Yesterday Aldetha went to work with me for the last time until January 20th (at the earliest!) With the imminent birth of our third child (and the speed with which my wife went through labor and delivery on the first two) I will be driving to work so as to be only 5 minutes from home rather than 25 minutes.
I am not too concerned about that. I am normally in a better mood if I bike into work and I don't look forward to trying to manage my weight as I stop biking and start the holidays. The expense will be no problem. Last Wednesday morning I filled Gandalf at $1.85/gallon. By that afternoon the price was $1.81. Yesterday it was down to $1.75. A far cry from the $3.60 we once paid over the summer.
Today is the day - BCS Buster or Wanna-Be? I speak of the Utah-BYU game at 6pm this evening(4pm MST.) Based on their performances in their recent games, and the fact that the game is at Rice-Eccles, Utah should beat BYU.
My prediction:
Utah 35
BYU 24
Of course, I will not be watching until the very end - I get too nervous.
Go Utes!
Brad
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The power of ideology...
I spoke with one of my colleagues yesterday about the number of anti-prop 8 demonstration across California (and in other places around the country.)
My own opinion is that if they had shown that much energy before the election, they might actually have won. But I digress...
I posited that it was yet another example of how liberals cannot tolerate losing, dissent or opposition, while conservatives can. To see my point, imagine this:
Prop 8 fails. Immediately, people begin protesting in front of known gay establishments and icons. Businesses that funded the anti-8 movement are boycotted and targeted for vandalism. Homosexual couples are taunted, molested and assaulted by gangs of people brandishing "YES ON 8" signs.
There is only one part of that story that is even remotely believable - "Prop 8 fails." Everything else is beyond the realm of reality that would flow from prop 8 failing. What would happen if prop 8 had failed? Its supporters would have accepted it and moved on to the next political battle - which would have been another ballot measure for the 2009 election or a bill in the California Assembly.
OK, so I tell my colleague (a self-proclaimed Obama supporting liberal) that liberals can't handle losing while conservatives can. She offered an explanation that I found enlightening. Liberalism (the ideology) was born as a reaction to the established and unquestioned rules and laws of the medieval era. John Locke wrote his Second Treatise on Government as a reason-based response to the "divine right of kings" thesis. The foundation of liberalism is questioning established rules, authority and traditions and progress can be found in individual reason, not in established institutions.
Conservatism is a reaction to liberalism. Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France is a strong critique of individualism and reason run wild. Like liberals, conservatives believe in progress; however, they do not rely completely on individual reason to define "progress" nor do they condone the destruction of existing rules, authority and traditions in the name of progress. Unless existing institutions have failed society or the individual, they should be respected.
Given those ideological foundations, it is easy to see why liberals are violently sore losers, and why conservatives don't end up in violent protests. The political process, rules of civil behavior, laws against violence, courtesy - these are all established institutions. As such, they fall under the category "things that can be challenged in the name of progress" for liberals. So when their efforts to change the institution of marriage were dealt a set-back, opponents of prop 8 had no qualms about discarding other established institutions of behavior to further their efforts. Conservatives would have maintained the other institutions and looked forward to another round within them to try to find victory.
Unfortunately, John Locke and John Stuart Mill (classic liberals) both wrote strongly against intolerance of ideas and in favor of the "marketplace of ideas" in one form or another. So somewhere, modern liberals dumped one of the best parts of their ideology in favor of the more fascist idea of violence against their enemies in the name of conformity and political correctness.
Glad to be a conservative,
Brad
My own opinion is that if they had shown that much energy before the election, they might actually have won. But I digress...
I posited that it was yet another example of how liberals cannot tolerate losing, dissent or opposition, while conservatives can. To see my point, imagine this:
Prop 8 fails. Immediately, people begin protesting in front of known gay establishments and icons. Businesses that funded the anti-8 movement are boycotted and targeted for vandalism. Homosexual couples are taunted, molested and assaulted by gangs of people brandishing "YES ON 8" signs.
There is only one part of that story that is even remotely believable - "Prop 8 fails." Everything else is beyond the realm of reality that would flow from prop 8 failing. What would happen if prop 8 had failed? Its supporters would have accepted it and moved on to the next political battle - which would have been another ballot measure for the 2009 election or a bill in the California Assembly.
OK, so I tell my colleague (a self-proclaimed Obama supporting liberal) that liberals can't handle losing while conservatives can. She offered an explanation that I found enlightening. Liberalism (the ideology) was born as a reaction to the established and unquestioned rules and laws of the medieval era. John Locke wrote his Second Treatise on Government as a reason-based response to the "divine right of kings" thesis. The foundation of liberalism is questioning established rules, authority and traditions and progress can be found in individual reason, not in established institutions.
Conservatism is a reaction to liberalism. Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France is a strong critique of individualism and reason run wild. Like liberals, conservatives believe in progress; however, they do not rely completely on individual reason to define "progress" nor do they condone the destruction of existing rules, authority and traditions in the name of progress. Unless existing institutions have failed society or the individual, they should be respected.
Given those ideological foundations, it is easy to see why liberals are violently sore losers, and why conservatives don't end up in violent protests. The political process, rules of civil behavior, laws against violence, courtesy - these are all established institutions. As such, they fall under the category "things that can be challenged in the name of progress" for liberals. So when their efforts to change the institution of marriage were dealt a set-back, opponents of prop 8 had no qualms about discarding other established institutions of behavior to further their efforts. Conservatives would have maintained the other institutions and looked forward to another round within them to try to find victory.
Unfortunately, John Locke and John Stuart Mill (classic liberals) both wrote strongly against intolerance of ideas and in favor of the "marketplace of ideas" in one form or another. So somewhere, modern liberals dumped one of the best parts of their ideology in favor of the more fascist idea of violence against their enemies in the name of conformity and political correctness.
Glad to be a conservative,
Brad
Friday, November 14, 2008
The religious left...
Though they will deny it, the political Left in the U.S. is just as dogmatic as the Religious Right. The examples of intolerance and departure from the classical liberal traditions of deliberative democracy and the marketplace of ideas rival any bigoted, right-wing preacher's worst sermon.
It makes right-wing radio seem peaceful and tame by comparison,
Brad
UPDATE: Upon reflection, the Left has a lot more to answer for. Most of the "hatred" from the Religious Right is verbal or idea-based. The Left is as prolific and hateful in their words and ideas; however, they far exceed the Right when it comes to actions.
It makes right-wing radio seem peaceful and tame by comparison,
Brad
UPDATE: Upon reflection, the Left has a lot more to answer for. Most of the "hatred" from the Religious Right is verbal or idea-based. The Left is as prolific and hateful in their words and ideas; however, they far exceed the Right when it comes to actions.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Finally coping with the withdrawl...
As a political junkie, I never get sick of politics. Oh, I may say that I'm not going to get involved or care during an election or political controversy; but then it gets into my system and I just can't get enough (yes, the druggie or alcoholic analogy fits just fine!)
OK, the withdrawal had nothing to do with the Democratic candidates winning - just the initial let-down of having no election to discuss. Kind of like these folks (minus the bizarre Obama fixation):
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
Anyway, I'm doing fine and ready to be a part of the conservative insurgency against Obama & Biden's strongly liberal agenda.
Other than the presidential election I was quite interested in Prop 8 out in California. First of all, I was pleased that it passed by a decent margin. Second, its opponents deserved to lose after this commercial aired on election day:
Laws cannot be retroactive - so even the slightly plausible idea that a marriage could be invalidated (the rest of the ad is plain ridiculous) is a straw man argument.
Third, Nancy Pelosi really is an idiot.
“Unfortunately, I think people thought they were making a statement about what their view of same-sex marriage was,” the San Francisco Democrat said. “I don’t know if it was clear that this meant that we are amending the Constitution to diminish freedom in our state.”
There's no evidence to support her assertion at all - she's just in denial that the majority of Californians (and the citizens of every state that had a gay marriage initiative on the ballot) disagree with her and the California Supreme Court.
Allahpundit over at HotAir.com takes Pelosi's argument to its logical conclusion regarding the Presidential election:
“Unfortunately, I think people thought they were making a statement about what their views of race relations and male beauty were,” the San Francisco Democrat said. “I don’t know if it was clear that this meant that we are picking the next President of the United States.”
