Social Capital

I knew before moving up here last fall that it would just take some time before I felt like I found my niche within the ward, and at school with everyone, but I didn't realize how valuable it is to have social capital.

So'cial Cap'ital, n. 1. of or relating to reputation. 2. concept that refers to connections within and between social networks as well as connections among individuals.

It's taken some time for me to really build any up, but I had kind of forgotten how nice it is to have your name precede you. When you have social capital within a ward, school, or whatever, people are more welcoming and open. It's interesting too, because it's not like the people I associate with are at all suspicious or guarded, but just having someone else say things like, "Oh Chris? Yeah, he's cool, you should get to know him" or whatever it is that someone might say (hopefully good), then it really makes life a lot easier as far as being able to reach out and get to know those around you.

At home I think I had a good amount of that just because I have a lot of ties to different people in Orange County, and I attended nearly all church-sponsored functions for a few years. Coming back here, however, I had to start over almost completely from scratch. It's only been within the last month or two where I finally feel like I can move with some relative ease between different friends and people, and that's only because I've finally been able to get some of that all important social capital.

I don't know why I'm even bothering to bring this up. I just thought it was kind of interesting. It's something that you never think about until it becomes lacking, and you kind of dismiss it as not really being valid, but it's real and people do rely on it to make evaluations of you.

Say It Ain't So, Phil!

I'm having a hard time enduring this winter, and it looks like the world's most famous meteorologist Punxsutawney Phil thinks we'll be seeing six more weeks of it. They've posted some actual footage this year of how everything went down:


No matter how many times I see that video, it makes me giggle. I love the genius who saw that and realized the opportunity to exploit it for comedic purposes.

Pretty Persuasive Ad

Can you believe how powerful that is? and to think of how many levels it reaches, and the intended audience. Damn. This pro-life ad comes courtesy of Catholic Vote.

Stimulating The Economy

That is the essential idea behind the stimulus package that the government is proposing. I've been doing some homework (not actual homework, because that would mean that I didn't have to spend the rest of day and today working on the thesis because I would actually be ahead, rather I mean reading up on stimulus stuff and rudimentary information on economics) and it's really interesting the opposing philosophies that are operating right now.

The current plan that passed through the House yesterday and will soon be voted on by the Senate was proposed by Democrats, Obama's people. They follow the Keynesian economics model that suggests that in the event of a downturn in the economy, the government should intervene and either lower interest rates (which has already happened) or invest in infrastructure. That's why Obama keeps saying things like he wants to create 3 million new jobs through building roads, highways, etc.

Again, I don't have an in-depth knowledge of economics, but from what I understand the Keynesian model was developed in the 1930s, and is based on theory not applied experience. That is the case with a lot of economic theory, but the problem is that while mathematics can operate almost entirely on models and prediction is pretty accurate, economics is math based on human behavior, which is entirely unpredictable. While following the Keynesian model, the Japanese were never able to emerge from a decade-long recession that occurred in the 1990s.

One opposing model is supply-side economics which asserts that growth and stimulation is achieved through incentives that come in the form of favorable tax policies. This is the model favored by conservatives and has some pretty favorable support coming from Kennedy, Reagan, and George W. Pretty favorable is understating it - Reagan faced a much bigger problem than we're currently encountering. Not only did Reagan come to office in a depressed economy, but inflation was out of control and the world was just emerging from enormous energy bills, the likes of which we were seeing over the summer, but not any longer. Reagan initiated his tax cuts and the result was the creation of 19 million jobs while he was in office and unprecedented economic growth. Bush initiated his tax cuts and the results, although not quite as dramatic, were similar - lots of growth, low unemployment, until the buckling of the credit markets and the housing crisis, neither of which were Bush's fault.

Anyway, I mention all of this as a context for the articles that you'll be reading up on. What the stimulus doesn't provide is an immediate influx of money into the economy and emphasis on job growth, about half of it is actually going to special interests groups. This article from the editors in The Corner at National Review highlights some of the major expenses. This article talks about how the stimulus package is a prime example of good politics, but bad economics. This post by Byron York takes the highlights from a piece from Drudge Report and shows specifically what a lot of the money is going towards. This article is kind of long, but gets into more of the details about Keynesian economics and the problems with it. And this one is authored by Rush Limbaugh talking about splitting up the stimulus in half - one part for government spending, and the other for tax cuts - and use it as an opportunity to see which theory wins out.

What's funny to me is that people keep referring to Obama as the great unifier, that he's different because he reaches across the aisle. This is the same politician that had the most partisan voting record of anybody in all of politics, let me stress that, all of politics. He never authored any significant legislation that reached out to Republicans. And in his first 10 days in office, everything he has said and done has been nothing but partisan politics. He wanted Republican support for the bill, but not one GOP representative voted in favor of the bill in the House, and 11 Democrats actually voted against it. So rather than bipartisan support, it has received bipartisan opposition.

