Interesting article...

"The president has cast himself not as a leader of reform, but as a cheerleader for “reform” – meaning anything, really, that can plausibly be called reform, however flawed." Clive Crook

Double Feature...

After a full week of work and a Friday night dinner date Laura and I watched Gran Torino. I have been wanting to see this since I first saw the trailer and it was part of a deal - I see "He's Just Not That Into You" and Laura will go with me to Gran Torino. It never happened until last night. What a great movie. It makes me want to live a better life.

As I was still processing the story, Laura suggested we watch "Changeling". She had already seen it in the theater and really wanted to watch it with me. My emotions can only handle a limited amount of manipulation so I didn't really want to watch another movie but I agreed. I can't believe it is a true story. I have been trying to figure out my beliefs on hell and judgement, doubting that there is an actual place called hell where people go. Watching this movie makes me doubt those doubts, and tepidly hope for such a place. Not just for the murderer, but for the liars, deceivers and manipulators of innocent souls.

We are just getting around to watching the movies that were up for Academy awards. There just isn't time during the week and we are usually traveling on the weekends. Our cable company offers movies "On Demand" and we have been taking advantage of this service. A movie costs $4.95 so it is like going to Blockbuster. So far we have seen "Slumdog Millionaire", "The Reader", "Man on Wire", "Gran Torino" (no nominations), and "Changeling".

I have no idea how the Academy decides/chooses/selects its award nominees but it seems these two movies were overlooked. Slumdog Millionaire had an energy and excitement that these two movies lacked. And I think it helped the the main characters were Muslim orphaned by the religious persecution of a dominant minority which set them off on their life journey. Whether or not it earned "Best Picture" is up to the experts. I saw it twice and glad it won.

The Reader was not at all what I thought it would be. The full frontal nudity and Kate Winslet seducing the 15 year old boy caught me off guard. I though she would be "the reader" helping blind children or something. My cynicism leads me to believe she won best actress cause she played a character who got naked, indulged a teenager's sexual fantasies, became a Nazi and killed Jews. Was her acting really that good? I don't think so. But what do I know?!?!

Maybe we will watch "The Wrestler" next. Honestly I thought Mickey Rourke was the Macho Man Randy Savage. I don't know if I was disappointed or relieved when I found out otherwise.

Snap into a Slim Jim, O yeah!!!

Intersection of Faith and Will...

I have been reading Bill O'Reilly's book "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" on my grandmother's recommendation. O'Reilly is someone I respect but I do not watch or listen to his radio or tv programs. I did a few years ago but today I only tune in now and then when Dennis Miller is on. Hilarious. I did read "Who's Looking Out for You" but I don't remember one thing about it.

"A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" is about how the author's experiences, from his Catholic school days to his climb through the news media, has shaped his personality and how he approaches life. Most people probably don't give a rip about O'Reilly playing stick ball in Levittown, NY, or that he was a news anchor in Dallas, TX. What interests me the most about his story is that as he tells it, it makes me reflect on my own story and examine what I am doing to get to where I want to be.

Right or wrong, what I took from my Christian faith growing up was that we prayed for something we wanted to happen and it was in God's hands. What happened, happened and I dealt with it. I'm not sure why I accepted this way of thinking. This is probably why I do not have many "wants". I just go with it.

There is a proverb that says the purposes of man's heart are deep waters but a man of understanding draws them out. Now I am not going to exegete the word "purpose" here. I will (hopefully not haphazardly) amplify "purpose" into desires, will, passions and dreams. Whether or not this is correct is inconsequential to me because the message is true. I'm not sure how to expand on this at the moment but I believe there is a powerful explosion when the will intersects with faith.

Product Review...

"The more we share the more we have..." (an internet search credits this quote to Leonard Nimoy)

These are a few items I have tried over the past couple of months and wanted to share:

I bought the Iron Gym with a gift certificate I was given as a Christmas present. It is about 50 bucks and well worth it. I don't have a gym membership and because of time constraints on my schedule, probably never will. I may never need one again with Iron Gym. It does leave marks on a white door frame but that is my only compaint.

To supplement the Iron Gym, Laura bought me The Perfect Push-up for Valentine's Day. I was skeptical of these but I actually really like using them. I have not been very consistent but when I have used them I have felt the burn.

This may be a repeat but I can't get enough of the Cholula hot sauce. I like to try all kinds of hot sauces. Cholula is not the hottest but it is the tastiest. I put it on eggs, baked potatoes, rice, even pasta. There must be some chemical in the ingredients that causes addiction because I stock up on the stuff and cannot go without it.

If you want eco-friendly clothes and don't mind paying for it Nau may be something to check out. They recently went out of business and relaunched their products in October of 2008. I treated myself to a few items over the holidays. I say treat because it is expensive compared to shopping at stores in the mall. If you are a regular at Bloomingdales or Armani then maybe you think otherwise. A 100 bucks for a t-shirt is a little ridiculous. Nau has good end of season sales, sometimes even offering 40-50% off. That's when I check in to make a purchase. If you subscribe to their email newsletter "off the grid" you get an early heads up on sales.

I ordered a couple shirts last spring and they mistakenly sent me a double order. When I contacted customer service they told me to keep it or give them to a friend. It was because they were going out of business but still I though it was a nice thing to do. (Maybe that's why they went out of business, giving away product!)

Wisdom calls aloud in the street...

What I am about to post will probably label me a radical. I came across this article, Let's End Adolescence, a couple months ago and it definitely intrigued me.

I do not really have much experience with this other than looking back over my own adolescence and time in school. But it does make sense to me. How much time did we waste in school? And how bad were some of our teachers?

Wisdom calls out to the young.

Interesting...

Seeking to Save the Planet, with a Thesaurus

Walking with Wisdom...

My apologies...Walking with Wisdom has gone negative over the past couple of weeks. The current political climate and the grandstanding of politicians has been too much to bear. However, this is no excuse...we have more self-control and discipline than that. We have just refused to tap into it.