That's enough for today. I am looking forward to somewhat of a lull from politics so I can focus on finishing the semester, enjoying the holidays, and (most importantly) welcoming our new baby into the world.
Nothing beats a "love" high,
Brad
OK, the withdrawal had nothing to do with the Democratic candidates winning - just the initial let-down of having no election to discuss. Kind of like these folks (minus the bizarre Obama fixation):
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
Anyway, I'm doing fine and ready to be a part of the conservative insurgency against Obama & Biden's strongly liberal agenda.
Other than the presidential election I was quite interested in Prop 8 out in California. First of all, I was pleased that it passed by a decent margin. Second, its opponents deserved to lose after this commercial aired on election day:
Laws cannot be retroactive - so even the slightly plausible idea that a marriage could be invalidated (the rest of the ad is plain ridiculous) is a straw man argument.
Third, Nancy Pelosi really is an idiot.
“Unfortunately, I think people thought they were making a statement about what their view of same-sex marriage was,” the San Francisco Democrat said. “I don’t know if it was clear that this meant that we are amending the Constitution to diminish freedom in our state.”
There's no evidence to support her assertion at all - she's just in denial that the majority of Californians (and the citizens of every state that had a gay marriage initiative on the ballot) disagree with her and the California Supreme Court.
Allahpundit over at HotAir.com takes Pelosi's argument to its logical conclusion regarding the Presidential election:
“Unfortunately, I think people thought they were making a statement about what their views of race relations and male beauty were,” the San Francisco Democrat said. “I don’t know if it was clear that this meant that we are picking the next President of the United States.”
That's enough for today. I am looking forward to somewhat of a lull from politics so I can focus on finishing the semester, enjoying the holidays, and (most importantly) welcoming our new baby into the world.
Nothing beats a "love" high,
Brad
Monday, November 3, 2008
A reply and predictions...
My October 27th post elicited quite a strong response from my brother-in-law. I do feel a response is in order:
First, the purpose of taxes is to raise funds for goods ("outputs" is the political science jargon) that are for public use. The political process has determined that the funding should be public (not private or user fee) and the benefits should be for all of society. Strong examples of this are national defense and the interstate highway system. These are the outputs that taxes are used for. Various levels of government employ user-fee systems (NJ Parkway and Turnpike) that collect funds based on use, but that is not what the federal income tax system is used for.
Second, the empirical evidence demonstrates that government revenue goes up when capital gains tax rates are reduced. As with all social science, causality is questionable; however, correlation is not - and it is nearly perfect. Obama can say that revenue may not go up - he can also say that drinking Clorox may not kill you - but he has no empirical evidence to back it up.
Finally, many people have made millions and more per year by working hard. Regardless of whether one thinks of some work as "bad" or "good" it is still work and requires an effort (that's why it is rewarded with money.) This also excludes the question of wealth because that is not taxed at the Federal level (thanks to the Progressives.) There are many ways to earn $1 million or more per year - I'm just not willing to put the necessary work into doing so (just like most Americans.)
OK, so who will win tomorrow?
Obama will take Virginia (it will be called by 9pm EST.) McCain will miss flipping Pennsylvania and Obama will be guaranteed the White House.
Is this a realigning election?
Probably. According to the American Conservative Union, McCain is moderately conservative (his score of 65 ranks him as the 47th most conservative senator for 2007) while Obama is strongly liberal (his score of 8 ties him for 15 most liberal senator - behind Joe Biden's 4.)
What about reforming Washington and bringing bipartisanship back?
Dead. McCain/Palin are the only major party ticket that have any experience or willingness to take on the establishment. Obama/Biden is a "yes-man" ticket in every way. McCain has worked on major bipartisan legislation and reforms. Obama & Biden? Nope. None of it.
Will this finally end the racial question in American politics?
It should. "The Man" will be a black man - a liberal black man at that. Race-baiters have nothing to complain about with Obama in the White House.
In addition to leeching off the taxes paid by the rich, I look forward to seeing all the nutroots and wackos that formed Obama's "base" deal with being the "establishment" apologists.
Ready to join the vast right-wing insurgency once again,
Brad
First, the purpose of taxes is to raise funds for goods ("outputs" is the political science jargon) that are for public use. The political process has determined that the funding should be public (not private or user fee) and the benefits should be for all of society. Strong examples of this are national defense and the interstate highway system. These are the outputs that taxes are used for. Various levels of government employ user-fee systems (NJ Parkway and Turnpike) that collect funds based on use, but that is not what the federal income tax system is used for.
Second, the empirical evidence demonstrates that government revenue goes up when capital gains tax rates are reduced. As with all social science, causality is questionable; however, correlation is not - and it is nearly perfect. Obama can say that revenue may not go up - he can also say that drinking Clorox may not kill you - but he has no empirical evidence to back it up.
Finally, many people have made millions and more per year by working hard. Regardless of whether one thinks of some work as "bad" or "good" it is still work and requires an effort (that's why it is rewarded with money.) This also excludes the question of wealth because that is not taxed at the Federal level (thanks to the Progressives.) There are many ways to earn $1 million or more per year - I'm just not willing to put the necessary work into doing so (just like most Americans.)
OK, so who will win tomorrow?
Obama will take Virginia (it will be called by 9pm EST.) McCain will miss flipping Pennsylvania and Obama will be guaranteed the White House.
Is this a realigning election?
Probably. According to the American Conservative Union, McCain is moderately conservative (his score of 65 ranks him as the 47th most conservative senator for 2007) while Obama is strongly liberal (his score of 8 ties him for 15 most liberal senator - behind Joe Biden's 4.)
What about reforming Washington and bringing bipartisanship back?
Dead. McCain/Palin are the only major party ticket that have any experience or willingness to take on the establishment. Obama/Biden is a "yes-man" ticket in every way. McCain has worked on major bipartisan legislation and reforms. Obama & Biden? Nope. None of it.
Will this finally end the racial question in American politics?
It should. "The Man" will be a black man - a liberal black man at that. Race-baiters have nothing to complain about with Obama in the White House.
In addition to leeching off the taxes paid by the rich, I look forward to seeing all the nutroots and wackos that formed Obama's "base" deal with being the "establishment" apologists.
Ready to join the vast right-wing insurgency once again,
Brad
Monday, October 27, 2008
The politics of Halloween...
OK, for Halloween this year my boys have chosen normal costumes. The younger one will be Superman, and we bought his costume. The older one will be Darth Vader and his mother is making his costume. My wife, due to the fact that she has a cute little parasite growing insider her, will probably wear an orange shirt and call herself a pumpkin. If the baby starts kicking could she say she's the pumpkin from Alien? I have chosen to dress as Dr. Gregory House. My Friday students should have a wonderful time watching me limp around, popping pills (M&Ms) and making sarcastic remarks. Oh the joy of it all!
What does that have to do with politics? Nothing. But this does:
An exaggeration? Nope.
According to Senator Obama taxes have nothing to do with raising revenue, only making the world "fair"...
Q: You favor an increase in the capital gains tax, saying, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was 28%." It's now 15%. That's almost a doubling if you went to 28%. Bill Clinton dropped the capital gains tax to 20%, then George Bush has taken it down to 15%. And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28%, the revenues went down.
A: What I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. The top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year--$29 billion for 50 individuals. Those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair.
Q: But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up.
A: Well, that might happen or it might not. It depends on what's happening on Wall Street and how business is going.
Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary Apr 16, 2008
I look forward to leeching off the work of others and having no part (stake? interest? reason to care?) in the funding of our government for the next 4 to 8 years,
Brad
What does that have to do with politics? Nothing. But this does:
An exaggeration? Nope.
According to Senator Obama taxes have nothing to do with raising revenue, only making the world "fair"...
Q: You favor an increase in the capital gains tax, saying, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was 28%." It's now 15%. That's almost a doubling if you went to 28%. Bill Clinton dropped the capital gains tax to 20%, then George Bush has taken it down to 15%. And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28%, the revenues went down.