I can't find where I saw the number now, but the interest that would be required to pay off this increased spending will be in upwards of another $800 billion, but that wouldn't be paid for at least another decade. And I think I've mentioned this before, but the spending that would occur wouldn't even come in time to stimulate the economy now, instead coming in another year or two. As it stands right now, the stimulus is just a ploy to increase government spending, shift power that was lost under Bush back to special interests, and increase the reach of government while using the guise of economic recovery as a way of securing its passage.

Sounds fantastic.

Obama Not On Same Page With New Cabinet

Read this article earlier today and that it was pretty interesting:

President Barack Obama expressed frustration Wednesday after members of his cabinet failed to recognize his allusion to the 24th issue of the comic series Savage Sword Of Conan during their first major meeting together.

"If my inner circle of advisers can't even communicate about the most basic issues, how are we going to tackle the massive problems our nation faces?" Obama said during a press conference. "When I tell my cabinet that getting bipartisan support is exactly like the time Conan got Taurus to help him steal Yara's jewel, they need to understand what I mean."

After receiving no reaction from the assembled reporters, Obama added, "Because a giant spider is protecting this chamber full of precious jewels, just like Congress is protecting its…. God, how are you people not seeing this?"

"How am I supposed to effectively lead this nation when [attorney general nominee Eric] Holder has to stop the meeting and ask what the story of Taurus using the black lotus powder to kill the five guard lions has to do with increasing broadband Internet connections nationwide?" Obama said while vigorously rubbing his temples.

Added the president, "For the love of Crom, am I the only one here who wants to keep the U.S. technologically competitive?"

If only this were true...

From My Man, Jay

I'm supposed to be writing right now, but I had to drop off a few lines from Jay Nordlinger at NRO. He had a couple of Impromptus articles this week, so I'm just going to cut and paste a few parts that I liked. The first is here, and the second is here.

Did you hear about what President Obama had to say about Rush Limbaugh last week?

Last year, during the presidential campaign, John Kerry kept talking about Karl Rove—how Rove was the weaver of all evil, etc. This was four years after the ’04 election, mind you. And I heard someone say, “Karl’s still in his head.” Well, Rush Limbaugh seems to be in the “head” of many a person—including the president of the United States. Colin Powell and others have singled him out too.

If that’s not proof that Rush is the Leader of the Opposition (as National Review once dubbed him), nothing is.

“Don’t listen to Rush Limbaugh,” say the Obamas and the Powells and some other people. They are giving “free advice” to the Republicans. Well, since when has the GOP listened to Rush? If it did, we would not have nominated Senator McCain last year (for all his virtues, which are considerable). Moreover, Rush did not ask for many of the policies of the Bush administration, particularly in the domestic realm.

Rush says what he regards as true, political consequences be damned. He is not a party strategist, or a party anything. He’s a man with opinions, and they are sound, and that’s why so many people are drawn to him, and them.

Keep it up, Rush—and stay “in their heads.”

That's true about Rush, isn't it? I mean, you don't call him a Republican, but you would say he's conservative. Not because he brands himself that way, but that's how he leans in his own personal understanding. That seems to be the most important part about politics, and the most principled way to approach current affairs. Who cares about how Obama, Clinton, McCain, or Palin votes. How is it that you actually feel about social, fiscal, or policy issues?

On some of the new president's first orders of business:

I saw a headline from Reuters about two weeks ago: “Pentagon: 61 ex-Guantanamo inmates return to terrorism.” This is serious business. The men in Guantanamo aren’t choirboys, you know. They aren’t victims of Texas injustice. They are dead set on killing you and me—even the editors of Mother Jones (to use a shorthand). They do not discriminate against Left and Right in America (which is something about which Michael Moore expressed dismay on September 11). (Remember when he lamented that the terrorists weren’t confining their attacks to pro-Bush population centers?)

In his first days in office, President Obama has done some very popular things: closing down Gitmo, softening our interrogation techniques, and so on. (At least he has pledged to do so.) Fine, fine. The world says, “Hurray!”

But to what extent were Bush’s policies and practices responsible for saving innocent lives? And will the undoing of those policies and practices wind up costing innocent lives? These are very, very discomforting questions, but they need to be confronted. President Bush and his people liked to say, “You never get credit for what didn’t happen.” True. It’s like preemption: Nobody likes a preemptor, really. (Well, I do.) It is essentially a thankless task. There are always people who say, “Oh, no harm would have come, without your preemption.”

You sure about that?

Some more Obama love from the AP:

A reader sent me an amazing article about Obama and food. It is from the Associated Press, and can be found here. This is how it begins:

Visiting one of his favorite Chicago restaurants in November, Barack Obama was asked by an excited waitress if he wanted the restaurant’s special margarita made with the finest ingredients, straight up and shaken at the table.

“You know that’s the way I roll,” Obama replied jokingly.

