot of the unnecessary government regulations eliminated, not just a moratorium.

Compare the two... Obama comes off like a typical, old-time, slandering, word-twisting politician (which he is). Now McCain's people aren't really any better when it comes to Obama's words or record (what there is of it), but McCain's isn't setting himself up like Obama. When it comes to the two, Obama was the one who set himself up to the higher standard... and he is the one who falls hardest into the mud.

Speaking in Florida, Obama the fearmonger also said that the drop the market experienced recently would have affected the retirement benefits of today's retirees. Absolute nonsense. The private account plan suggested by President Bush and backed by McCain would not have applied to anyone born before 1950 which, if my math is right, wouldn't even touch those taking early retirement at age 62 this year! Let's ignore the fact that the entire thing is voluntary, Obama is just flat out lying about its impact to the good folks in Florida.

Again, this does not sound like a new type of politician. I'm almost as old as Obama and it sounds like the same type of crap I hear every four years so I am curious just why Obama thinks he is different.

Back in San Diego

Just a brief note to say we're back. Once I have rested up I'll give you the skinny on the trip.

Hawaii - First Full Day

Agenda:

Visit Pearl Harbor Memorial

Hike Diamond Head

Spend time on Waikiki Beach

Continue search for best Mai Tai in Hawaii

Details to come later...

Another "Funny But True" Cartoon

Taking My Father's Advice

When it comes to politics I tend to think like my father... that lawyers should not be allowed into politics. I find it interesting that the top of the Democrat ticket has two lawyers and the top of the Republican ticket has no lawyers. Hmmmm...

Mayor Versus Community Organizer

So much has been made about Governor Palin's jib at Obama's experience that I thought I would take a few moments to address it. Just for the record, she said the following in her acceptance speech:

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."

I have a few questions about the left's reaction to the statement:

First, what is wrong with it? As a mayor you do have stated, defined responsibilities in your city charter. You have a constituency that put you there, people have real needs that they expect you as the figurehead of local government to do something about their problems, keep the city safe, etc. What about a community organizer? Obama doesn't really tell us much about it other than the fact that he was one. What he does tell us is the following:

Despite some meaningful victories, the work of Obama--and hundreds of other organizers--did not transform the South Side or restore lost industries. But it did change the young man who became the junior senator from Illinois in 2004, and it provides clues to his worldview as he bids for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"I can't say we didn't make mistakes, that I knew what I was doing," Obama recalled three years ago to a boisterous convention of the still-active DCP. "Sometimes I called a meeting, and nobody showed up. Sometimes preachers said, 'Why should I listen to you?' Sometimes we tried to hold politicians accountable, and they didn't show up. I couldn't tell whether I got more out of it than this neighborhood."

This quote can be found in an Obama-friendly article from The Nation. Not much else seems to be found out about his community organizer works other than the fact that Obama comes from the Saul Alinksky school of community and labor organization. If you have read his "Rules For Radicals" book and have any knowledge of how community organizers often (though admittedly not always) worked you wouldn't find much to quibble with over Giuliani's statement either.

Being a community organizer is nothing to be ashamed of and rallying people to a common cause and purpose can be a great thing to accomplish in one's life, but I still don't understand why people were upset at Palin's comparison.

Second, the Democrats seems to say that McCain's call for people to community service as a contradiction to what they heard from Palin and Giuliani. Well, if you are honest and look at the list of things McCain said about becoming involved in your community (be a teacher, a fireman, a minister, a nurse or doctor, etc) there are differences. Just stop and think about what a community organizer does and what the duties (often defined and measured) of those jobs are. They are not gender specific, they are not race specific, they are not politically inclined, they are hired often for defined skill sets, they have to meet goals and requirements (usually). How does that compare with the activities of a "community organizer"? And let us not overlook the fact that Palin herself can be considered a "community organizer" as she was head of the local PTA. I haven't heard much of that time from her, but I wonder if her activities as a "community organizer" were more successful that Obama's self-admitted mixed record was, which leads me to my next question...