A: What I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. The top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year--$29 billion for 50 individuals. Those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair.
Q: But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up.
A: Well, that might happen or it might not. It depends on what's happening on Wall Street and how business is going.
Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary Apr 16, 2008
I look forward to leeching off the work of others and having no part (stake? interest? reason to care?) in the funding of our government for the next 4 to 8 years,
Brad
Friday, October 3, 2008
I'll have a blue election...
I've spoken highly of the predictive power of Intrade (formerly Tradesports.com) in relation to political issues. They have provided an electoral map that can be embedded, so here it is:
Here's how election night will go...
1. If McCain carries Pennsylvania he wins (he will carry OH, VA, NC & FL if he carries PA.)
2. If McCain carries Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida we need to wait for the results from Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado (long night!)
3. If Obama carries PA and any one of OH, VA, NC or FL; he wins.
The one I want to happen (as a partisan): #1
The one I want to happen (as a professor): #2
The one that will happen: #3
Looking forward to the Obama Nation,
Brad
Here's how election night will go...
1. If McCain carries Pennsylvania he wins (he will carry OH, VA, NC & FL if he carries PA.)
2. If McCain carries Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida we need to wait for the results from Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado (long night!)
3. If Obama carries PA and any one of OH, VA, NC or FL; he wins.
The one I want to happen (as a partisan): #1
The one I want to happen (as a professor): #2
The one that will happen: #3
Looking forward to the Obama Nation,
Brad
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hurricane Season in NJ...
The weekend is finally here! I did alright on the first day for each of my classes. The Student Success was the most difficult because I am not as comfortable with the content as I am with Political Science. The Dean of Academic Affairs (who created and runs the Student Success course) told me that my experience is typical of all first-time instructors - simply getting through the course is enough.
Tropical storm Hanna will hit New Jersey sometime Saturday afternoon. I had hoped to mow the lawn after returning from seminary inservice; however, 5-7 inches of rain really harshes on a completely manual mower's cutting ability. "Tropical storm" sounds ominous, doesn't it? One of my colleagues told me that the winds are expected to gust 45-50 mph - which is no worse than the nor-eastern storms we got last May. If that is the case then we probably have nothing to worry about.
Biking home to batten down the hatches,
Brad
Tropical storm Hanna will hit New Jersey sometime Saturday afternoon. I had hoped to mow the lawn after returning from seminary inservice; however, 5-7 inches of rain really harshes on a completely manual mower's cutting ability. "Tropical storm" sounds ominous, doesn't it? One of my colleagues told me that the winds are expected to gust 45-50 mph - which is no worse than the nor-eastern storms we got last May. If that is the case then we probably have nothing to worry about.
Biking home to batten down the hatches,
Brad
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Pleasure and Pain...
Classes started today at OCC (for me anyway!) In addition to my responsibilities as the Program Coordinator, serving as the executive secretary of the College Senate, serving on the Global Ed, Election and Foundations of Excellent Steering Committees, I am teaching 7 classes:
3 Federal Government classes
1 State & Local class
1 Intro to Poli Sci class
1 International Relations class
1 Student Success class
I have never taught Student Success before (it's the first-year college experience course) and all but the Federal Government classes are using new textbooks that I have never taught from. I am going to be really busy!
I do have it better than my younger son, though. All of my "pain" is self-inflicted and psychological in nature; he has "crashed" on his bike and/or scooter for four consecutive days (cutting open the same knee each time!)
Oh well! In spite of it all, I love my job and my son loves his bike and scooter.
There's a fine line,
Brad
3 Federal Government classes
1 State & Local class
1 Intro to Poli Sci class
1 International Relations class
1 Student Success class
I have never taught Student Success before (it's the first-year college experience course) and all but the Federal Government classes are using new textbooks that I have never taught from. I am going to be really busy!
I do have it better than my younger son, though. All of my "pain" is self-inflicted and psychological in nature; he has "crashed" on his bike and/or scooter for four consecutive days (cutting open the same knee each time!)
Oh well! In spite of it all, I love my job and my son loves his bike and scooter.
There's a fine line,
Brad
Monday, August 11, 2008
This is what is sounds like, when Olympic doves cry...
We are finally settling into the new house. Almost all of the boxes are unpacked and all of the rooms are mostly "put together" and functional. In the midst of this all, I got to attend a Foundations of Excellence conference in Asheville, North Carolina last week. This conference will ultimately lead to OCC examining its entire approach to the "first-year" experience and making a grand plan for at least the next five years. For a junior faculty member to participate in this conference, and serve on the steering committee, is quite impressive (not to toot my own horn too much!)
The two weekdays after the conference I managed to bike into work. It felt good to ride my new route and get back into a little exercise. The new route is only 5 miles one way, which means I can ride it in under 20 minutes. That's nice for my commute time, but it means I won't get as much exercise as I used to (my old route was just under 7 miles one way.)
Last night my wife and I watched the Olympics. We were up much later than we should have been, but were rewarded with the U.S. victory in the 4x100 freestyle. It was the best moment of the Olympics so far.
We also watched the opening ceremony. It was amazing! Sadly, the most memorable part for me was the announcement of the opening of hostilities between Russia and Georgia. There is little doubt that Russia has abused whatever legitimacy it may have had for an intervention by pressing into parts of Western Georgia. This is an invasion to conquer and permanently occupy. It makes the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq look retrained and completely legitimate. Sadly, the world has not responded with the same outrage. Why? First, the Russians invaded rather quickly. No attempt to legitimize their actions, no attempt to negotiate, no effort to address international norms or law ("tell me of this mythical UN of which you speak.") Second, everyone knows that the Russians/Soviets have and always will be brutal butchers that don't give a rat's about international law or morality. Basically it has behaved as most Great Powers have always behaved. The U.S. was, and is, the major exception to that Great Power tradition.
The Russians are partying like its 1979,
Brad
The two weekdays after the conference I managed to bike into work. It felt good to ride my new route and get back into a little exercise. The new route is only 5 miles one way, which means I can ride it in under 20 minutes. That's nice for my commute time, but it means I won't get as much exercise as I used to (my old route was just under 7 miles one way.)
Last night my wife and I watched the Olympics. We were up much later than we should have been, but were rewarded with the U.S. victory in the 4x100 freestyle. It was the best moment of the Olympics so far.
We also watched the opening ceremony. It was amazing! Sadly, the most memorable part for me was the announcement of the opening of hostilities between Russia and Georgia. There is little doubt that Russia has abused whatever legitimacy it may have had for an intervention by pressing into parts of Western Georgia. This is an invasion to conquer and permanently occupy. It makes the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq look retrained and completely legitimate. Sadly, the world has not responded with the same outrage. Why? First, the Russians invaded rather quickly. No attempt to legitimize their actions, no attempt to negotiate, no effort to address international norms or law ("tell me of this mythical UN of which you speak.") Second, everyone knows that the Russians/Soviets have and always will be brutal butchers that don't give a rat's about international law or morality. Basically it has behaved as most Great Powers have always behaved. The U.S. was, and is, the major exception to that Great Power tradition.
The Russians are partying like its 1979,
Brad
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Intrade 2008...
Those of you who have followed my blogging since my UCI days will remember Tradesports.com. Several months ago they gave the non-sports wagering over to Intrade.com. Well, today I decided to check the state-by-state electoral college prediction for the 2008 presidential election. It stands at 311-216 for the Democrats. The only state that is a true 50-50 toss-up is Missouri. It's too early to give too much weight to those numbers. The volume of trading is really low and the impact of the conventions and VP picks haven't come into play. I plan to keep closer tabs on the site after the conventions - that's when the trading and accuracy will pick up.
Feeling the buzz of a political high,
Brad
Feeling the buzz of a political high,
Brad
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Politics...
I haven't taken the opportunity to bike to work from our new house (nor will I until next week.) We are continuing to unpack and attempt to settle in our new house, so nothing really new to report there. I am wrapping-up my Federal Government class next Tuesday, and so I thought I'd share an excellent campaign video with y'all:
Brad
Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!
Brad
Monday, July 21, 2008
So much to catch up...