Rick Bayless, the chef of that restaurant, Topolobampo, says Obama’s comfortable demeanor at the table — slumped contentedly in his chair, clearly there to enjoy himself — bodes well for the nation’s food policy. While former President George W. Bush rarely visited restaurants and didn’t often talk about what he ate, Obama dines out frequently and enjoys exploring different foods.

They’ve got to knock President Bush even for what he ate—or rather, for not talking about what he ate! And for “rarely visiting restaurants.” Of course, if he had gone to restaurants—particularly pricey ones—the press would have scored him for extravagance, plutocracy: for indifference to the unfortunate. “W. Dines on Beef Wellington While Barrio Kids Go Hungry.”

Thought this part was insightful:

On a recent visit to Fort Bragg, I saw something on a bulletin board, and it was a little bit dispiriting. It reminded people of “Ethnic Observances”—and different months were assigned to different groups. February was Black History Month, of course. Then there was something about Hispanics. And about Asians and Pacific Islanders. There was even a whole month for Women. (Who knew?) (And they’re not even an “ethnicity.”)

I thought of the title of an Arthur Schlesinger book—indeed, my favorite book from that source: “The Disuniting of America.” These days, there is way too much emphasis on the “pluribus” and not nearly enough emphasis on the “unum.”

And then just this last item.

The Left doesn’t like it very much when you say that, for many of them, politics is their religion, or environmentalism is their religion. I can understand that dislike: the insult. But left-wing champions such as Susan Sarandon aren’t very helpful when they say—as Sarandon said of Obama—“He is a community organizer like Jesus was, and now we’re a community and he can organize us.”

You know?

I've made that point in here before. While many on the left reject the enforcement of a state recognized church, they have no problem forcing you to buy into bad science and the gospel of global warming, the virtues of freedom of choice, or acceptance and tolerance. Their prophets are scientists and their evangelists are the media. In a lot of ways they're just wolves in sheep's clothing.

I don't want to go into too much depth here about what the president has been doing since taking office last week, but doesn't all of it just feel like gesturing? Maybe you could say the same about any president in his first week of office, but one thing that does seem like a terrible idea is the current "stimulus" plan. I haven't read a ton on this yet so I'm not an expert, but from what little I have seen, 80% or more of the funds that are intended to aid us in the current recession will not even reach us until more than a year from now, maybe two years. So what's the rush on putting this through? And what's the point if anyway? We could very well be emerging from the recession in that time frame. It would only depress the growth that could be occurring at that time.

How much did the previous stimulus help us as a country anyway? We're still in a recession. It doesn't seem like increasing the bill is going to help at all. We need expansion in the private sector and that seems to only come through incentives, and the only incentives that carry any weight are tax cuts. But of course, House and Senate Majority leaders Pelosi and Reid are calling for a repeal on W's tax cuts. Strangely, Obama is the roadblock. Let's hope he stays true.

Politics aside, it's in everyone's best interest that the new president succeeds. What's good for America is for Obama to figure this out, so our thoughts and prayers should be in support of that and not anything else.

Unfortunately, I haven't been very impressed so far, but I could be wrong.

Qualitative Methods

I think I mentioned sometime at the beginning of the month about the qualitative methods course I'm taking this semester. It's a class that I'm actually really excited about taking. There was some back and forth in the beginning because I talked to another student who had taken the course previously and had mentioned that it was one of his most difficult courses, but I decided to ignore his advice and take the class anyway.

I guess I'm so excited about it because I feel like this helps me develop a skill-set that I think I might like to use more extensively in my professional career, whatever that turns out to be. As it relates to writing, I think it will be especially handy to have this in my arsenal. Let me give you a brief definition:

Qualitative research begins with assumptions, a worldview, the possible use of a theoretical lens, and the study of research problems inquiring into the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. To study this problem, qualitative researchers use an emerging qualitative approach to inquiry, the collection of data in a natural setting sensitive to people and places under study, and data analysis that is inductive and establishes patterns or themes. The final written report or presentation includes the voices of participants, the reflexivity of the researcher, and a complex description and interpretation of the problem, and it extends literature or calls for action.

The meaning part of this research method is the important part. It avoids the rigidity that quantitative research adheres to, and allows for a lot of exploration. What I'm most excited about is the topic that I've chosen - how people use athletics as a coping mechanism for dealing with grief.

At first I was a little hesitant in pursuing that question because I wasn't sure how seriously it would be taken. There are only eight of us in the class so today we just went around the room and talked about our ideas, and when we got to mine, it turned out that I had the only question that seemed ready for qualitative study without any kind of alteration, but more importantly, it was something that he was personally interested in. He then went on to explain how he coaches a traveling youth hockey team and just a few of the stories that he had with them.