Third, OK, so she was the mayor of a small town and he was a "community organizer". I don't really care so much as to what they did but more interested in who was effective at doing their job. Obama's own words in the Nation article seem to indicate mixed results at best and we don't have any firm details on what he accomplished. Even the New York Times (in a mixed review of Palin's Mayoral tenure) stated:

In Wasilla, Ms. Palin is widely praised for following through on campaign promises by cutting property taxes while improving roads and sewers and strengthening the Police Department... She is largely viewed as having had her hometown’s best interests at heart when she pursued big projects or an overhaul of city taxes. By the time she ran for re-election in 1999 — again facing Mr. Stein — things had smoothed out. She was returned to office by a large margin, 826 votes to 255.

Granted there were headaches, many of them caused by the fact that she ran against the "old boys'" network and some of the due to her heartfelt conservatism and even a few I would question, but overall she seemed to accomplish what she set out to do and the overall view of her in her town seems to be quite positive.

So again I don't understand the problem, but even Obama seems to take this as a thorn in his side. In a recent interview with Anderson Cooper Obama still seems to consider her only experience as that of a mayor:

“My understanding is that Gov. Palin’s town, Wassilla, has I think 50 employees. We've got 2500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe 12 million dollars a year – we have a budget of about three times that just for the month,” Obama responded.

What is missing in this response is that Cooper asked about her experience as Governor of Alaska and mayor of Wasilla. I find it rather interesting that Obama ignores her being governor. He mentions bills he sponsored for New Orleans post-Katrina but if you search the actual record you find two he sponsored, four he co-sponsored with about a 50% success rate of passing. Not the greatest of accomplishments but he can be credited with trying, but for someone who claims the ability to work in a bipartisan manner this is not the greatest track record. He seems to be trying to compare every facet of his political career with that of Palin's time as mayor. What was his budget and staff during his "community organizer" years since that is the latest comparison with the second on the GOP ticket?

Honestly, I think Obama and Biden need to tread very carefully here. Palin may not have a fat resume but she does have some very strong positive accomplishments. Also Obama is so focused on Palin that he is leaving himself open to McCain. As former President Bill Clinton asked... suppose you have two candidates, one whom you only agree with half the time but they can deliver on those things and one you agree with all the time but you don't think they can deliver on any of them... whom would you vote for? But of course, he wasn't talking about this :-)

McCain Ad Foreshadows My Next Post

Sorry, been busy the last couple of days with work, homework, and taking my next wine certification exam so nothing remotely original at this point, but this ad gives you a thumbnail sketch of what I will be writing about in the next couple of posts.

Not Laboring On Labor Day

What started out not so great turned out to be a fine weekend. Though my beau and I were separated in the early part, we were able to spend Sunday and Monday together. Sunday we met with our friend Sarah and headed to the Del Mar Racetrack (Sarah had purchased tickets through the UC-San Diego Retirement Association) and we spent about 4 hours having fun losing money (seems that we had to balance last year's winnings, but since none of us are big betters the losses were small). It was fun just spending time with a friend and getting caught up on life's events. We continued the camaraderie by heading to dinner and sharing more talks and laughs over pasta and Chianti. Monday was slow and lazy... sleep in late (almost 8 AM!), walk down to Shade's for breakfast, take in an early movie, and just be together. Spending such time with the one you love makes the reality of having to part all the more difficult, yet it fires the anticipation of our next time together.

Excellent Summary Of The Story Thus Far

I think Ed Rollins did a fantastic job with this commentary on the tickets of the two main political parties. Enjoy.

McCain's Pick

Last night I had a premonition... McCain was going to pick Sarah Palin as his running mate. After watching Obama's speech I kept going over the short list of possible VP candidates and why * I * wouldn't pick them (Romney, somewhat negative against McCain in the primaries and has the wealth issue that voters seem to be against; Huckabee, no, no, no preachers and honestly a bit of a rube; Giuliani, main issue is defense and that is McCain's forte; Ridge, too pro-choice and would alienate "God's Own Party", etc, etc, etc). Then I got to Palin. Young woman, mother (married her high school sweetheart), solidly pro-life, strong conservative credentials, solid blue-collar credentials, former sports journalist, administrator with a background of reform. Only real negatives: some will see her as a "pander pick" and she is a first term governor (before that was a mayor for two terms). The question to me was can she be presented in such a way as to blunt these criticism (which the McCain campaign has leveled in one form or another at Obama)? I think it is possible but they have to be careful.