1. We closed on our house last Tuesday.
2. We found out we are having a girl on Thursday.
3. We finished packing everything up on Friday.
4. We moved everything into the new house and officially vacated the apartment on Saturday.
5. I taught the priesthood lesson on Sunday.
6. We all came to OCC today.
OK, some details...
Our ward members really came through on our move. Two people helped us pack up on Friday and about a dozen helped us move on Saturday. Because of all their help, it only took us 3 hours to move everything from the apartment to the house. Of course, now we have to organize everything!
The whole family was there for the ultra-sound on Thursday. It was really cool to see her little arms, hands and heart. When the tech said it looked like a girl, the greatest feeling came over me. My wife and I had suspected that it was a girl, and we were hoping for one. The boys are so excited to have a little sister, and I think they'll make great older brothers.
Well there it is for now. We've got a lot of work ahead of us as we settle into the new place, so you may not hear from me too often (so nothing new there!) I'll try to keep everyone informed as big events take place.
The happy homeowner,
Brad
2. We found out we are having a girl on Thursday.
3. We finished packing everything up on Friday.
4. We moved everything into the new house and officially vacated the apartment on Saturday.
5. I taught the priesthood lesson on Sunday.
6. We all came to OCC today.
OK, some details...
Our ward members really came through on our move. Two people helped us pack up on Friday and about a dozen helped us move on Saturday. Because of all their help, it only took us 3 hours to move everything from the apartment to the house. Of course, now we have to organize everything!
The whole family was there for the ultra-sound on Thursday. It was really cool to see her little arms, hands and heart. When the tech said it looked like a girl, the greatest feeling came over me. My wife and I had suspected that it was a girl, and we were hoping for one. The boys are so excited to have a little sister, and I think they'll make great older brothers.
Well there it is for now. We've got a lot of work ahead of us as we settle into the new place, so you may not hear from me too often (so nothing new there!) I'll try to keep everyone informed as big events take place.
The happy homeowner,
Brad
Monday, June 30, 2008
A fun weekend...
Last Wednesday my wife's sister and her husband arrived to stay with us for the weekend. They spent most of the day Thursday resting (they were on their way back to Utah from Europe) while I taught my morning class and my wife attended her afternoon ASL class. Friday we were ready for some fun!
A family in our ward runs a parasailing business out of Point Pleasant and has been reminding us that we need to come try it out. With family in town our chance had come! We went up in pairs - I got to go with my younger son, then my sister-in-law and her husband went, and finally my wife and older son went. Neither of my boys are big fans of heights (nor am I, just ask my sister about the Eiffel Tower or the big ferris wheel at lagoon) but they both loved the ride and are ready to go again!
While the in-laws were in New York on Saturday, we went up to the Monmouth Mall to do some maternity clothes shopping and see WALL•E. I loved it! I even got a little teary at the end. The boys loved it too; unfortunately, my older son got impatient when we didn't get up and leave once the credits started. I guess we haven't done a good job passing down that tradition. The clothes shopping was also a great success. For dinner we went to 4 different places at the food court - isn't that what a food court is for?
I think we are going to try to have more weekends like that this summer,
Brad
A family in our ward runs a parasailing business out of Point Pleasant and has been reminding us that we need to come try it out. With family in town our chance had come! We went up in pairs - I got to go with my younger son, then my sister-in-law and her husband went, and finally my wife and older son went. Neither of my boys are big fans of heights (nor am I, just ask my sister about the Eiffel Tower or the big ferris wheel at lagoon) but they both loved the ride and are ready to go again!
While the in-laws were in New York on Saturday, we went up to the Monmouth Mall to do some maternity clothes shopping and see WALL•E. I loved it! I even got a little teary at the end. The boys loved it too; unfortunately, my older son got impatient when we didn't get up and leave once the credits started. I guess we haven't done a good job passing down that tradition. The clothes shopping was also a great success. For dinner we went to 4 different places at the food court - isn't that what a food court is for?
I think we are going to try to have more weekends like that this summer,
Brad
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Living a Star Trek episode...
Before I get into the episode I should report on how my run went this morning. I think I like the Gateway to 8K just fine. I used it to cover a 3-mile loop, so I had about 15 minutes of music left over. On Friday I plan to do an "out-and-back" and turn around at the halfway point of the music. I can then check online and find out how far I was able to go.
After my run I immediately headed out to work. About 3 1/2 miles into my commute I got a flat tire. Unfortunately it was my rear tire. After my last flat the guy at my bike shop recommended a larger and thicker tire for the rear (to deal with these lousy Jersey roads!) Unfortunately, I didn't pick up a spare at that time - so I was not able to change the tire and go on. After some thought I decided to lock Aldetha up at a nearby elementary school (isn't that what those buildings are for anyway?) and walk the rest of the way to OCC. It took me about an hour. Ultimately I had chosen walk because I did not want to make my wife pack the boys up and come get me and because I figured I could still get some exercise by walking.
What does that have to do with Star Trek? About a mile into the walk I felt like those poor fools on The Next Generation who had to take an 8-hour shuttle ride at impulse power rather than a 30-second ride on the Enterprise at warp. Had I asked my wife to pick me up, I would have been on campus by 8:20 at the latest. Since I didn't, it took me until 9am to get there. I got some good thinking and exercising, but I really could use those forty minutes back!
Fortunately I didn't run into any Romulans,
Brad
After my run I immediately headed out to work. About 3 1/2 miles into my commute I got a flat tire. Unfortunately it was my rear tire. After my last flat the guy at my bike shop recommended a larger and thicker tire for the rear (to deal with these lousy Jersey roads!) Unfortunately, I didn't pick up a spare at that time - so I was not able to change the tire and go on. After some thought I decided to lock Aldetha up at a nearby elementary school (isn't that what those buildings are for anyway?) and walk the rest of the way to OCC. It took me about an hour. Ultimately I had chosen walk because I did not want to make my wife pack the boys up and come get me and because I figured I could still get some exercise by walking.
What does that have to do with Star Trek? About a mile into the walk I felt like those poor fools on The Next Generation who had to take an 8-hour shuttle ride at impulse power rather than a 30-second ride on the Enterprise at warp. Had I asked my wife to pick me up, I would have been on campus by 8:20 at the latest. Since I didn't, it took me until 9am to get there. I got some good thinking and exercising, but I really could use those forty minutes back!
Fortunately I didn't run into any Romulans,
Brad
Monday, June 16, 2008
Running again...
I've decided to start running again. I found a pretty cool podcast to help in my return called Podrunner: Intervals. I tried the first week's edition of "First Day to 5K" yesterday. The 142 beats per minute pace for the running portion was too slow for me. I also felt like I was walking more than I really needed to. Nevertheless, I am sore today. I definitely use different muscles when running than I do when biking. For tomorrow I plan to use week one of the "Gateway to 8K." I figure since I am in good shape because of my biking and I have a history of running, I can skip ahead. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.
Yesterday my boys dressed one of their teddy bears as a king and put him on a chair in their room. They both picked up their swords and stood guard outside the door. At regular intervals they would come tell me and my wife that "the king wishes to see you." I love the creativity and energy they have - I just wish I was more patient and understanding of all their creativity and energy. Oh well! It gives me something to improve on. I could also improve my patience when they don't understand what I have asked them to do. It may take more time to explain, but ultimately its worth the result:
Finally, what do you get when you combine 80s music, Star Wars, and So You Think You Can Dance?
The dark side is just so much cooler,
Brad
Yesterday my boys dressed one of their teddy bears as a king and put him on a chair in their room. They both picked up their swords and stood guard outside the door. At regular intervals they would come tell me and my wife that "the king wishes to see you." I love the creativity and energy they have - I just wish I was more patient and understanding of all their creativity and energy. Oh well! It gives me something to improve on. I could also improve my patience when they don't understand what I have asked them to do. It may take more time to explain, but ultimately its worth the result:
Finally, what do you get when you combine 80s music, Star Wars, and So You Think You Can Dance?
The dark side is just so much cooler,
Brad
Saturday, June 14, 2008
From the mouth of my boy...