One of the boys, 13 years old, is dealing with his parents' divorce because of his dad leading a double life. The man had been a model member of the church, but was selling methamphetamines on the side, and then started experimenting with his own product. The boy used to idolize his father, but now his mother hates her ex-husband, and the kid is struggling with understanding what happened to his family. The boy said that if it weren't for his hockey team, he would probably commit suicide.

All the Behind the Glory shows that Fox Sports used to do, the Outside the Lines stories that ESPN does, all those behind the scenes stories interest me more than anything. This might be a little ambitious, but I'm hoping that I can get some members of the football team or other sports teams. Working in my favor is that I happen to personally know the head coach of the volleyball team, one of the student-coaches on the football team, and one of my friends is dating the sister of the captain of the men's soccer team. I think I can actually get a pretty good sample of people. I even know a guy that works for one of the minor league affiliates of the Angels. I think this could really turn into something.

This type of project is actually something that I hope to turn into a book someday. I'd like to look at broader national events and how sports helped people to soldier on. I still remember President Bush throwing out the first pitch at Shea Stadium just a few days after 9/11. I remember Joe Saunders donning his Virginia Tech baseball cap while pitching for the Angels after the massacre and throwing the game of his life. There are some great stories there that I think a lot of people can relate to. Anyway, I'm just really excited about it.

Utah Mormons

Utah Church is funny. Just a few things:

• My calling in the church here is Sunday school teacher. I used to teach every other Sunday, and in my ward there are always four Sunday school classes. I didn't think this was a stretch at all. We had a meeting last weekend and what came out of it was that the other teachers felt it necessary to have more people called so that they can stand at the doors, greet people, and conduct the classes because somehow that's not something I can just do myself. Everyone else loved that idea, and I didn't feel like being the lone dissenting voice saying that it was dumb. We already had more teachers as it was, so I was only teaching about 2 out of every 5 weeks, but now those new people are also designated as teachers and it will be even less.
  
• This week we had Family Home Evening last night, tomorrow is either institute or a cannery service assignment, broom ball on Friday night, and paintballing Saturday. Most weeks are like this here. Oh, and there was a pot luck dinner last Sunday, and this Sunday is Fast Sunday so there will be break the fast as a ward, which will be held earlier because...
• It's Super Bowl Sunday. At home, a lot of members still try and avoid watching TV on Sundays, or at least the leaders do, or it's at least just not really openly discussed. Here, they actually said in the announcments that break the fast would be held earlier so that people could watch the game and it's probably a good idea to start your fast earlier on Saturday. It's funny to me that it's so readily acknowledged, like who's going to actually try avoid watching TV on the Sabbath?
  
• And in general, people just don't realize how rigid they are here. I'm not saying it's good or bad, but without the context of operating as a subculture within a larger culture, they don't realize that a lot of people swear in public, watch R-rated films, live with significant others without being married, or that most people vote Democratic now. Being subversive here amounts to watching something risque like MTV.
  

I don't know why I joined your church sometimes. You mormons are weird.

Even The New Covenant

Today I taught Sunday school and I don't think I really communicated as much as I wanted to and since you're my captive audience (sort of), you get the leftovers.

While preparing for the lesson last week, I asked a friend of mine who had served in the Palmyra visitor's center about any stories she had that were related to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. She then began to talk about Martin Harris and the lost 116 pages of manuscript that Joseph had lent to him. I'd like to echo what she then began to express about the really cool aspect of that story, being that we are never too far off to come back to the path.

The worst that Joseph could have done at the point in time while translating the Book of Mormon was to have lost that manuscript. After years of preparation, admonition, and enduring persecution the last thing that he should have allowed was for those pages to ever escape his grasp, but he let it happen. A vengeful God should have punished him, and would have been justified in doing so. Nevertheless, Heavenly Father prepared a way so that not only would his work continue to go forward, but that Joseph and Martin could both have an opportunity to make amends, redeem themselves, and find redemption.

I have read the introduction page to the Book of Mormon dozens of times, but had never really noticed the phrase that states that the Book of Mormon "is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel...that they are not cast off forever," until my friend had pointed it out as it relates to this story. I had never really understood before the amount of mercy found in that title page, but it's in there and it's absolutely true.

Even in spite of our best efforts to thwart His will, our Heavenly Father can consecrate even our mistakes for our gain so long as we submit ourselves to Him and follow His son, Jesus Christ. However grave the sin, or arduous the trial, Christ has paved the way for us that we might be able to return to our Father in Heaven, but it requires the steady dedication of a lifetime.

It's a tremendous comfort to know that while our vision is so finite, His is unlimited. All flesh is in his hands, and all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. I'm grateful for that message that can be found throughout the gospel, in the story of the Restoration, in the scriptures, and particularly, as it's found in the Book of Mormon.

Another thing that also impressed me as I prepared to give the lesson today was the reality of these events. It's amazing to think of how grand so many of these things were (are), but they are nonetheless real. He is our Father. He has provided a way. He speaks to us today, and is involved in the details of our lives. I know it, and I'm grateful for that knowledge.