What I love about wisdom is the expanding definition. Wisdom is discipline, knowledge,understanding, insight, prudence, discernment, and discretion. Who does not need/want these? As we intentionally walk in wisdom I believe these aspects of it unfold in front of us.

Discretion is especially important in our current climate of economic tumult and cultural soul searching.

There is something intriguing about being discrete. Maybe it is my personality. Discretion is, hard to believe, very satisfying.

Comedy of Errors...

Nobody messes with Joe

Video

The glory of young men is their strength...

but the splendor of the old is wisdom and experience.

I am far from old but I think I am beginning to understand Shaw's saying "youth is wasted on the young".

Redistribute this!!!

In the words of Eva Gabor, "I just adore a penthouse view..."

Put that in your stimulus package!

Stand in the Gap...

I am trying to wrap my mind around the budget deficits that many states are reporting. New York, for instance, has projected a $16 billion gap. How can you be 16 billion short?

I looked for a man to stand in the gap but I found none...

Not the Chezman. Ready the pitchforks!

Rumblings...

One day I want to buy a Porsche. I don't think I ever will but maybe. Right now, I have to put that dream on hold, cause we are having a baby. We just finished registering this weekend. What did people do before Babies 'R Us? So much stuff...do we really need it all? I do see some value in the diaper genie. :)

I felt the first "kick" the other night. No, it wasn't from Laura...the little one kicked my hand and sent a jolt through my whole body. Unbelievable.

Over the past month I have been eating one grapefruit a day. I never ate them in the past but now prefer grapefruit to oranges. I would almost say I am addicted.

I am definitely addicted to Cholula hot sauce. We are hooked up to IV's in the Chez house. Thankfully IHOP has it cause with Laura's pregnancy cravings taking me there every weekend, my eggs over easy never tasted so good.

Experienced the “Dairy Barn” the other night. Every time Laura and I drive by one we point at it and laugh. What is it and who goes there? We drove right up, got our water and ice cream, and drove out. You can even get beer!

Gordon Brown got DVD's.

Doesn't it make sense that the quickest way to get money into people's hands is to cut their payroll taxes? Tax credits are like coupons to me. I hate it when I have to buy two to get one free, or buy a pack of hot dogs to get 20 cents off ketchup. Cutting rebate checks is ridiculous. Why mail out all those checks other than political PR?

When AIG executives get retention bonuses they build summer homes or renovate their townhouse. That gives me and many other people jobs.

Coca-cola…it's not really necessary. How much money is spent on it every year? What if we just stopped drinking it? What would happen? How much money would people save? How many people would lose a job? How much would shareholders lose? It is an interesting question to think about.

Can't wait for warmer weather. I need some sun on the receding hairline.

Gone...

So I was looking at various investments we have made over the years and it made me think of this proverb:

"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."

Or just give it to this guy:

AI...

Unfortunately I have to watch American Idol because Laura needs to talk about it for her radio show. Sometimes I can get into it but usually I leave the room when the songs are bad. Here is my prediction of the order the contestants will be booted:

1. Kris

2. Megan

3. Adam

4. Jasmine

5. Michael

6. Alexis

7. Anoop

8. Allison

9. Danny

10. Scott

11. Matt

12. Jorge

And the winner will be Lil.

My formula for picking the winner is talent+looks+likeability+politics.

Chill vs. Crisp...

Someone said to me the other day that this is the winter that never ends. I am getting accustomed to bracing myself for the cold each morning when I walk out the door. The travel mug I use can't even keep my coffee warm. I like the snow but typically do not get to enjoy it. It becomes more of a hassle and mess in the big city.

What I am looking forward to is the change of the season especially when the warmer temperatures try to break through the cold. I love a chilly spring morning when the smell of new grass and flowers is in the air. There is something refreshing in that chill against my skin.

It is similar to the change from summer to autumn but when the warm temperatures become cold I like to say the air is crisp. I'm not sure which one is my favorite, the chill or the crisp. There is definitely more excitement coming out of winter, anticipating spring and summer.

This weekend we turn the clocks ahead. I noticed it is no longer dark when I leave work. Now it will be lighter later. Longer days...another thing to look forward to.

The Mob is Fickle...

So I watched Gladiator the other night cause I wanted to see what thoughts and emotions it would provoke five years later. Definitely a great movie and Russell Crowe is awesome. I love when he tells Commodus that the time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end.

That line went through my head as I saw all the politicians in the Congress on tv the other night.

When will the mob stand up? Or will we continue to suckle?

You gotta laugh at this...

See the video at iowntheworld.com/blog/

Do Nothing Congress...

We wish...

Yikes!!!

Promises, promises...

How???

Stimuli...

All-star husband...

Passed up the Clint Eastwood movie on Saturday to see "He's Just Not That Into You". Despite numb butt cheeks and being bored at times, it wasn't that bad. The character's personalities and their relationships provided some good conversation for Laura and me. Ben Affleck's character was my favorite because he seemed genuine even though unrealistic.

And I liked how the movie was set in Baltimore, MD.

Unfortunately that is my review.

Hopefully it will be a Gran Torino weekend.

Ayeeeee...

Okay, so it's Ponzi...

Who should decide???

Laura and I had an interesting conversation the other night that took shape from my recent encounters (more like avoidances) of the Children International workers on the sidewalks of Manhattan. I admire their dedication and persistence, enduring the cold weather, wind and snow flurries, trying to persuade people to stop and listen to their cause. Children International is a humanitarian organization similar to World Vision or Save the Children. I did some research to see if they were legitimate and they appear to be.

One of my findings in this search is that their CEO’s salary is over 300k. My immediate reaction was negative. This seemed quite generous to say the least. But the CEO salaries of the other similar charitable organizations (World Vision, etc) were comparable if not more. And I do not want to begrudge anyone’s salary capabilities. I don’t know if that is any of my business.