Yes, she is a woman (and an attractive one at that) but I don't think McCain will be hurt by that as much as some have stated. This isn't Geraldine Ferraro again. Palin is tough with a strong (if limited but longer than Obama's) track record of reform. She seems to be a principled conservative rather than a politically expedient one. My one big issue with her (but will play well with the "God's Own Party" crowd) is on gay rights but right now I think there are bigger fish to fry and I am willing to step back on this at the moment.

The Democrats seem to be salivating at the "experience" issue. Before they do, let's be honest... all three (McCain, Palin, and Biden) have more experience than Obama and of the four only Palin has ever run anything (and from all accounts somewhat successfully at that). Her apparent weakness seems to be foreign policy (as is Obama's) but McCain is at the top of the ticket and it will be his advisors that will be helping shape foreign policy not hers. What she brings to the table that neither Obama nor Biden has is the fact that she has been a governor and a reform-minded governor at that. She has had to deal directly with budgets, hiring and firing people, and being the only target when people are not happy (at least in the Senate you aren't the only pig... you've got 99 other porkers there with you). In fact, again if you're an honest political geek and look at accomplishments and not rhetoric, you will see that when it comes to reform and bucking political establishments that the McCain/Palin ticket is the real reform-oriented ticket.

So is she bullet-proof? No, but in politics no one is (not even the "anointed one"). Do I think she can do the job? Yes, at least as well as the man at the top of the Democrat ticket.

McCain/Palin 2008!

Open Plea to John McCain

PLEASE, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE Senator McCain pick someone with some administrative skills for your running mate. The thoughts of an all legislative race fills me with terrible dread. Pick someone who has actually lead and done something creative and meaningful with their time on this planet. Obama blew his choice, please do not make the same mistake.

XOXOXO

Michael

Obama's "Dick Cheney" Pick

If you can, think back to the 2000 election cycle when it was time for the Republican nominee-elect, George Bush, to select a running mate. The minute the choice was announced, the clearly anti-Bush media started saying that Cheney added gravitas to the supposedly weak top of the ticket. Given that whether or not you like him (and you know that I am no fan of Dubbya) Bush was running as a relatively successful governor of a very large state (he was well into his second term after having won with 69% of the vote) while Obama has been in charge of... nothing. So if Bush needed gravitas it is easy to see that Obama needs it in abundance. But whereas Cheney has done something outside of government, what is the Democrat's ticket heavyweight record? Ummmm... nothing really. He was admitted to the bar in 1968 and elected to the New Castle County, County Council in 1970 and after serving a whole two years ran for the Senate at the seasoned age of 29. He won and has been in the Senate since. THIS is the guy who is supposed to mollify the ticket's elitist image and to be the blue-collar face to the American people? And as for added gravitas, the one thing Biden brings to the table is weight, the weight of 35 years of Senate votes and two horribly failed Presidential runs in his own right. So Cheney brought "gravitas" to the ticket... what does Biden bring?

Age and perceived experience (even though being a Senator lends very little to any type of administrative experience which is the branch of government covering the Presidency), maybe a run for the AARP vote to offset McCain's advantage? If nothing else it provides a wonderful contrast showing the weakness of the top of the ticket.

Wonderful quotes about Obama that the McCain campaign can tie into those of Hillary Clinton... so let me take a moment to thank both of them. Just think of the money you saved the Republicans for writing the ads for us.

He's Catholic and it is well known that Obama is extremely weak among Catholic voters, so maybe a plus but I don't think so.

Deliver Delaware to Obama. Um, don't think that is a problem for "The One".

Poise and eloquence in getting the message out? Well, perhaps if he plagiarize someone else's writings (see is 1988 campaign for the top of the ticket), but remember this is the guy who called Obama "clean" and said you can't go into a 7-Eleven without an Indian accent.

Attack-dog capabilities, the one job he may be qualified for.

The problem the Democrats face are now two-fold... Obama is a young lightweight, Biden appears to be bit of an old lightweight who in a 35 year track has accomplished few major legislative wins.