I'm A Big Boy

I think sometimes people confuse my laid-back nature with being afraid of confrontations. I'm not quite on the end of the brothers Reid who have no fear in the face of confrontation, a quality which I greatly admire and one that I think their wives can mostly do without, but I've had my own share of run-ins.

For example, I had to talk one time with a friend about looking at websites that were maybe a little less visually stimulating when he was living at my house. I talked with my cousins a number of times about the same things and even had to give their mom a tongue-lashing or two about making some changes to help them with their troubles, which are many. My friends and I have clashed on occasion because of disagreements. The thing is, I can get annoyed, but very rarely do I ever get actually get angry and most of the people I associate with also share this quality. On top of that, we don't hold grudges or keep scorecards on one another, and we all release most of our stuff through humor. So maybe we're just more passive-aggressive. Like most people, I don't relish those tough talks, but it's not that I'll necessarily shy away from it either.

I have two items to present to the court to supplement my case:

• Yesterday, local grocer Smith's and I disagreed on whether or not I had actually purchased enough items to qualify for the mega deal which would have knocked off $5 instantly from my bill. After listening to my complaint I left exactly one box of Captain Crunch and $2.90 richer than when I had first gone through the check-out counter.
• And about 10 minutes ago I was actually in the midst of getting some work done on my thesis, only to be subjected to the hard-hitting bass belonging to my neighbor's downstairs complete with profanity-laced lyrics that I could hear word for word. It's 11:30 on a Thursday guys, come on! So I got my sandals, trudged down my stairs and over to next door and knocked loudly. No answer. Couple of doorbell rings. About a minute later, two guys come to the door and they looked so tired. Their eyes were bright red. Worse still, it smelled like their oregano was burning. These poor guys were having a rough night. I started to smile and almost laughed when they approached the door, realizing their plight. I had clearly frightened one of them as he quickly agreed to not just turn the music down, but turn it off completely so as not to disrupt me. His companion was a little more curious, wanting me to point out exactly where my room was so that he could turn off only those speakers nearest me so that I might not be disturbed anymore. I answered the same question multiple times as he seemed to be so tired that he wasn't even really able to understand what it was that I was saying.
  

What's the take home message kids? Not being afraid of confrontation has supplied me with an extra week's worth of breakfast, enough money for three chicken soft tacos, and now some quiet so that I might actually continue to get something done. And maybe my new friends next door can get some of the much needed rest that they so clearly need.

At least I know where I can get some fresh oregano now.

United States of Barack Obama

I'm sorry for all of the political posts this week, but it's timely and I can't get away from it. Watch this video and then tell me what if anything it makes you feel...

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge


Don't let my response influence your answer, but you know what bothers me about it? "I pledge to be a servant to our President."

Seriously? Can anyone not see the problem with the psychology of this campaign? Why isn't "America" mentioned once in this video? Why doesn't any symbol of America ever show up? like the American flag, for instance. But I guess Obama's face is the only symbol for America that I need.

Most importantly, why can't we make this pledge every year? This is land is our land regardless of whether or not the person you voted for gets elected. Do you really think that Bush opposed ending hunger? fighting poverty? or maybe he opposed community service? It's not even that these people are proud to be Americans, they're proud to be Obama's subjects, and nothing more.

Here's an op-ed piece on the video.

I'm going to borrow some of the imagery and quotes from this blogpost, so here you go:
My leader! We can only do one thing: We thank the leader! We say thank you, which is total love and unconditional loyalty! My leader! Wherever the path leads, we will follow! Hail, my leader! —Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Vienna, 15 March 1938

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Barack Obama, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under Barack...come on America!

Teach Your Children Well

I'm not sure if this is a phrase that comes up in the Bible as much as it does in LDS texts, but it gets at the point that our decisions now have effects that reach farther than we usually anticipate.

Last week in a forum while discussing his research, one of the professors in the psychology department was talking about a couple of studies that show how one generation's experiences can leave an imprint that lasts for multiple generations.

One study looked at how putting mice into stressful situations raises their cortisol levels. Cortisol is a physiological indicator of heightened levels of arousal, and in this case they had mice swimming around in a small pool (I didn't even know that mice were swimmers) to induce stress. Not surprisingly, they found that it raised the cortisol levels in the mice, and after having pregnant mice swim, their offspring also displayed higher levels of cortisol. What was surprising, however, was that the elevated cortisol levels were persistent unto the third and fourth generations, even though those other mice never had any direct links to the experiences themselves.

In another example, researchers were looking at goats that were born with deformities such that they did not have any front legs/paws so they could not walk around like a four-legged animal. Because they could only really use their hind legs, they had to hop around and eventually their spines resembled those of bipeds rather than quadrupeds. Similar to the mice, these life experiences that parents had reached down to the third and fourth generations, resulting in offspring that also had vertebrae that resembled those of bipeds.