Neither Laura nor I know the duties and responsibilities of a CEO. Obviously it must be worth 300k or someone would offer to do it for less, right? We started thinking of some local charities and people we know who run them. What do they get paid? What is the job worth?

We didn’t really know how to answer. 50k? 60k or 70k? Long Island, NY is not a cheap place to live. Fifty grand goes pretty quick here.

This conversation is one I have been having with myself since Joe the Plumber brought the phrase “spread the wealth around” out of now President Obama. Is redistribution right? It already takes place in various ways so I guess the question is do we need more of it? If so who decides how much, who the beneficiaries are, and who pays? Another option I have read about is a maximum wage. Again, who will determine this?

Do we really want the government doing it? Elected and appointed officials who fail to report income and pay taxes? I do not think so.

I propose voluntary redistribution. It really is “better to give than to receive”. If enough people take initiative to help those in need, it will become contagious. This cannot be regulated by government, only inspired and made easier by easing the oppressive tax burden. Most of the men and women we elect are multi-millionaires (or their spouses are). They can set the example.

One thing I hope comes out of the Obama presidency is that people will really organize in community against the injustices in our society and a great place to start is with the local, state and federal governments. Oooo…was that a tingle up my leg or I am just Chris Matthews?

When is $1000 not $1000???

When you win it on the radio and the check only says $660.00 because of taxes...buzzkill!!!

In other news, I understand that the passengers who went down in the Hudson River on the US Airways flight were awarded $5000 for their ordeal.  Is one required to pay taxes on money received for pain and suffering?  

Look that up in your 1040 booklet!   :)

 

2008 Books...

I never was much of a reader, but for some reason after graduating college I started liking books.  At the beginning of 2008 I made a goal to read 4 books a month.  It was an ambitious goal but with a 70 minute train ride to work and another 70 minute train ride back home I thought I would challenge myself.  I didn't make it but I did manage to read 26 books.  Here is the list by subject:

Business 

The Four-Hour Work Week by  Timothy Ferriss

Saving the World at Work by Tim Sanders

Busted Budgets and Broken Buildings by Barry LePatners

Refabricating Architecture by Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake

Building Green by  Clarke Snell and Tim Callahan

Financial

Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received by Donald Trump

Building Wealth One House at a Time by John W. Shaub

Economic Facts and Fallacies by  Thomas Sowelll

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth by Ric Edelman

Applied Economics by  Thomas Sowell

Autobiography

Miles Gone By by William F. Buckley, Jr.

Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza

My Grandfather’s Son by Clarence Thomas

Religious

A Theology of the Built Environment by T.J. Gorringe

The Divine Omission by Dallas Willard

The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian Mclaren

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright

Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias

Everything Must Change by Brian Mclaren

Fiction

The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Politics

The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shleas

The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality by Jerome R. Corsi

Miscellaneous

A Field Guide to Buying Organic by Luddene Perry and Dan Schultz

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Each book I read was very enjoyable and worth the time (except Refabricating Architecture).  I did attempt to read Jane Austin's Sense and Sensibility but just couldn't handle the personalities of the two sisters so I shelved it.  Last weekend Laura made me watch the movie and that was a waste of 2 hours and 16 minutes.  

I did not make any reading goals for 2009 but just ordered 5 or 6 that I want to read. Hopefully I can incorporate more fiction and politics(that is not meant to be a joke). One goal I have is to stop surfing the internet articles and blogs that react to the politics and events of the day.  I have stopped watching the political shows on the 24 hour news networks only to replace that time with the internet version.  This should free up more time to read.

If I had to pick a favorite it would be My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas.  Very inspirational.  One book I would recommend especially with the "economic crisis" is Amity Shleas The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression.  

Great quote...

Thomas Sowell's latest column says this,

A reader suggests that members of Congress should wear uniforms, like NASCAR drivers, so that we will know who their corporate sponsors are. Many of those in Congress should also wear logos representing the teachers' unions, environmentalist extremists and other special interests.

Brilliant.

My mouth's bleedin' Burt!!!

One of my favorite holiday experiences is getting tears in my eyes at the end of "It's a Wonderful Life" when Harry Bailey toasts, "To my big brother George, the richest man in town."

I broke-a the juke-a box too!!!

Happy Holidays

Economic Downturn...

This summer I read a book about the Great Depression called The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes.  In it she says that the depression wasn't that bad if you had a job.  Unemployment numbers during the 1930's reached as high as 23% - today I think they are 6-7%.

Companies are laying people off and trying to make up for lost revenue. I think the LIRR (Long Island Railroad) is starting to sell booze on the trains to bridge their budget gap.  Yesterday there was a beer cart on the train in the vestibule!  How's that for being creative?  Most people I talk with say that their business is "slowing" down; I would say the same about my job.  We do not seem to be as busy.  Which is actually a little bit of a relief because an 8 hour day is much more feasible than six months ago.  

Today I read that California, the world's eighth largest economy, may be out of money in March.  How can this be possible?  Where does all the money go in that state?  I guess The Govenator can always put a windfall profit tax on Hollywood. Do Brad & Ang and TomKat really need all those millions?  Spread the wealth around a little in Cali.  ;)

I really do not know a whole lot about economics because in high school all we did in economics class was play the stock market with fake money.  (Not to go off on a tangent or risk offending people but I really think the public school system will be obsolete in my lifetime.)  My pseudo economics teachers are Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell.  Check out there columns if you have time.

Some do not believe the market can correct itself.  I am seeing an example of supply and demand at work.  A few months ago you couldn't find a contractor and if you did his price was extremely high.  Today you can easily find one and their prices are much lower.  Score one for the free market.

I'm not sure what I can do to help the situation.  This is what I will reflect on this weekend. 

Twilight - When you can live forever what do you live for?

Laura wanted to go see the movie Twilight because she heard a lot of buzz and hype - long lines, sold out shows, etc.  Neither one of us knew anything about it or seen the trailer.  I thought it was going to be about aliens for no other reason than the title is Twilight and aliens generally come out at night.