We now have three Senators at the top of the two tickets... I'm even more curious now to see who McCain picks. In many ways I am starting to pull for Romney (bit of a shock for me) because SOMEONE has to have experience in running something. Obama blew his chance, will McCain do the same?

Charity Wine Tasting For Momma's Kitchen

Last night my beau and I attended a charity wine tasting for Momma's Kitchen, a local organization that prepares and delivers food for people with HIV or other critical illnesses at no charge (a very worthy cause in my opinion). We arrived there at 7, just missing the whites being served but we did get a glass of sparkling wine before sampling the reds and diving into the finger food supplied by some of the better local restaurants (including one of my favorites, Bite). From what I could tell all of the wines were from one producer, Alice White. If you want to read my review of the wine check out my other site under a posting of the same name.

The event appeared to be a success with the bulk of the crowd staying the entire time allotted. We are now looking into ways we can further support this organization.

A Year And A Day

According to Wikipedia a year and a day has noted:

The period of a year and a day was a convenient period to represent a significant amount of time. Its use was generally as a jubilee or a permanence.

Historically (England) the period that a couple must be married for a spouse to have claim to a share of inheritable property.

In mediaeval (sic) Europe, a runaway serf became free after a year and a day.

When a judgement (sic) has been reversed a fresh action may lodged within a year and a day, regardless of the statute of limitations. U.S.

Today I add one more item because today marks a year and day since I met my beau. I think this fall under the first bullet point. Last night we celebrated by doing all of the things we did on our first date. As he said last night... now we can start counting in years. :-)

What Russia Wants (In One Cartoon)

Putin is on record stating that the worst event of the 20th century was the breakup of the old Soviet Union. The traditional method of the old Soviet Union in dealing with their opponents was either take them out or break them then take them. Putin is showing such tactics again with his desire to get rid of Mikheil Saakashvili, a Western educated and pro-west ally and replace him with someone more amenable. Russia's moves against Estonia and more recently Georgia (be honest, Russia has gearing up for this, mounting troops at the border for over a year) and hints at Ukraine desires have shown Putin's true colors. Unfortunately what we actually can do is limited. Estonia is a recent member of both NATO and the European Union which provides some cover, but there are other former Soviet satellites out that that should be afforded some support. Russian officials have been quoted as saying that Moscow sees no "rational arguments that this expansion [of either NATO nor the European Union] will aid the security interests of these states". Personally, I see with what just happened in the case of Georgia it just have done so.

Russia and Prophecy

My background (and current status) in the Christian realm is that of "dispensationalist". As such, I take a pretty danged literal interpretation of Biblical prophecy (as well as following a literal, but not wooden, heurmeneutics). One of the more interesting areas has been that of the prophetic books of the Bible, particularly the final war against Israel as announced in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 (read here). For several years Gog and Magog have been associated with Russian but after the brave stance of Ronald Reagan (pardon me while I stand) helping bring about the "end" of the Soviet Union people started to poo-poo this idea. What a difference a generation makes (given that a Biblical generation is about 20 years this is pretty much right). Now Russia is again rich, arrogant, and on the move. Witness the attacks against the former Soviet state of Georgia. It is no secret that Vladamir Putin thinks that the dissolution of the old Soviet Union was the worst thing to have happen and if you look closely it is possible to see the beginning of the reunification of the USSR of old. Europe is ineffective to trying to stem the tide and if Georgia falls is even more at the mercy of Russia as its main conduit of petroleum would come back completely under Russian control. If you are a Christian I ask you to pray for the people of both Russian and Georgia. Pray for the leaders of Georgia as they make a stand as one of the few democracies who sides with the United States. If you are not, I ask you to do a search on past statements of Putin and see if you can discern what his intentions might be.

More Vorlon Management

During our week of leadership training I was introduced to the idea of finding one's True North and in my reading of Bill George's wonderful book True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership I have started a "deep dive" into the topics we skimmed in class. One of the techniques to find your True North is that of using a life time-line to tell your story, to view the events that shaped you and motivate you. We did a shortened version of this in class but I have been working on a longer one and have hit upon something that I recognize as a source of my desire to lead (part of my answer to the Vorlon question of "Who am I?"). My vision of leadership is to provide an environment where people are free to work, to remove obstacles to their ability to work as they best can. Using the technique I saw some things that showed me where at least in part this passion comes from and why for me leadership is a moral issue and not simply a matter for business.