The implications are many. There are a number of different directions that you can go with this, but the point I'll make is that the decisions that we're making now will reach farther and be more extensive than we can ever imagine. In a spiritual sense, we end up transmitting to our progeny an imprint of the things that we experience now, good or bad. Some measures that we take are explicit, such as those things that we communicate to them or demonstrate for them, and others are implicit and unavoidable. It's not just you you're hurting when you lack faith or are irresponsible, and conversely, it's not just you you're benefiting when you show courage. Your children, grandchildren, and future generations that you haven't even met yet are beneficiaries of how you choose to live your life now.

Like We Needed An Excuse

So I can only assume that more is better? Because I'm willing to take the hit and see if maybe I can extend my life by 15-20 years, not just the measly 4-5.
I kid! 4-5 is good enough.

Dissent The Highest Form Of Patriotism?

In the aftermath of yesterday's inauguration and all of the commentary that has come out, the oft-repeated mantra so popular during the last eight years - dissent is the highest form of patriotism - is cropping up all over conservative outlets. Many people began retreating behind this phrase as a way of announcing their politics while also still trying to maintain their patriotism. Now conservatives ask if the slogan still rings true now that The One is in power.

In my reading this morning I came across this article found in the Denver Post by David Harsanyi. He closes with these lines, and I thought the last few sentences were especially powerful:

Obama challenges Americans to have "a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves." So if you find massive concentrated power in Washington a turn-on, you've found your higher purpose.

But surely, most of you have found meaning in something greater than yourselves long before some politician demanded it.

To require such fealty to power in the name of patriotism was once repugnant to the left. Now, with the right guy in charge, apparently it can once again be embraced.

Change, indeed.

I still want to reserve judgment about the next 4 years until at least some of it has played out, but I think this is an interesting and important point to make. I keep hearing about Obama's 78% approval rating and it blows my mind that anyone has even bothered to have a poll on this already.

The two-party system is a great feature of our country's government, and the opposing voice plays a vital role in helping maintain representation that operates on the middle ground, representing as many people as possible.

Here's to hoping that the dissenting opinion is still given ample room to speak even though sometimes it may have well-founded criticisms of the newly anointed president.

On This Day...

Part of my morning routine involves getting on the computer, checking email, visiting my news websites, and then going through my RSS feeds (I can't believe it took me so long to get on that train, by the way). One of the feeds I get is from a girl who is very liberal, and she took time to write about her feelings on this day. I'll include most of it here:

This morning as I listen to it all on the radio and I consider all the advances President Obama has already been making to discuss policy with both Republicans and Democrats, those who support and who disagree with his perspective and even consulting John McCain and President Bush in regards to the economic crisis and war. President Obama's inauguration speech will, undoubtably, be known as the catalyst for our CNN reports to turn from news into poetry. Even as excerpts of his speech are analyzed, the quoting of sentances within his speech are lyrical and loaded with meaning. What I look forward to most is the unification and collaboration of both parties. To have a leader whose process for change is based on asssessing both pros and cons, both Democrats and Republicans, both advocates and critics with the goal of inclusion, understanding and resolutions that will improve our nation and the world, is truly one of the most inspiring moments of our history. The way Obama directly addresses his cynics in the ways of the economy, war, healthcare and energy with an outstretched arm and open hands to suggest working together rather than having our own sides and our opposite fights is exactly the way I have, as an American, always wanted our contry to be represented. As for addressing our enemies at war, to offer a hand of peace rather than a threat of opposing violence by advising the wisdom of peace with the United States, rather than competing with a force that is more than immovable, but unstoppable.

Do we understand that he has speech writers? The guy is, without a doubt, one of the greatest orators in the last few decades, but do we get the fact that the lyrical and meaning-laden words we heard this morning belong to a 27 year-old? With few exceptions, these guys really aren't that involved with the actual construction of the speech, just its final approval and the actual delivery.

What kind of "reaching out" has Obama done? He does not have one single piece of major legislation to his name. He has not fashioned a single bipartisan accord at any level. And I know that President Bush was the consumate bumbling idiot and could never, and never did, do anything right while in office, but the "consulting" between Obama and Bush was at the behest of Bush, not Obama. The transition team that was assembled by Bush is not typical, and is actually unprecedented. But yeah, Obama is the only one reaching across the aisle, I forgot.

Anyway, I didn't really mean to get into all of the issues that I have with that post, but I think it illustrates clearly the somewhat delusional fervor that people have for proclaiming this guy our greatest president before he has even spent the night in the White House. Before the election results, I was as skeptical as anyone about his policies, experience, and questionable associations, but since then he has actually come even more to the middle when he could have clung to his original positions, or worse, lurched even further left having already obtained his goal of becoming president.