That was my only presupposition going in (however, I was a little miffed paying $21.50 for two tickets and 10 bucks for popcorn - in the words of my grandfather, "I'm not cheap but I know when I'm being ripped off"). Otherwise my mind was pretty open which can be a rare experience.

I am still reflecting on the movie.  It wasn't really about sitting there and being entertained.  I felt like there was a message - though I'm unable to articulate it at this time.

For what it is worth I recommend dropping the $10.75 on a ticket.

Last minute election advice...

Watch the election coverage on mute.  The pundits sound so much better that way.

Handbag?

I don't know why but I'm just not comfortable going through my wife's purse,  even if she asks me to.  

Today I was looking for a piece of gum and fumbled around in there for like five minutes until I finally found one.  I even had specific directions as to where the gum was located but could not quickly fish it out.

When I need a specific item and I ask Laura where it is, I cringe when I hear the dreaded phrase, "It's in my purse."

Let it snow...

So it snowed yesterday in NY (12" in some places) and has been cold in much of the Northeast.  Even London has seen its first snow in October since 1922 (as they debate a global warming bill).  Seems like this has been a trend the last few years- cold temps and snow in the midst of all the talk about global warming.  

In all of our efforts to prove our point one way or the other, I wonder if this irony is G0d trying to tell us we are missing the point?

Redistribute this!!!

Joe the Plumber made the presidential campaign a little more difficult for the Obama/Biden ticket when he asked Senator Obama about his tax plan - raising taxes on those who make over $250,000/year to give tax cuts/credits to those who do not.

I believe Obama's words were "spreading the wealth around".

Should Obama be elected, I will be one of the beneficiaries of his tax cuts.  He can keep it.  Instead I want him to give me a view out of my apartment window like this.  (These pictures are from the 73rd floor of an apartment building on 59th street in Manhattan.)

Unbelievable, right?  The view, not the fact that they want to spread the wealth around.   It just doesn't seem right.  Although it doesn't seem right for a such a great disparity between the rich and poor either - a CEO and a waitress is the popular example.   Why don't they ever say between an actor like Tom Cruise and the janitor who sweeps the sets or an athlete like Tiger Woods and the guy who mows the fairway?  Why doesn't that wealth get spread around?

There has to be a better way.  I am exploring the idea of a redistribution of worth or a redistribution of value.  But I do not think the government will able to lead in this.  It will have to be a grassroots movement by people with good hearts and self-less ambitions who will not only look after their own interests but also the interest of others.

Where's the Rage Part II...

Our presidential candidates want to put government back on the side of the people and want to make it cool again. 

Great.

I renewed my vehicle registration last month.  The check to pay the fee has been cashed 4 weeks ago.  I have not received my new registration.  Right now I am breaking the law by driving an unregistered car.  But what else am I suppose to do?

So I finally got a ticket(s) while parked downtown from a meter maid.  Not only did I get a ticket for an expired registration but also an additional ticket for failure to affix a current registration.  Is that not unbelievable???

The state inspection is up-to-date so I am okay there.

It is so frustrating - the 100 bucks but more so the two tickets for the same offense.  Twist the knife big brother.

Where is the Rage???

In both the presidential and vice-presidential debates a majority of the blame for the current financial meltdown has been placed on greed from Wall Street.  A closer look at the history of the situation seems to prove otherwise.

The government needs to take full responsibility for this collapse of the financial markets because they are at fault.  By the government I mean specific Congressional Members who ignored the warnings and made reassuring statements that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were sound institutions.

Whether Republican or Democrat these men and women should resign.  If not, the people of their states should not re-elect them.  I do not know how Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer and others can show their faces in the midst of this crisis.  For lack of a better words they need to be cursed out.  They put those responsible for the fall of companies like Enron through Congressional hearings.  They too should be subject to the same grilling and then fired.

Neither presidential candidate is addressing this and because of that I find it very difficult to respect them and believe that they will bring the "change" they claim to represent.  If they do not do it now in the campaign I do not believe they will do it during their term in office.  I am disappointed, especially in John McCain and Sarah Palin.  They seem to speak the loudest about reform and being "mavericks" yet they have said nothing.  They seem ignorant when they speak of Wall Street greed when we know this is not the whole story.  Barak Obama received $126,000 in campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (McCain received $21,000) so there seems to be conflict of interest.  I wouldn't expect to hear any criticism from his lips.  But wouldn't it be refreshing if we did?  One of his advisors is Franklin Raines, former CEO of Fannie Mae who stepped down because of an accounting irregularities.  Awesome.

Fear is driving the markets right now.  I fear our politicians do not know what they are doing.

Check this out:

This shall be my greatest performance...

 I heard Joe Biden say that he wants to "take" money away from rich people, via taxes, to redistribute through government.  Conservatives will call this the Robin Hood theory.

Unless I am mistaken, or Walt Disney is wrong, but didn't Robin Hood spend the entire movie stealing from the government (poor Prince J0hn) to give to the poor?

Out of 300 million Americans our choices are these four people.   Wow.

Get Physical...

Riding the train in and out of Manhattan for 3+ hours each day doesn't leave much time for the gym.  So I have instituted a little program called the work-out at work.  

My office is on the 9th floor of the building- that is a lot of steps for 8 in the morning.  And with no air conditioning the elevator is the only sensible option. 

All summer I have been working up the courage to start taking the stairs.  So a few weeks ago I started small getting off at the 8th floor and walking to the 9th.  The next week I hit the button for 7.  It is a little embarrassing writing this but two flights of stairs can get the heart rate up quick. This week I am ending my elevator ride at the 6th floor. I wonder what people think when I immediately get out of the elevator and go to the stairwell.

In a month, if I'm taking all 9 flights, I'll be surprised.  

Quote...

"It is a mistake to think business men are more immoral than politicians."    John Maynard Keynes

RNC...

We have been staying up late watching both party's conventions. I will be glad when this week is over and I can get some sleep.