My younger son says some of the best stuff to describe new or different sensations. For example, he calls any food or drink that has an unusual or strong taste or texture "spicy." Well, yesterday my wife was lightly tickling him on the back of his neck. We can do that with him. His older brother is so ticklish he would have dropped to the ground in hysterics the instant we touched his neck. But I digress. After she had been tickling him for about 20 seconds he said "now I'm all hairy." I never would have thought to identify "getting the chills" or "goosebumps" as "I'm all hairy."
A few days ago my wife was serving the boys lunch. We normally buy the "double fiber" variety of Arnold bread (it's been on sale lately.) Well, I decided to get a variety the last time I went shopping. One of the variety was called "Oat Nut." It's a little lighter in color and texture than the double fiber, but still has lots of good stuff in it. My wife chose the Oat Nut bread to make the boys' sandwiches. When my younger son saw the bread he said, "Is that white bread? I don't like white bread!" My wife reassured him that it was not white bread. Later that night when she told me the story, we shared a moment of deep pride in the bread preferences we have instilled in our boys.
Raising healthy and regular boys,
Brad
A few days ago my wife was serving the boys lunch. We normally buy the "double fiber" variety of Arnold bread (it's been on sale lately.) Well, I decided to get a variety the last time I went shopping. One of the variety was called "Oat Nut." It's a little lighter in color and texture than the double fiber, but still has lots of good stuff in it. My wife chose the Oat Nut bread to make the boys' sandwiches. When my younger son saw the bread he said, "Is that white bread? I don't like white bread!" My wife reassured him that it was not white bread. Later that night when she told me the story, we shared a moment of deep pride in the bread preferences we have instilled in our boys.
Raising healthy and regular boys,
Brad
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Back on track...
Last night a cold front came through and took our 105+ heat index with it. My bike ride this morning was in the low to mid 70s and felt great (despite a 10mph headwind.) It looks like the wind is still blowing the same way, so I should have a tailwind for the ride home. I must say that riding to work makes such a difference in my attitude. I have felt so much better about myself and what I'm am doing today than I felt yesterday or Monday when I drove in. I look forward to biking the remainder of the summer - unless it gets stupid hot again.
Today in class we talked about election systems (how you count votes and decide who wins elections) in different countries. As a part of the discussion, one of the students talked about his experience running for the Seaside Heights school board. He ran and won election at the age of 18. One thing he mentioned, that had little to do with election systems, was the difficulty he had being taken seriously. There is a definite bias against youth in that regard. I can easily sympathize with him (I should probably say "empathize," but I'm a strict empathy constructionist - the experiences have to be exactly the same for empathy to even be possible.) As the Program Coordinator for the department, I have the responsibility of observing and evaluating the adjunct professors. I did my first 15-20 this last semester. One of them was not very impressed with my evaluation and wrote a page and a half letter in response. As I discussed the matter with others in the department they feel it is my age and apparent "lack of experience" that is at the core of this instructor's reaction. I can understand that, but I was hired as the Program Coordinator for a reason. Evaluating adjunct instructors is part of the job and my academic and teaching experience and training have prepared me well. Or as someone in the department put it, "you know [lousy teaching] when you see it." Therefore, my response to that adjunct is:
Brad
Today in class we talked about election systems (how you count votes and decide who wins elections) in different countries. As a part of the discussion, one of the students talked about his experience running for the Seaside Heights school board. He ran and won election at the age of 18. One thing he mentioned, that had little to do with election systems, was the difficulty he had being taken seriously. There is a definite bias against youth in that regard. I can easily sympathize with him (I should probably say "empathize," but I'm a strict empathy constructionist - the experiences have to be exactly the same for empathy to even be possible.) As the Program Coordinator for the department, I have the responsibility of observing and evaluating the adjunct professors. I did my first 15-20 this last semester. One of them was not very impressed with my evaluation and wrote a page and a half letter in response. As I discussed the matter with others in the department they feel it is my age and apparent "lack of experience" that is at the core of this instructor's reaction. I can understand that, but I was hired as the Program Coordinator for a reason. Evaluating adjunct instructors is part of the job and my academic and teaching experience and training have prepared me well. Or as someone in the department put it, "you know [lousy teaching] when you see it." Therefore, my response to that adjunct is:
Brad
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
We're having a heat wave...
Going on three days of near 100-degree weather (105+ if you count the heat index!) Needless to say, I have not been biking to work this week. A 7am ride at 80 degrees would be OK, but the 95+ degree ride at 3 or 4 in the afternoon might be a bit rough. I have also finally changed into my summer teaching wardrobe. On Monday I wore my long-sleeve, button-down shirt with a tie, and nearly died! Today I've got khakis and a three-button short-sleeved shirt, and I feel fine.
Last night at dinner we had scrambled eggs with cheese and chives mixed in. My younger son asked my wife "what do you call those things?" and pointed towards the pan of eggs. My wife said, "those are eggs" to which my son said, "not those, the chives!"
It reminded me of the cartoon with Sylvester the cat trying to catch the mouse (baby kangaroo) for his friend who calls him "George"...
"Why do you call me George? My name is Sylvester?"
"Because I cannot say Sylvester, George."
Finally, my class recently discussed the idea of equality. We talked about Aristotle and Jefferson as examples of theorists who think equality is good, though they have differing views of what constitutes equality. We then talked about Nietzsche and Vonnegut. These two think equality is not a neutral and universal good. Like all ideas, it is a tool employed in the interest of some at the expense of others. Kurt Vonnegut's short story Harrison Bergeron is quite interesting (and an easy read.) Though we haven't started visibly handicapping those who excel (or have we?) there are some signs that excellence runs counter to recognition:
Grapevine student with top grades won't be valedictorian.
The key to this controversy (for me) is here:
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
The dispute over Anjali's status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
You cannot make the argument that it means four calender years. Why? If I took history every class for four years and had the highest GPA I would never be called the valedictorian. Why? I didn't FINISH high school in the process. Therefore, the key is finishing the credits, not the time in school.
I think I'll go put on my little mental handicap radio so I don't have to worry about such things,
Brad
Last night at dinner we had scrambled eggs with cheese and chives mixed in. My younger son asked my wife "what do you call those things?" and pointed towards the pan of eggs. My wife said, "those are eggs" to which my son said, "not those, the chives!"
It reminded me of the cartoon with Sylvester the cat trying to catch the mouse (baby kangaroo) for his friend who calls him "George"...
"Why do you call me George? My name is Sylvester?"
"Because I cannot say Sylvester, George."
Finally, my class recently discussed the idea of equality. We talked about Aristotle and Jefferson as examples of theorists who think equality is good, though they have differing views of what constitutes equality. We then talked about Nietzsche and Vonnegut. These two think equality is not a neutral and universal good. Like all ideas, it is a tool employed in the interest of some at the expense of others. Kurt Vonnegut's short story Harrison Bergeron is quite interesting (and an easy read.) Though we haven't started visibly handicapping those who excel (or have we?) there are some signs that excellence runs counter to recognition:
Grapevine student with top grades won't be valedictorian.
The key to this controversy (for me) is here:
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
The dispute over Anjali's status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
You cannot make the argument that it means four calender years. Why? If I took history every class for four years and had the highest GPA I would never be called the valedictorian. Why? I didn't FINISH high school in the process. Therefore, the key is finishing the credits, not the time in school.
I think I'll go put on my little mental handicap radio so I don't have to worry about such things,
Brad
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
2 houses and a baby...
Well, most of you know by now that in addition to buying a new house we are expecting our third child. The due date (for the baby) will give us another December baby. The two boys both came two weeks early, so there is a very slight possibility it will come as early as late-late-November. More likely it will come in the first half of December. We announced it to our boys last night and my older son spent all of choir rehearsal asking people "have you heard the news?" He even took the ultra-sound pictures so that people could see. Even this morning, both the boys are still chatting about how excited they are and how they wish the baby was already here (to which my wife added her whole-hearted agreement!)
As for the house, everything is on track for our July 11th closing date. I guess that means we should start packing. We really haven't yet. After the 24th of June our schedule will get even more busy! Hopefully this is the last move for several years (or decades.)