Although the highest levels of his cabinet are occupied by very liberal politicians, his fiscal team is actually quite moderate-conservative. His foreign policy has softened continually from his most extreme position of immediate withdrawal, to one that actually resembles almost identically what would have been carried out by a McCain administration. I think the reality of the situation and the facts available to him have forced him to concede that much of his rhetoric spewed during the campaign is not really feasible. So I'm cautiously optimistic, generally, but it's impossible as it stands right now to make any kind of valid judgment in either direction. We don't know that he's going to be the worst president or that he'll be one of the best, because he only took his oath of office less than 4 hours ago.

As far as the inauguration goes, I think I've actually only watched one other one in my lifetime. I was in second grade (I think) when I saw President George H.W. Bush sworn in. I don't know where or what I was doing for all the others, but I was there for that one.

The invocation was nice. I thought the John Williams arrangement of Air and Simple Gifts was exquisite. That quartet of musicians is Hall of Fame quality. If you have any feeling at all, listening to that should stir your soul.

His speech was good. Like I said, the guy can speak with the best of them. As far as content, the rhetoric was typical. He reached out to everyone, ignoring the reality of trade-offs in his propositions because this isn't really the place to expound on that kind of stuff. While the benediction was in some ways amusing, it seemed too much like a speech rather than a prayer. Benedictions are for God's ears, not so much for our enjoyment.

I recently had a conversation with a friend and we were talking about families that are really affectionate, and how weird it can be. Hers barely even hugs, while mine is latin so we hug and kiss on cheeks a lot, even then the cheek-kiss is usually reserved for opposite sex only. I just thought it was funny watching Biden take the oath of office, and then seeing him kiss his grown boys, and it made me think of this skit:

More than anything, today made me sad, not because I was voted for the other guy or anything like that. Sad because, of anyone in the whole world, nobody wanted to see this day come more than our fallen brother, Tupac Shakur. We ain't ready to see a black president, huh? Yes we is, yes we is, brother.

You know what my favorite memory is of this song? It came out my freshman year in college, and as is typical of the dorm life during the second semester at BYU, all the guys were opening their mission calls and inviting everyone over to hear where they were going. Shortly after Dave had announced that he was going to Rosario, Argentina we were sitting in our dorm room just listening to music, still buzzing about his calling. This song comes on and Laura, who is normally very chatty and involved in any conversation, is just quietly staring straight ahead from where she's seated. Song is playing, people are talking, and then all of the sudden she bursts out with "my momma didn't raise no fool!" in a coordinated effort with the song. I love her to death. So vanilla on the outside, but with the richest dark chocolate middle.

The Dan Band

I didn't realize it until I was buying some music and actually came across this guy on the Starsky and Hutch soundtrack, but The Dan Band actually does live shows. You might remember hiim from this movie, and from Old School playing Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Anyway, I bring it up not only because he's awesome, but they're playing The Avalon on January 31st. I hope one of you knuckleheads goes to the show so that I can live vicariously through you.

In the back of yo' mama's car!

Martin Luther King Jr.

Today is the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. When looking back on the past, it's easy to point out the greatness of certain individual's and their monumental efforts because the ripples of their lives has had time to resonate throughout the annals of history. I read this piece this morning and was feeling a little bit short-changed that we haven't seen the likes of MLK in years. Then I began to wonder how often it is that we are in the midst of a remarkable human being and we can't even recognize it. It could be at the end of our nose and we wouldn't even know it.

That's exactly what happened with King, to the point that people made an effort that proved enough to make him a martyr. In the last five or so years, do you think you could point out someone who is on his level? I think Ronald Reagan approaches that kind of mystique.

In any case, do yourself a favor and read (or reread) some of Martin's greatest pieces. Go here for his letter from a Birmingham jail. Here for his I Have a Dream speech, audio and video. And his last speech the day before his assassination. His prose is beautiful, and the message just resonates.

You know what may be the best part about this day? Being back in school and getting it off as a holiday. Last year I had just assumed that we would have it off and when I figured out that we didn't, I almost died I was so disappointed.

The juxtaposition of today's observance and tomorrow's inauguration is quite remarkable. Thank you Dr. King for paving the way to a better society, and above all, thanks for having contributions so remarkable that some of us actually get to have the day off!

Israeli Armies Post Videos of Gaza War

In a PR move, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have recently begun posting videos of what they've been encountering in the Hamas resistance in the Gaza strip.

I wish I had more insight into everything that was going on there, because the story is definitely very complicated. Like most conservatives, I lean in the favor of Israel, although I've had some, albeit only a few, conversations with people sympathetic to the Palestinian side and it paints a pretty ugly picture. The thing about it seems to be that when you're dealing with such heightened anxieties due to constant conflict, there is never going to be a clear picture of either side and they'll inevitably paint really ugly pictures of one another.