When I was growing up my parents ran several very small businesses in an extremely poor part of the country (hence we were poor too, just a little different level of poor). They constantly had to battle the government with its nit-picky rules just to survive, often feeling frustrated over having to invest what was for us large amounts of our meager funds just to stay up to code even on things that really were not important to our businesses. When they would turn to their elected government officials for help they were far more often than not turned away. I can recall many times when just trying to comply kept us on the edge of going under financially and my folks would take outsides jobs from time-to-time just to stay afloat because it seemed no one was on their side who had any authority to help. Yet, through all of that, I also saw my parents go far out of their way to help those even less fortunate. My mother spent many hours filling out state and federal papers for our customers who were functionally illiterate just so they could get the assistance that was due them according to the existing laws and statutes (interesting for a bunch of Republicans, eh?). My dad would help pitch in when local millers and farmers had problems. When other people came on hard times their past-due notes to us suddenly became not so past due. These events helped shape my view of leadership, the view that people who lead are also servants, ready to help those around then.

This is part of my life story, part of my attempt to answer the Vorlon question and hopefully become a stronger leader.

Randy Pausch - Rest In Peach

Obit

"We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully,"
- Randy Pausch

Truth (Again) From Steve Breen

Vorlon Leadership

I was honored by being selected as one of a small number employees identified as having the potential to become a true leader within my company and last week was sent to a leadership intensive held at company HQ. One of the early focal points was the concept of authentic leadership whose central idea is that of self-awareness. After a brief introduction to the concept I raised my hand and said "So you're siding with the Vorlons?" Dead silence in the room. I then explained that the main arc from a sci-fi series named Babylon 5 was a war of philosophy between (essentially) the Vorlons and the Shadows. Glossing over a lot of detail, the Vorlons believed the prime question a being should answer is "Who are you?" while the Shadows focused on that of "What do you want?" Authentic leadership has at its core (like the Vorlons) the idea that to be a leader you have to first understand yourself, your own principles, your motivations, your values, before you can become a credible leader. I happen to agree. This is not to negate the Shadow question, but without answering the Vorlon question first trying to answer the Shadow question leads to disharmony and discordant requests that will only confuse those who answer to you. In short, I spent last week learning I am a Vorlon... now if I can just glow in the dark and fly :-)

Oh Those Jibjab Boys...

Two-Way Biological Metacrisis (Dr. Who Spoilers)

*** SPOILER ALERT ***






OK, I have to say, for all the holes in them the last two episodes of Doctor Who Series 4 (The Stolen Earth and Journey's End) were great to watch... action filled, good special effects (for the BBC), nice writing, conclusion of a large story arc, and very bittersweet. I will miss Catherine Tate as companion Donna Noble. So far of all of the new companions Donna truly represented the "everyman" (or "everyperson") literary character. Donna began as a vacuous, loud, somewhat lazy, somewhat obnoxious person (why, almost American) who becomes the tether to The Doctor's high-flying antics. Donna is the companion who speaks for the viewer, who in the face of The Doctor's "we can't meddle about with time" tells The Doctor that they must do something, that just because they can't save everyone they can at least save someone (see for example the episode The Fires of Pompeii). Like many of us, Donna doesn't see herself as special, doesn't think she has anything of value to contribute, scream out at the universe because she thinks no one will listen to her. And yet, the "best temp in Chiswick", grounded in everyday human experience, shows her worth. Donna like many of us fall prey to what the existentialists warned against... defining yourself by what you do. People think of themselves as important based on what they do, their job, their standing in a community, how other perceive them. In truth that is not what makes you special. You are special because, simply, you are. You should not define yourself simply as the things you do, yet when you meet someone new isn't the first question (certainly one of the first three) "What do you do?" A better question might be to ask "Who are you?" If you are a sci-fi fan as I am you will see this as a twist on the Shadow question ("What do you want?") as opposed to the Vorlon question ("Who are you?") from Babylon 5 (there are actually four questions eventually asked. I'll save the other two for a future post).