In other news, my wife and I have become fans of House. I absolutely love Hugh Laurie! Of course, I am much better than most fans of House in that I appreciated Hugh during his "artistic" phase before he became a star on Fox:
And the classic "Well.......and call me....." line:
Perhaps I need a YouTube Blackadder marathon,
Brad
As for the house, everything is on track for our July 11th closing date. I guess that means we should start packing. We really haven't yet. After the 24th of June our schedule will get even more busy! Hopefully this is the last move for several years (or decades.)
In other news, my wife and I have become fans of House. I absolutely love Hugh Laurie! Of course, I am much better than most fans of House in that I appreciated Hugh during his "artistic" phase before he became a star on Fox:
And the classic "Well.......and call me....." line:
Perhaps I need a YouTube Blackadder marathon,
Brad
Friday, May 30, 2008
Photography and Family...
Lately my wife and I have been watching AFV (America's Funniest Videos) before we go to bed. Last night we talked about how watching and mocking the videos helps us to avoid becoming openly rude like others in NJ. We also talked about our lack of family pictures and videos. When we lived in Irvine, we came to the realization that when we took the camera to Disneyland we didn't have as much fun as a family. We would much rather enjoy the time interacting with our boys and creating memories than having photos or videos of family events.
Still, my wife is an excellent photographer! She loves taking still-life pictures. She has just posted two excellent pictures on her blog - I highly recommend them.
Looking forward to the holiday season this December,
Brad
Still, my wife is an excellent photographer! She loves taking still-life pictures. She has just posted two excellent pictures on her blog - I highly recommend them.
Looking forward to the holiday season this December,
Brad
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Commencement...
Last Thursday I attended commencement for Ocean County College. It was the first time since my school graduation that I had put on a graduation gown (so I needed a little help from my wife and the other faculty when it came to the Masters hood.) The weather was a little chilly, and we had to endure a little rain as we paraded to our seats, but overall the scene was great and the event went off without a hitch. The keynote speaker was the head of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection. She gave a short talk that was inspiring and practical without being preachy. My only critique of the entire event was that too many of the recognitions and awards were directed at people other than graduating students. Commencement is about the students! I don't really care how much money or time or effort these other people have put into OCC or education in general, we're here to recognize the students!
I won't get into a rant about some of the idiots who give graduation speeches (I don't have that much time!) Rather, I will give an excerpt from a graduation speech that I think perhaps should be given after enduring years of college.
Maybe I'll incorporate this into my class next week,
Brad
Fairness, idealism and other atrocities
Commencement advice you're unlikely to hear elsewhere.
By P.J. O'Rourke
May 4, 2008
Well, here you are at your college graduation. And I know what you're thinking: "Gimme the sheepskin and get me outta here!" But not so fast. First you have to listen to a commencement speech.
Don't moan. I'm not going to "pass the wisdom of one generation down to the next." I'm a member of the 1960s generation. We didn't have any wisdom.
We were the moron generation. We were the generation that believed we could stop the Vietnam War by growing our hair long and dressing like circus clowns. We believed drugs would change everything -- which they did, for John Belushi. We believed in free love. Yes, the love was free, but we paid a high price for the sex.
My generation spoiled everything for you. It has always been the special prerogative of young people to look and act weird and shock grown-ups. But my generation exhausted the Earth's resources of the weird. Weird clothes -- we wore them. Weird beards -- we grew them. Weird words and phrases -- we said them. So, when it came your turn to be original and look and act weird, all you had left was to tattoo your faces and pierce your tongues. Ouch. That must have hurt. I apologize.
So now, it's my job to give you advice. But I'm thinking: You're finishing 16 years of education, and you've heard all the conventional good advice you can stand. So, let me offer some relief:
1. Go out and make a bunch of money!
Here we are living in the world's most prosperous country, surrounded by all the comforts, conveniences and security that money can provide. Yet no American political, intellectual or cultural leader ever says to young people, "Go out and make a bunch of money." Instead, they tell you that money can't buy happiness. Maybe, but money can rent it.
There's nothing the matter with honest moneymaking. Wealth is not a pizza, where if I have too many slices you have to eat the Domino's box. In a free society, with the rule of law and property rights, no one loses when someone else gets rich.
2. Don't be an idealist!
Don't chain yourself to a redwood tree. Instead, be a corporate lawyer and make $500,000 a year. No matter how much you cheat the IRS, you'll still end up paying $100,000 in property, sales and excise taxes. That's $100,000 to schools, sewers, roads, firefighters and police. You'll be doing good for society. Does chaining yourself to a redwood tree do society $100,000 worth of good?
Idealists are also bullies. The idealist says, "I care more about the redwood trees than you do. I care so much I can't eat. I can't sleep. It broke up my marriage. And because I care more than you do, I'm a better person. And because I'm the better person, I have the right to boss you around."
Get a pair of bolt cutters and liberate that tree.
Who does more for the redwoods and society anyway -- the guy chained to a tree or the guy who founds the "Green Travel Redwood Tree-Hug Tour Company" and makes a million by turning redwoods into a tourist destination, a valuable resource that people will pay just to go look at?
So make your contribution by getting rich. Don't be an idealist.
3. Get politically uninvolved!
All politics stink. Even democracy stinks. Imagine if our clothes were selected by the majority of shoppers, which would be teenage girls. I'd be standing here with my bellybutton exposed. Imagine deciding the dinner menu by family secret ballot. I've got three kids and three dogs in my family. We'd be eating Froot Loops and rotten meat.
But let me make a distinction between politics and politicians. Some people are under the misapprehension that all politicians stink. Impeach George W. Bush, and everything will be fine. Nab Ted Kennedy on a DUI, and the nation's problems will be solved.
But the problem isn't politicians -- it's politics. Politics won't allow for the truth. And we can't blame the politicians for that. Imagine what even a little truth would sound like on today's campaign trail:
"No, I can't fix public education. The problem isn't the teachers unions or a lack of funding for salaries, vouchers or more computer equipment The problem is your kids!"
4. Forget about fairness!
We all get confused about the contradictory messages that life and politics send.
Life sends the message, "I'd better not be poor. I'd better get rich. I'd better make more money than other people." Meanwhile, politics sends us the message, "Some people make more money than others. Some are rich while others are poor. We'd better close that 'income disparity gap.' It's not fair!"
Well, I am here to advocate for unfairness. I've got a 10-year-old at home. She's always saying, "That's not fair." When she says this, I say, "Honey, you're cute. That's not fair. Your family is pretty well off. That's not fair. You were born in America. That's not fair. Darling, you had better pray to God that things don't start getting fair for you." What we need is more income, even if it means a bigger income disparity gap.
5. Be a religious extremist!
So, avoid politics if you can. But if you absolutely cannot resist, read the Bible for political advice -- even if you're a Buddhist, atheist or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who believes that God is involved in politics. On the contrary. Observe politics in this country. Observe politics around the world. Observe politics through history. Does it look like God's involved?
The Bible is very clear about one thing: Using politics to create fairness is a sin. Observe the Tenth Commandment. The first nine commandments concern theological principles and social law: Thou shalt not make graven images, steal, kill, et cetera. Fair enough. But then there's the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."
Here are God's basic rules about how we should live, a brief list of sacred obligations and solemn moral precepts. And, right at the end of it we read, "Don't envy your buddy because he has an ox or a donkey." Why did that make the top 10? Why would God, with just 10 things to tell Moses, include jealousy about livestock?
Well, think about how important this commandment is to a community, to a nation, to a democracy. If you want a mule, if you want a pot roast, if you want a cleaning lady, don't whine about what the people across the street have. Get rich and get your own.
Now, one last thing:
6. Don't listen to your elders!
After all, if the old person standing up here actually knew anything worth telling, he'd be charging you for it.
P.J. O'Rourke, a correspondent for the Weekly Standard and the Atlantic, is the author, most recently, of "On The Wealth of Nations." A longer version of this article appears in Change magazine, which reports on trends and issues in higher education.
I won't get into a rant about some of the idiots who give graduation speeches (I don't have that much time!) Rather, I will give an excerpt from a graduation speech that I think perhaps should be given after enduring years of college.