Anyway, what is disarming are the tactics being employed by Hamas. They are desperate, and Israel learned that the failures of the war in 2006 cannot be repeated simply because their survival depends entirely on the reputation of their military strength. While many cry afoul over the brute force that they have applied, at least they employ every measure possible to avoid the casualties of women and children. They respect the rules of war, while terrorists do not.

This first video here posted by the IDF shows how Hamas wired a zoo and a school with explosives:


And this next one reveals that Hamas is using mosques to hide armaments.

Terrorists are despicable. The worst part of the exchange is that there are just normal people who want to live their lives, but they're forced into the middle of the conflict because the terrorists utilize their anonymity to rain down rockets from the strip, Israel must react, and because it's impossible to distinguish entirely who is who, a lot of peaceful people get victimized and forced from their homes. At the very least, Israel makes efforts to warn those not wishing to take part by dropping millions of leaflets advising them to flee. It's really an ugly affair.

You know what's crazy about Israel? They are the size of Virginia in terms of their population, but easily have one of the respected armed forces in the whole world. Apparently, upon completion of their training, every one of their soldiers takes an oath to defend their country at Masada - the site where an entire faction of Jews killed themselves rather than live in subservience to the Roman empire.

Recognize A Real Don When You See Juan

Is it crazy that I'm REALLY interested in seeing this movie?

Like SO interested in seeing it. And I probably won't because I'm afraid the content will get a little too explicit and maybe violent for my taste, but his music is awesome, and the story is interesting. I'm also so curious about how they will do his death and if they'll leave it kind of ambiguous or link it to Tupac.

It's amazing what they can do with television. I caught some of American Idol last night while working out, and truth be told, if I started watching it I could be totally hooked. I am such a sucker for the human interest stories. I was blown away by the white guy whose wife had passed away just four weeks earlier. I think my favorite person of the night was the band director. And Anupe-Dawg was so surprising. I felt like that's what I kept thinking the whole night; whoa! I never would have guessed that person would be so good!

It really all just comes down to good producing. I saw the promo clip for AI featuring David Cook and I actually got the chills watching that, and I have absolutely no connection to him or the show, but it affected me.

Speaking of new television I've been getting interested in, ever watch Psych? It's a USA show, but it's pretty entertaining. It has a million 80's references. And I watched all four hours of the 24 premiere on Sunday and Monday. I hadn't seen any of it since season 2, but I was immediately feeling pulled back in.

It's really just all about good packaging.

Global Warming Arguments Cool Down

If you've been frequenting my blog for awhile, then you're quite aware of my feelings on global warming. I think it might have even been my second post on this blog ever. In light of how freakin' cold it has been in Utah over the last month or so, I just can't stomach the global warming alarmists.

The latest comes by way of my guys at Powerline. I haven't been getting the normal breadth of reading, but I've been really sluggish for about the last week, so cut me some slack. Here they cite another writer on the subject:

2008 was the year predicted to be the "hottest in a century". Instead it became the coldest of the decade. It was the year the North Pole would "melt entirely, allowing you to swim to it". Instead, nuclear-powered icebreakers became trapped in unseasonably thick ice. It was a year of record-breaking cold and snow, everywhere from Baghdad to the beaches of Malibu. It was the year the "Gore Effect" entered the public vocabulary, as whenever global warming protestors got together to march, they were met with blizzards and ice storms.

That's actually the first time that I've heard about the Gore effect, but I kind of love it. This article here mentions how Europe has experienced some of its coldest temperatures in years.

The author at Powerline goes on to state:

In recent years, the scientific debate has shifted decisively in favor of the "skeptics." I've long thought, however, that to drive a stake through the heart of Al Gore-style alarmism, the climate would have to start cooling again. Otherwise governments, which love anthropogenic GW theory because the "solution" is to give them near-total control over their countries' economies, would likely declare the scientific debate over and impose carbon controls notwithstanding the public's lingering skepticism.

And, in what may be the nick of time, it has: the Earth's climate stopped warming a decade ago, and is now getting colder. Here in Minnesota, we're having a winter reminiscent of decades gone by. This morning it was 20 below in the Minneapolis suburbs; there were accidents everywhere because of snow, cold and black ice. That was balmy, though, compared to conditions up north. It was 40 below in International Falls this morning. (That's temperature, not wind chill.) That's colder than I've ever experienced in Minnesota. ...

Alarmists, of course, say that the current cooling is just an instance of natural weather variation that doesn't disprove their theory. The problem is that, for them, nothing disproves their theory. No matter how resolutely the Earth's climate refuses to conform to their models, they ignore the evidence and cling to their theory. This isn't science, it's a combination of faith and politics.

Although it hasn't snowed here in about a week, the snow is still piled up a few feet high on either side of the streets. The parking lot by the Wilk is almost entirely covered in ice. I know you kids in southern California have no idea what cold is like, but it's pretty dang cold everywhere else and apparently that seems to be the case the world over.