Wednesday night, Guiliani's speech was uncomfortable for me. The applause from the convention crowd was obnoxious and wouldn't help your view of Republicans if you are an undecided voter. Obviously he is there to fire up the delegates so I can take it with a grain of salt.

Anyone expecting bipartisanship at a convention is delusional. (However it is interesting how the Republicans will invite Democrats to speak, e.g., Zell Miller & Joe Liberman and those in their own party like Rudi and Arnold who lean left on social issues.)

Palin's speech was actually rather refreshing. I enjoyed seeing her family there. They seemed so genuine and real.

Some of her jabs at Obama were uncomfortable and unnecessary although I am glad she made his experience a major theme. I do not think she came across as smug. She was having fun as well as making serious statements.

Here are the excerpts that surprised me:

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd. He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.

And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death

To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome.

Gov. Palin has helped me see a different side of John McCain. During the primary debates he appeared angry and dull. Now he seems almost likable as a person and candidate.

The Forgotten Man...

Started a new book on the history of the Great Depression.  Just read the introduction and I am excited to get into this book.  The title is called, "The Forgotten Man" which comes from a 1883 essay by William Graham Sumner.  Here is his quote:

As soon as A observes something which seems to him to be wrong, from which X is suffering, A talks it over with B, and A and B then propose to get a law passed to remedy the evil and help X.  Their law always proposes to determine what C shall do for X, or in the better case what A, B and C shall do for X...What I want to do is look up C.  I want to show you what manner of man he is.  I call him the Forgotten Man.  Perhaps the appellation is not strictly correct.  He is the man who is never thought of...

He works, he votes, generally he prays- but he always pays...

In case you need the definition of appellation:  the action of giving a name to a person or thing.  I am not too proud to say I looked it up.   !

Rock N Roll Jesus...

I was given Kid Rock's new album Rock N Roll Jesus.  I am not endorsing it cause I am just listening to it for the first time.  The reason I mention it is because of the quote on the inside cover of the album:

If it looks good, you'll see it.

If it sounds good, you'll hear it.

If it's marketed right, you'll buy it.

But...if it's real, you'll feel it.

Whoa.  Let that soak in.

Checkmate...

To unwind after work I have been indulging in a few games of Chess on my computer.  (That yelling you hear in the background is my wife calling me a loser.)  I am not an avid Chess player.  I will play twice a year at most, but I get the basic gist...so I thought.   I am taking on all the forces of Chess playing against the computer.  It is humiliating....

Hopelessness overwhelms me as I watch my pieces disappear from the screen as I sit helpless against the onslaught.  It is a good lesson in being in over my head and how a little knowledge can lead down the wrong path.  It also shows me what can happen being up against an adversary of overwhelming knowledge and power.  

Citizen of the World...

A few years ago I was asked to speak to a group of people about friendship.  Now everyone knows how to be a good friend right?  So how do you put an interesting twist to this topic of friendship? Well for me, I entitled the talk, "Being a Friend to the World".  These words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippian churches guided me:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. 

How does this translate into being a friend to the world? For me I guess it begins with my attitude and hopefully that will somehow trickle down into my actions.

Recently presidential candidate Barak Obama gave a speech in Berlin, Germany addressing the crowd as "citizens of the world".  I agree with the spirit of that phrase.  Every country should have that attitude while of course looking after its own interests.  

As far as Senator Obama's interests for our country, as noble as they may be, I do not necessarily agree with them and the means in which he will carry them out.  Senator McCain may very well be an impressive person but he has yet to impress me with his campaign for president.  It has been a while since a Senator has become a president.  I think that I am going to start hoping and praying for a new candidate to emerge who will bring fresh ideas and leadership to carry them out.  That's the change I'm hoping for.

Saving the World...

Started reading a new book - Saving the World at Work, What Companies and Individuals Can Do to Go Beyond Making a Profit to Making a Difference - this weekend.  The author is Tim Sanders.

Sanders believes a revolution is underway that will redefine how companies do business, how consumers choose who they buy from and how new college graduates choose who they will work for.  He calls it the Responsibility Revolution.  

Do you want to be part of a great company? If so, you need to understand that 'great' is getting an extreme makeover. Today, 'good' is the new great.

A good company is one whose mission is to improve the lives of everyone in its footprint: employees, suppliers, customers, supporting communities and the planet.  (page 5)

I have read 46 pages so far.  He lists interesting facts such as 65% of American consumers will switch to brands associated with a good cause if price and quality are equal; 66% of recent college grads will not work for companies with poor social values; and that 60 million people are willing to pay a premium for socially and environmentally responsible products.

Recently I started buying from a clothing line called Nau that is socially and environmentally conscience.  It is expensive to live this way.  It is rare to find a similar product for the same price.  I can get four polo shirts at the GAP for one shirt at Nau.  

I am excited to continue this book.  It is a good companion reader to N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope."  I am interested to see how I can incorporate his ideas into my career as a Structural Engineer.

Conservative vs. Liberal - an illustration...

Read this article by Lloyd Marcus.  

Makes me think of the movie 300 where the hunchback is selling out the Spartan army to the Persian king.  The Persian king, Xerxes, is offering the hunchback all the pleasures of the senses, if he will divulge the secret passage to defeat the Spartan army.  

Xerxes says (my paraphrase), "Leonidas -the Spartan king- asked you to stand, all I require is that you kneel."

I hope that we do not kneel before our politicians who offer us a better way of life (in their eyes) if we will just let them take care of us. 

Surprised by Hope...

N.T. Wright says (at the risk of gross oversimplification)  there are two quite different ways of looking at the future of the world.  