Maybe I'll incorporate this into my class next week,
Brad
Fairness, idealism and other atrocities
Commencement advice you're unlikely to hear elsewhere.
By P.J. O'Rourke
May 4, 2008
Well, here you are at your college graduation. And I know what you're thinking: "Gimme the sheepskin and get me outta here!" But not so fast. First you have to listen to a commencement speech.
Don't moan. I'm not going to "pass the wisdom of one generation down to the next." I'm a member of the 1960s generation. We didn't have any wisdom.
We were the moron generation. We were the generation that believed we could stop the Vietnam War by growing our hair long and dressing like circus clowns. We believed drugs would change everything -- which they did, for John Belushi. We believed in free love. Yes, the love was free, but we paid a high price for the sex.
My generation spoiled everything for you. It has always been the special prerogative of young people to look and act weird and shock grown-ups. But my generation exhausted the Earth's resources of the weird. Weird clothes -- we wore them. Weird beards -- we grew them. Weird words and phrases -- we said them. So, when it came your turn to be original and look and act weird, all you had left was to tattoo your faces and pierce your tongues. Ouch. That must have hurt. I apologize.
So now, it's my job to give you advice. But I'm thinking: You're finishing 16 years of education, and you've heard all the conventional good advice you can stand. So, let me offer some relief:
1. Go out and make a bunch of money!
Here we are living in the world's most prosperous country, surrounded by all the comforts, conveniences and security that money can provide. Yet no American political, intellectual or cultural leader ever says to young people, "Go out and make a bunch of money." Instead, they tell you that money can't buy happiness. Maybe, but money can rent it.
There's nothing the matter with honest moneymaking. Wealth is not a pizza, where if I have too many slices you have to eat the Domino's box. In a free society, with the rule of law and property rights, no one loses when someone else gets rich.
2. Don't be an idealist!
Don't chain yourself to a redwood tree. Instead, be a corporate lawyer and make $500,000 a year. No matter how much you cheat the IRS, you'll still end up paying $100,000 in property, sales and excise taxes. That's $100,000 to schools, sewers, roads, firefighters and police. You'll be doing good for society. Does chaining yourself to a redwood tree do society $100,000 worth of good?
Idealists are also bullies. The idealist says, "I care more about the redwood trees than you do. I care so much I can't eat. I can't sleep. It broke up my marriage. And because I care more than you do, I'm a better person. And because I'm the better person, I have the right to boss you around."
Get a pair of bolt cutters and liberate that tree.
Who does more for the redwoods and society anyway -- the guy chained to a tree or the guy who founds the "Green Travel Redwood Tree-Hug Tour Company" and makes a million by turning redwoods into a tourist destination, a valuable resource that people will pay just to go look at?
So make your contribution by getting rich. Don't be an idealist.
3. Get politically uninvolved!
All politics stink. Even democracy stinks. Imagine if our clothes were selected by the majority of shoppers, which would be teenage girls. I'd be standing here with my bellybutton exposed. Imagine deciding the dinner menu by family secret ballot. I've got three kids and three dogs in my family. We'd be eating Froot Loops and rotten meat.
But let me make a distinction between politics and politicians. Some people are under the misapprehension that all politicians stink. Impeach George W. Bush, and everything will be fine. Nab Ted Kennedy on a DUI, and the nation's problems will be solved.
But the problem isn't politicians -- it's politics. Politics won't allow for the truth. And we can't blame the politicians for that. Imagine what even a little truth would sound like on today's campaign trail:
"No, I can't fix public education. The problem isn't the teachers unions or a lack of funding for salaries, vouchers or more computer equipment The problem is your kids!"
4. Forget about fairness!
We all get confused about the contradictory messages that life and politics send.
Life sends the message, "I'd better not be poor. I'd better get rich. I'd better make more money than other people." Meanwhile, politics sends us the message, "Some people make more money than others. Some are rich while others are poor. We'd better close that 'income disparity gap.' It's not fair!"
Well, I am here to advocate for unfairness. I've got a 10-year-old at home. She's always saying, "That's not fair." When she says this, I say, "Honey, you're cute. That's not fair. Your family is pretty well off. That's not fair. You were born in America. That's not fair. Darling, you had better pray to God that things don't start getting fair for you." What we need is more income, even if it means a bigger income disparity gap.
5. Be a religious extremist!
So, avoid politics if you can. But if you absolutely cannot resist, read the Bible for political advice -- even if you're a Buddhist, atheist or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who believes that God is involved in politics. On the contrary. Observe politics in this country. Observe politics around the world. Observe politics through history. Does it look like God's involved?
The Bible is very clear about one thing: Using politics to create fairness is a sin. Observe the Tenth Commandment. The first nine commandments concern theological principles and social law: Thou shalt not make graven images, steal, kill, et cetera. Fair enough. But then there's the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."
Here are God's basic rules about how we should live, a brief list of sacred obligations and solemn moral precepts. And, right at the end of it we read, "Don't envy your buddy because he has an ox or a donkey." Why did that make the top 10? Why would God, with just 10 things to tell Moses, include jealousy about livestock?
Well, think about how important this commandment is to a community, to a nation, to a democracy. If you want a mule, if you want a pot roast, if you want a cleaning lady, don't whine about what the people across the street have. Get rich and get your own.
Now, one last thing:
6. Don't listen to your elders!
After all, if the old person standing up here actually knew anything worth telling, he'd be charging you for it.
P.J. O'Rourke, a correspondent for the Weekly Standard and the Atlantic, is the author, most recently, of "On The Wealth of Nations." A longer version of this article appears in Change magazine, which reports on trends and issues in higher education.
Friday, May 16, 2008
One semester ends and another begins...
Spring semester classes were over as of last Tuesday (5/13) and the grades were due on Friday. I spent the better part of Wednesday and Thursday grading the last exams and most of Friday finalizing the grades. The grades have been available to the students since Saturday evening and I have only heard from two students. Fortunately, the reason they e-mailed me was to thank me for being such a good teacher.
Summer session started on Monday. I am teaching one class during the first 5-weeks (5/19-6/24) and hope to teach two during the second 5-weeks (6/25-7/29.) I would have taught 2 classes during the first session but my 8am International Relations class only had 6 students registered in it. Officially a class needs to have 10 students for the administration to let it run. The dean of my department will argue for keeping a class if it has 9, but 6 is just too few. Although that means I don't get to teach my favorite subject (and I lose out on the income) it's been nice to have a little more time to myself and my family in the morning after seminary.
Starting the lazy days of summer,
Brad
Summer session started on Monday. I am teaching one class during the first 5-weeks (5/19-6/24) and hope to teach two during the second 5-weeks (6/25-7/29.) I would have taught 2 classes during the first session but my 8am International Relations class only had 6 students registered in it. Officially a class needs to have 10 students for the administration to let it run. The dean of my department will argue for keeping a class if it has 9, but 6 is just too few. Although that means I don't get to teach my favorite subject (and I lose out on the income) it's been nice to have a little more time to myself and my family in the morning after seminary.
Starting the lazy days of summer,
Brad
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
How many televisions do you have? UPDATED
We have reached the part of the semester where I turn the class over to the students for group presentations. One of the groups chose to present on the influence that television has had on presidential elections. An overall fine discussion including the 1960 Nixon-Kennedy debate and the 1964 "daisy" commercial:
Before the start of their presentation they polled the class to see how many TV sets each person had in their home. First they asked who had only one - and only Professor Young raised his hand. They then proceeded with "2 or more?", "3 or more?", etc. Most of the class still had their hands up at "6 or more?" The winner had twelve. Why does anyone need to have 6 TVs in his/her house?!?!
Well, without TV I would never have seen this:
Since all of my sibs normally agreed to watch Red Dwarf, I guess we really only needed one.
Still in a Britcom mood,
Brad
UPDATE: I've eliminated the embedded YouTube that had the "new" voice-over and replaced it with the one suggested by my wife in her comment.
Before the start of their presentation they polled the class to see how many TV sets each person had in their home. First they asked who had only one - and only Professor Young raised his hand. They then proceeded with "2 or more?", "3 or more?", etc. Most of the class still had their hands up at "6 or more?" The winner had twelve. Why does anyone need to have 6 TVs in his/her house?!?!