At the finale of Journey's End Donna learns that she really is unique, that it is her "human-ness" that takes her even beyond what The Doctor is capable of... not because she was a scientist, a political leader, or even because she was "the best temp in Chiswick", but because she was human.

Donna is gone from the show and I will miss her. Let's hope that the next companion can retain some that good "everyman" character that she injected into the show.

Good job Catherine, thanks.

Is this thing on?

What is it with public figures and microphones? They think the things are off, the figures make jackass statements, then get all apologetic when they are caught. Latest case, Jesse Jackson saying just before going on air that he thinks Obama talks down to black people and (apparently) he wants to cut Obama's n*ts off. OK, if those are his honest thoughts (motivated by jealousy perhaps) so be it. What is funny is how once he finds out the remarks were captured he "apologized" (you can listen to the rambling mess here). If you go there listen closely to statements like "If I have offended" and "live mic". First off, sounds a bit like his statements were meant to be taken as they were given and if it bothers you Jesse is sorry and second what he is most sorry about is that he said them into an open microphone. Jesse also loses points in the common sense game for saying them on a Fox set. I mean, how stupid can one get?

It's sad that our so-called leaders apologize when they get caught. Hey boys and girls (I would say "men and women" but that would be elevating them too much), you know how to keep out of trouble like this? DON'T say things in private that you wouldn't say in public.

The Women In My Family...

When I saw this I thought how fortunate I was to have a mother and two grandmothers like this:

New McCain Ad - Awesome

Don't hope for a better life, vote for one. This really struck me. I keep hearing "change" and "hope" from the Obama people but still have no clear idea on what he will do differently than any typical liberal. So far for an economic plan all I hear is "spend money on more programs". Now some prudent spending may be necessary, but there is really very little that I hear that will stimulate the economy to create new jobs. In truth the only "change" I hear is that government must be bigger, must have more control of the lives of the citizens. That isn't they type of change I want.

Blog Splitting

Well, I have finally decided to start another blog on a special topic that I have come to appreciate over the years. I will continue writing on this blog talking about politics, technology, culture, etc. so don't go away. What I have decided to do is write more on wine. Yes, there are hundreds if not thousands of blogs out there talking about wine but this one will be different, it will be mine. This blog will not be written from the view point of a professional wine person or of someone to whom money is no object or to play the part of "wine snob" and try to show off what (little) I know about wine. This will truly be the work of an amateur, someone who does something because they like it.

Catching Up

It seems like it has been a while since I posted on here so this is an attempt to catch up on the personal side. First, Mr. Beau and I took a little trip up to the Santa Barbara area for some wine tasting. This was in part to just get out of town for a couple of days and in part to provide a wide selection of wines for Mr. Beau to taste and help me gauge where his wine preferences lay. Over a three-day weekend we traveled to and tasted wines at the following wonderful wineries:

Brander Winery (excellent all around offerings)

Gainey Winery (very good wines, nice chardonnays this year)

Kalyra Winery (a fun winery with some excellent lighter and dessert wines)

Beckman winery (top-notch Syrahs and and tasty Grenache... and the hottest pourers)

Bridlewood Winery (they seem to have come up a notch in their offerings since the Gallo buy-out)

Firestone winery (Good wines, nice Riesling)

Fess Parker Winery (Davy Crockett knows his wines, but watch the alcohol content on the new Syrahs)

Curtis Winery (wonderful Rhone-style wines)

Zaca Mesa Winery (a new one for me, great offering, don't pass up the Z Cuvée or the Z Three from them)

We dined at the consistently great Hitching Post and discovered another fantastic place to dine at the local casino Willows.

As usual the trip was too short but it was relaxing and wonderful to get away from "the real world" for a couple of days.