" The first position is the myth of progress.  Many people, particularly politicians and secular commentators in the press and elsewhere, still live by this myth, appeal to it, and encourage us to believe it. Indeed (if I may digress for a moment), the demise of serious political discourse today consists not least in this, that the politicians are still trying to whip up enthusiasm for their versions of this myth - it's the only discourse they know, poor things - while the rest of us have moved on...  That is why the relentlessly modernist and progressivist projects that the politicians feel obliged to offer us ("vote for us and things will get better!") have to be dressed up with the relentlessly postmodernist techniques of spin and hype: in the absence of real hope, all that is left is feelings.  Persuasion will not work because we're never going to believe it. What we appear to need, and therefore what people give us, is entertainment.  As a journalist said recently, our politicians demand to be treated like rock stars while our rock stars are pretending to be politicians.  Sorting out this mess-which the Christian hope, despite current opinion, is well suited to do-should mean, among many other things, a renewal of genuine political discourse, which God knows we badly need."

Page 83 of "Surprised by Hope".

Let the discourse begin...or continue...

 

Local...

Every town can boast about something whether the restaurants, sports teams, scenery, weather, etc.  Long Island is made up of many towns that have a different flavor and feel.  This weekend we went to a local brewery in Patchogue called Blue Point Brewing Company.  We went on a tour and learned how they brew their different varieties of beer.  Whenever I am in a new bar I always try the local beer on draught.  Blue Point is by far (in my limited tasting experience) the best I have tasted so far.  My favorite is called a black and blue - they take oatmeal stout and mix it with blueberry ale.  Amazing.  In fact, I'm drinking one right now.

Let me know if you have a favorite local beer.

Another local favorite, for breakfast, is Toast Coffee House in Port Jefferson.  This place has ruined breakfast at most other places because nothing really compares.  I recommend the Hawaiian Quesadilla and the Good Burrito.  Laura always gets the French toast or pancake special of the day - Today was Apple Pie Pancakes (she housed them).  Toast also serves tappas on the weekends that I have not tried yet but will sometime soon.  Along with a great breakfast, Port Jefferson offers an historic downtown to walk and a ferry to Connecticut.  

Products...

A year ago you would never have been able to get me to part with my Birkenstock sandals.  I have consistently worn (through) a pair for the past eleven years.  Last September blasphemy came into my house when Laura purchased me a pair of Sanuks.  And that is all she wrote.

Recently I updated my wardrobe with clothes from a store called Nau.  I learned about Nau from an outdoor magazine.  Jack Johnson was on the cover so I picked it up and found a list of environmentally friendly stores and products - Nau was one of the featured stores.  Buying clothes online is a little odd because it takes some guessing as to whether the clothes will look good and fit right.  I took the risk and was very pleased.  The clothes are pricey but hopefully worth it.

For Christmas my parents bought us a Bunn coffee maker.  It is awesome because it brews coffee in 3 minutes and supposedly it makes really good coffee.  I'm not a coffee connoisseur quite yet.  I used to load up on the cream and sugar or flavored creamers.  Now I've been drinking it black mostly because Laura does and I can't be asking for cream and sugar when my wife is drinking it black.  I haven't had cream in my coffee for at least 6 months.  

Whole Foods has great coffee.  I prefer them to Starbucks.  At home we grind our own and brew it in the Bunn.  Trader Joes has good coffee and it is very affordable.  I just started getting Boca Java sent to me.  I have to recommend the flavor Surfin' Safari.  Typically flavored coffee is just a treat for me and this is one has an aroma that overwhelms the senses. 

William F. Buckley, Jr., Word of the Day:

Surreptitious

1. Done, made, or acquired by stealth

2. Acting or doing something clandestinely 

"It turned out that several of my coconspirators had fathers with similar prejudices, so that when our little syndicate was formed we all agreed that communications among ourselves on the subject of our surreptitious hobby would go out discreetly, lest they be intercepted."

How U Doin'???

This is the view from my desk in our new office.  Working in NYC never really gets old. The commute to and from can but I am able to read a lot of books.  Right now I am reading what the author calls "a literary autobiography".  The only reason I have the book is because I joined a book club and got it for free.  Here is an excerpt from William F. Buckley's 

"Miles Gone By":

It is wonderfully comforting to reflect that the New Testament speaks other than invidiously of wine.  There is always the sin of excess, and I comply with the biblical injunctions against greed by making it a hard-and-fast rule never to pay excessive prices for wine

A good book can make or break the train ride home.  I was forcing myself to read "Pride and Prejudice" and I dreaded going home because I couldn't stomach those two sisters rambling.  Perhaps when i mature.

My friend James Shanks took this picture of lightning hitting the Brooklyn Bridge.  Screw Ben Franklin.

Stuff that in your carbon credit pipe and smoke it...

AlGore...

There are two sides to every story so I would love to hear the other side of this one!

No stop signs...no speed limits...

Saturday as I was walking in the bank parking lot after getting some cash out of the ATM, a car rolled up blaring AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". For a moment I was whisked off to my youth when the ringing of church bells drowned out the 1979 classic and gave me a smile. I don't want to read into it, but with all that is going on in my life, this brief moment in my weekend was a humorous reminder of who is to be heard - rather who will be heard.

Grande...

Starbucks has a new label/logo. I kinda like the brown. The weird posing mermaid is not very very appealing

I was a a gas station and saw the price of cigarettes is $6 a pack. Being a nonsmoker I cannot fathom how someone can drop six bucks every few days or everyday on a pack of cigs. Then I thought about those how will casually spend the same amount at Starbucks everyday. Choose your habits (or addictions) wisely.

That being said it is hard to sympathize with some who is complaining about not having any money as they stand there with a Starbucks in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It wouldn't surprise me if the same person is an anti-capitalist.

I don't know how much longer I can live in a country that will put Kevin Federline on the front of their magazine and think it is a good business decision. Or maybe I should say that I can't live much longer in a country where it is in fact a good business decision to put Kevin Federline on the cover of their magazine.

This is my first blog post from my MacBook. No more blue screens!!!

Self-Absorbed...

Is there a term for a person who doesn't update their blog regularly, or even yearly?

Just paid my tax burden, or I should say my remaining balance. I'll stop there before the explicatory language flies.