For the Fourth we spent a lot of time together taking turns taking care of each other. On the Fourth we went to the San Diego Zoo, saw a movie, took a walk along the beach talking about what the day meant to us (and how we both tend to say "Independence Day" instead of "Fourth of July" when mentioning the holiday), had dinner at a local cantina and sat on the beach while watching one of the best fireworks presentations I can remember. On Saturday we used my San Diego Art Museum membership and took our friend Sarah to "get some culture" and then spent time relaxing at The Prado having appetizers and drinks and enjoying each person's company. I can think of very few ways of passing time than just being with friends and loved ones and I hope that you had the same privilege this weekend.

Classification

Of course the questions were loaded, multipart and philosophically flawed but what do you expect from a simple online quiz? Personally, I am not much surprised at the results as in many ways I am quite difficult to pin down with simple labels.

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Dobson, Obama and "The Speech"

Funny how today we hear James Dobson, a man with whom on many issues I agree, attack Senator Obama on a speech he made two years ago at the liberal Christian conference Call to Renewal. In reading the text of this speech I bristled at the comments Dobson made about Senator Obama and his exegetical prowess. Now don't get me wrong, if the Senator and I were to sit down and "talk Bible" I would probably disagree with him on quite a bit, but with regards to this speech there wasn't much I had trouble with.

Obama makes some good points (which obviously are those I agree with *snicker*). In fact, most of what I disagree with is not so much his interpretation but rather his typical liberal way of thinking. I agree with much of what Obama says on the role of personal religion in politics, that the word personal means "private, individual". If you are going to thrust religion into the political spotlight and in a democratic-republic try to declare one of them as "the truth" then Obama is right to ask which one are we going to pick? In truth, if we are going to go with denominational lines, we should embrace some type of Catholicism as that is where the plurality resides. Going protestant causes a lot of headaches, for though non-Catholic Christians are the majority, Episcopal beliefs differ somewhat from Southern Baptist, UCC is in places radically different from Presbyterian. So who do you hold up the as "the standard"? And then there is the messy issue of the existence of agnostics and atheists. I had this discussion with a fellow conservative at work today when I declared I didn't want to know all of the details of a person's personal faith. I kinda like my Christianity minimal but deep and strong, not shallow and public (kinda like prayer, I prefer to pray in my closet rather than on the street corner wearing bells and covered with ashes). And as for Dobson taking Obama to task over his mixing Old Testament with New Testament, while I agree with him as a good Dispensationaist he should know there is a small sect within Christianity that wants us to go back to Old Testament laws even though we are "no longer under Law but Grace" (I would hope that if he considers himself as a spokesman for Christianity Dr. Dobson has heard of these Theonomists, a scary lot).

Now where do I think Obama went off track? Let me put your gray cells to work. Consider this:

Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.

First off, it sounds good, but Senator Obama seems to ignore the fact that most conservatives who engage in public debate do try to "translate their concerns into universal... values... amenable to reason". The problem is he disagrees (or seems to) with many of the stronger philosophical arguments against abortion on demand (among other things, but most arguments against abortion do not introduce god into the discussion). Most liberals do this and think they are the rational ones when what they often do is take a knee-jerk reaction to anything that could have some tie back to religion (and seem to turn secularism into its own type of "religion"). In the following example he does it again. Notice how nothing is said of the individual as a possible causative agent in the situation, instead they are always at the whim of external forces around them:

After all, the problems of poverty and racism, the uninsured and the unemployed, are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten point plan. They are rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness - in the imperfections of man

Why are the problems of the uninsured and the unemployed rooted in societal indifference? I hate when people talk about slippery slopes but honestly here I think we are one one... if the roots are societal then what are our options? What must change to kill this weed in the human garden? Like almost everything in his campaign, Senator Obama doesn't tell us, doesn't seem to want to do more than point fingers and if I take this last quote of his along with other things he has said what I see is that he thinks a Socialist/Marxist society would be of the greatest benefit. In this Obama seems to have missed some portions of Scripture too... about the worker deserving his wages (in context of getting what he is given for his work) and the example (and rule) given in 2 Thessalonians 3:9-11 ("... If a man will not work he shall not eat"). No one is owed anything in this life. At some point we have to take some responsibility for what we do. Perhaps the Right take this too far, but if he was honest in his speech Senator Obama should have admitted that the Left tend to veer off track in the own direction just the same.