I live in Islip, NY. We spend $9962 a year for each student in school. The average expenditure in the U.S. is around $6000 (according to Sperling's Best Places). There is an 89% graduation rate here in Islip. Not bad I guess. Should we have those students who don't graduate pay back the money?

I ran some numbers and if a child chose to forgo the education system and put the cash in an interest bearing account (say 3%) they could have about $144k by the time they are 18. Doesn't seem like all that much. If they were savvy and found a way to get 8% return they could have $200k. That's enough for a quality liberal arts education.

I think that when something is "free" it is less appreciated. That's why making college free for all is probably not the best idea. I wonder what the unintended consequences of free health care would be. It's already free for many of us cause our employer takes care of it. I have little to no responsibility for my health care.

The other night I watched "As Good As It Gets" with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt. I was too much of a young head full of mush to realize when the movie came out in 1997 that it was one big universal health care infomercial. No wonder it won a Golden Globe.

Rumblings....

Thomas Sowell has another "Random Thoughts" column so I figure I would go with a "Rumblings" of my own.

This past weekend I turned 30 years old. Three decades - not bad. It is weird to think that some of my family members have known me for thirty years. And they still talk to me!

I have decided to forego the traditional wallet and use a money clip that holds credit cards (Special thanks to Steve Schmidt for the groomsman gift.) It has been much easier sitting down whether at my desk or while driving. With the added space I have been carrying other items in my back pocket: keys, pens, cell phone, etc. Letters and envelopes are particularly bad to carry in the back pocket. Somehow they just work themselves way out. I almost lost a couple. Must be the swivel hips.

What is it with women and their fear of running out of toilet paper? Since I got married I never had so much tp. Everytime I open a closet more falls out. I have a toilet paper storage bin next to the toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom. Each week at the grocery store I hear the line, "We need toilet paper." I just roll with it.

For some reason I find it more interesting to flip through a magazine backwards. I actually read more articles this way. I think it is because I can never find the damn table of contents.

With all the emails, text messaging and online bill paying do you think the post office will ever go out of business?

If I buy fair trade coffee at Wal-mart am I just cancelling myself out? Is it like a carbon credit? Where's Al Gore when you need him.

We recently moved into an apartment with tile floors. I never broke so many glasses. Forgive me if I offer you a drink in a plastic cup. We are all out of glass.

It Takes a Village...

So I picked up Hillary Clinton's book, "It Takes a Village" from my local library. Unfortuately I couldn't get through it. I read about half of it actually finding myself agreeing with the ideas and beliefs of our former First Lady and my current State Senator. Why couldn't I get through it? My problem is that I don't believe her.

Perhaps my personal politics have clouded my objectivity and that adds to a predisposed bias to the woman who claimed to be named after the man who first climbed Mt. Everest - Sir Edmund Hillary? But I don't think that is the case. There is a list of eyebrow raising events that would cause me to not trust Senator Clinton. Bill doesn't help matters either. However I will try to keep an open mind ;)

The point of the book is a good one - it takes a village. A child needs a safe environment to grow up in, people looking after his or her best interests, people on their side, encouraging and clearing a path to maturity and self discovery. The problem is the village has not necessarily owned up to this responisbility and has even shirked it.

I think about how a teacher friend of mine was told by her assistant principal that "it is not our job to teach responsibility" when she wanted to give her student a zero for not turning in an assignment. The policy at this public school is that there is no deadlines. You can turn your homework in anytime. The sad part was that the student whose homework was late was actually the child of the principal!

Or I think about my father-in-law who teaches Spanish to public high school students in New Jersey. During one of his final exams the proctor caught a student smearing chapstick on the computer graded "scan-tron" answer sheet. This supposedly makes the machine unable to read the answers and marks the answers as correct. When the incident was brought before the assistant prinicipal (the one in charge of discipline) his answer to my father-in-law was to grade the test by hand because it wasn't their job to determine the student's intent. Can you believe that?

The village's hands are tied my friends. And in some cases it is glorifies the very behavior that we are trying to avoid. The latest example of this comes from the campus of Virginia Tech, my alma mater. I believe that the evil and violence that has destroyed the lives of so many will end up saving hundreds more. Our eyes have been opened, our souls torn open, and our hearts bruised. But there has been so much love, hope and strength flowing in around and out of the campus. I truly believe the goal of this evil will prove counter productive.

Hopefully there will be changes to the Virginia Tech village. An interesting article by James Lewis at the American Thinker illustrates the need. Now this is just one side of the story. A side I'm sure we won't hear. I would enjoy reading a response.

And hopefully Hollywood will wake up too. On the very night of the murders, during a commerical on American Idol, we saw a movie trailer for Disturbia - subtitled "every killer lives next to someone. The disturbing part of the trailer was hearing the words, "You made me do this". The same words I was hearing all day on the news about the killer from the campus of Virginia Tech.

The village needs leadership. It needs people of faith to step in (to be allowed, encouraged, welcomed) to step in and aid in the maturity and self discovery of our young people. I know I am not doing enough. I work too much. Not because I want to accumulate toys but because that's what my job asks of me, it's what I need to do to pay the cost of living in our Long Island, NY. The price is too high on too many fronts. How will the village respond? I am hopeful.

Psalm 46:10

Health Care...

"I am much more interested in long-term living than in long-term care." -- Newt Gingrich

Polling has indicated that Newt Gingrich is one of the most favorable of possible candidates for the 2008 Presidential election. However, those who find him favorable do not think he can win. (I heard this on a Saturday radio show.)

After reading his book and hearing him do interviews I am inclined to favor him as well.

Chapter 8 of Gingrich's book, "Winning the Future" is titled A 21st Century Health System. Interesting how he does not use the word "care." I think he does this because the issue affects us all and is so much bigger than just being cared for as we have become accustomed. Gingrich emphasizes personal responsibility and involvement in taking care of our health and medical needs. This requires us to be informed and involved in matters regarding our health.

Gingrich does not want to reform the current health system because he considers it profoundly wrong in three specific areas.

The truth is that the current health system cannot be reformed because its approach is profoundly wrong in three specific areas. First, it emphasizes acute care rather than wellness, early detection, and prevention. Second, it focuses on third-party payments, an area in which the individual has little responsibility, little knowledge, and no control. And third, it relies on paper (i.e. paper medical records and paper prescriptions) rather than information technology.

Newt is attractive to a lot of people because he brings real ideas to the table. He doesn't talk about having a plan and he isn't making any promises. His book is titled "Winning the Future". There is something exciting about moving forward and making changes where necessary.

Gingrich will build the 21st Century Intelligent Health System around three big changes: 1. Move knowledge from the doctor's office and scientific laboratory to the individual as rapidly as possible; 2. Help the health care system adopt top quality information technology systems to increase productivity, accuracy, and cut costs. 3. Center the process of health on the informed individual so he or she can have the knowledge, desire, responsibility, and opportunity to live the longest life, with the best health, at the lowest cost.

Currently I am reading Hilary Clinton's book "It Takes a Village". I just finished a chapter in which she talks about health care. I hope to post her views in do time. Until now soak up what Newt says, visit his website, or buy the book.

Rumblings....

Thomas Sowell will go through "Random Thoughts" every now and then in his column. I love it when he does this. He is very insightful.

I don't presume to compare with him, but there are what I will call, "Rumblings":

Does it make me lame that I have a “tape player” in my car? What if I still have tapes?

Even on an empty tank, yellow light flashing I will forgo a full service only gas station in search of a self-serve. I just want to do it myself.

Do you find it mildly satisfying to make it through a yellow light or one that just turns red as you are passing through the intersection? Well that feeling is squashed here in Long Beach, NY cause if you make it through one, there is a red light waiting for you 100 yards ahead at the next intersection. The man keeps you down.

Somewhere between 25 and thirty the body (at least mine) confuses growing hair on the head with growing it on the back. How does one deal with a receeding hairline?

Henry Petroski says that past success is no guarentee against future failure.

Even though I know little about her Mother Teresa is one of my favorite people. She says, "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin."

LOL ingenious writing...

if you can get past the source, you just might enjoy Ann's latest column.

i laughed out loud a couple of times!!!

NEWT...

My hope for our country and world is not is some politcal candidate or party. I do hope Newt Gingrich will run for president in 2008. He hasn't declared anything. He is just out there giving speeches and debating ideas. He may be the only person with ideas.

I read his book Winning the Future and found it to be quite inspiring. Here is the dedication:

To my grandchildren Maggie and Robert and all the other grandchildren who deserve to inherit an America that is as free, safe, healthy and prosperous as the America we inherited.

and

To the millions of Americans (including first generation immigrants who want to become American) who will have to work, argue, struggle and at times fight to preserve our freedom, our safet, our health and our prosperity.

I will post more on Newt as I learn more about him. Maybe my mind will change as i dive deeper into what this man believes and how he will go about accomplishing his plans for America. I am open to that. We live in the "information age" so there is no excuse to be uninformed and swept away by rhetoric.

Economics...and Smoking...

My high school cheated me out of an economics class. I had a teacher named Mr., you know what, I don't remember his name. But he gave us a stupid project where we pick stocks and see how we much fake money we made. We learned supply and demand and that's about it. So my surrogate teachers in economics are Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell. These two men should be weekly reading for everyone.

Ing Direct...

Several years ago I was introduced to ING Direct. It is an online bank. I opened a savings account with them because they have the best rates around plus the convenience of the internet.

Along with mortgages and cd's ING just started an electronic checking account. It is completely paperless so you don't write checks. Everything is wired through the internet. The also offer a 4% APY for the account. That is unbelievable for a checking account.

I just found out about it so I figured I would pass on the info. When I signed up for an ING savings account I got 25 bucks free and the person who refered me got $10. The same deal applies if you put in at least $250. If you want to take advantage let me know and I will refer you.

Duckets are duckets.

Michael Crichton...

"The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda."

This post is inspired by Al Gore's presence at the Oscar's.

For interesting thoughts on enviromentalism, climate change and global warming check out www.michaelchrichton.com and click on speeches.

Crichton is speaking at the Asia Room in NYC next month. It is sold out and I am unable to get a ticket. If anyone out there has connections and can hook me up let me know!

Married to a cover girl...

She's the one on the right.

"I love it when a plan comes together"

Balance...

Balance - our goal for 2007...

Laura and I just moved from Holbrook, NY to Long Beach, NY fulfilling one of our life goals of living at the beach. In a perfect world that beach would have been in a warmer climate - but we are making the best of it!

This move has cut my commute to work from 4 hours total, door to door, morning and night to a little over 2 hours total. So I have about 2 hours of my life back. I get to walk to the train station- partially fulfilling another goal of being able to walk to work- so I get a little exercise thus adding to the "balance".

I am trying to work an 8 hour day. It is almost impossible, but if I keep it at the front of my mind the more I achieve it. Can you be successful only working 40 hours a week? I guess it's all how you define success.

Keeping in touch with people has been very difficult and I do not help matters. We have been so blessed with great friends in each of the places we have lived. And it seems like no matter how much time pasts between the time we talk or see each other, it is never hard to pick right up where we left off. Hopefully I will be more balanced in this area.

I haven't been a regular blogger but I want to be.

Here's to being balanced

Our Lady of Vilnius

Everywhere I turned there were eyes watching me: Jesus, Saint Paul, Mary and many other figures of church history. It was was eerie. I did not like it.

The engineering company I work for was retained to perform a structural review of Our Lady of Vilnius Church in Manhattan. So I spent four hours avoiding contact with statues and stained glass as I did my job.

The church is in danger of being sold if it is beyond repair. The people associated with the church very much want us to be able to fix it. Joy, the care-taker, asked that I would put her request that the church be repaired into my report.

The very place that I could not wait to get out of was of immense importance people. I viewed all the eyes in the room as looking at me. Others must see the faces as watching over them.