Well, without TV I would never have seen this:
Since all of my sibs normally agreed to watch Red Dwarf, I guess we really only needed one.
Still in a Britcom mood,
Brad
UPDATE: I've eliminated the embedded YouTube that had the "new" voice-over and replaced it with the one suggested by my wife in her comment.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Red Green & Politics...
I was first introduced to The Red Green show when I lived in british-comedy-friendly-saturday-night-pbs Utah. We only lost out to some station in Iowa when it came to supporting The Red Green show (even though it's Canadian - like the Royal Canadian Air Farce - not British.)
The British shows I came to know and love include:
'Allo 'Allo!
"listen carefully, I shall say this only once"
Fawlty Towers
"don't mention the war!"
Yes, [Prime] Minister
"Well, almost all government policy is wrong, but...frightfully well carried out."
Are You Being Served?
"And I am unanimous in that!"
Red Dwarf
"smeg-head"
Mr. Bean
"Christmas socks!"
and my personal favorite:
Blackadder
"Death and degredation stalk our land like two big stalking things."
So what the heck (did I mention I am from Utah?) does Red Green have to do with politics? First, it was the governing coalition that formed under Gerhardt Schroeder in Germany in 1998. Germany assigns colors to their political parties (similar to what we in the U.S. have done with our "Red State/Blue State" labeling.) Well, red is the color of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and green is the color of the Green Party (of course.) Which is why Europeans can't understand why we made the Republican states red when they make the left/socialist/communist parties red.
The second (and most important) thing Red Green has to do with politics comes from one of the political cartoon websites I used to frequent during graduate school - Iowa Presidential Watch. I was reviewing some of the old cartoons they had and found this one.
Being a conservative that has had major issues with John McCain since 2000, I was disappointed with the Republican primaries' results. However, I am pragmatic enough to easily accept the Conservative Man's Prayer and vote for McCain over either of the democrats.
Now that I've ranted about politics, feel free to post comments about your favorite Britcoms and episodes (Canadian shows accepted too.)
It's good my wife finds me handsome 'cause I'm certainly not handy,
Brad
The British shows I came to know and love include:
'Allo 'Allo!
"listen carefully, I shall say this only once"
Fawlty Towers
"don't mention the war!"
Yes, [Prime] Minister
"Well, almost all government policy is wrong, but...frightfully well carried out."
Are You Being Served?
"And I am unanimous in that!"
Red Dwarf
"smeg-head"
Mr. Bean
"Christmas socks!"
and my personal favorite:
Blackadder
"Death and degredation stalk our land like two big stalking things."
So what the heck (did I mention I am from Utah?) does Red Green have to do with politics? First, it was the governing coalition that formed under Gerhardt Schroeder in Germany in 1998. Germany assigns colors to their political parties (similar to what we in the U.S. have done with our "Red State/Blue State" labeling.) Well, red is the color of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and green is the color of the Green Party (of course.) Which is why Europeans can't understand why we made the Republican states red when they make the left/socialist/communist parties red.
The second (and most important) thing Red Green has to do with politics comes from one of the political cartoon websites I used to frequent during graduate school - Iowa Presidential Watch. I was reviewing some of the old cartoons they had and found this one.
Being a conservative that has had major issues with John McCain since 2000, I was disappointed with the Republican primaries' results. However, I am pragmatic enough to easily accept the Conservative Man's Prayer and vote for McCain over either of the democrats.
Now that I've ranted about politics, feel free to post comments about your favorite Britcoms and episodes (Canadian shows accepted too.)
It's good my wife finds me handsome 'cause I'm certainly not handy,
Brad
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Spending the rainy day funds...
The one textbook that I still have not finalized (and failed to mention last time) is the State & Local Government text. I have an e-mail out to another colleague who has more experience teaching state & local than I do, plus I have 3 examination copies that I need to look through at my office. I am really trying to find a text that helps make that subject interesting! State & Local Government lacks the quantity and quality of "sexy" issues and controversies that other political science classes can boast.
Speaking of "not-so-sexy-issues", we discussed taxing and budgeting policy in both my state and local classes on Monday and Tuesday. One of the concepts we talked about was the "rainy day fund" that many states and municipalities create during surpluses to use for unexpected budgetary needs. I gave the practical example of car repairs as an unexpected budgetary need - which most of the students could easily relate to. Well, today we took Gandalf in to the dealer (Oh how I wish I had Tisch!) because he needed a LOF, tire rotation and was making a new and unusual noise. Well, $1200+ later he is running much quieter, has new fluids in him, and is half-rotated (I didn't get an explanation for that - I have to call tomorrow - but they did it for free.)
Gandalf may be going on 12 years old, but he only has 84,000 miles on him. Because he's a Honda, we expect to have him through at least 150,000 miles - so $1200+ in repairs is definitely worth it.
It would take a lot more money to replace him,
Brad
Speaking of "not-so-sexy-issues", we discussed taxing and budgeting policy in both my state and local classes on Monday and Tuesday. One of the concepts we talked about was the "rainy day fund" that many states and municipalities create during surpluses to use for unexpected budgetary needs. I gave the practical example of car repairs as an unexpected budgetary need - which most of the students could easily relate to. Well, today we took Gandalf in to the dealer (Oh how I wish I had Tisch!) because he needed a LOF, tire rotation and was making a new and unusual noise. Well, $1200+ later he is running much quieter, has new fluids in him, and is half-rotated (I didn't get an explanation for that - I have to call tomorrow - but they did it for free.)
Gandalf may be going on 12 years old, but he only has 84,000 miles on him. Because he's a Honda, we expect to have him through at least 150,000 miles - so $1200+ in repairs is definitely worth it.
It would take a lot more money to replace him,
Brad
Monday, April 28, 2008
Talking teaching with old friends...
These past few weeks I have been trying to decide which textbooks to adopt for the political science classes here at OCC. Being the only full-time political science faculty member makes the decision mine (unless my dean decides to choose for me, which he could, but that's a different issue.)
The Federal Government textbook will not change until Spring 2009 (that's when the new edition comes out and I can change books) so we are keeping the current book. I am not impressed with the current book, but I know how to teach with it, so two more semesters won't kill me (Summer & Fall.)
I was able to adopt a new International Relations textbook. It is written by Henry Nau who was the advisor to one of my colleagues at UCI during his MA program. The textbook I currently use for IR is more a "global issues" reader. I love teaching with it, but it lacks a lot of the political science structure that can be employed to really understand global issues. I am very excited about working with the new textbook and taking my IR class to a higher level of analysis.
When it came to the Introduction to Political Science textbook, I was frustrated. The book I was interested in had received some poor reviews from both faculty and students. Therefore, I turned to a textbook that one of the professors at UCI had authored and that I had used as a teaching assistant. I looked up two former UCI graduate students who had used the book in teaching their own class and that I had worked with and called them to get their take on the book. I was only able to get a hold of one. She teaches at a small college in San Diego and was just preparing to teach her own Intro class from that very book. We talked for about 15 minutes about teaching, the textbook and the busy life of new faculty. In the end I decided to adopt that textbook and we both agreed to keep in touch with syllabi and teaching strategies for working with that textbook. I am quite enthused to have a colleague with whom I can discuss teaching Political Science - even if she is on the other side of the country.
Just another affirmation that this is the career for me,
Brad
The Federal Government textbook will not change until Spring 2009 (that's when the new edition comes out and I can change books) so we are keeping the current book. I am not impressed with the current book, but I know how to teach with it, so two more semesters won't kill me (Summer & Fall.)
I was able to adopt a new International Relations textbook. It is written by Henry Nau who was the advisor to one of my colleagues at UCI during his MA program. The textbook I currently use for IR is more a "global issues" reader. I love teaching with it, but it lacks a lot of the political science structure that can be employed to really understand global issues. I am very excited about working with the new textbook and taking my IR class to a higher level of analysis.
When it came to the Introduction to Political Science textbook, I was frustrated. The book I was interested in had received some poor reviews from both faculty and students. Therefore, I turned to a textbook that one of the professors at UCI had authored and that I had used as a teaching assistant. I looked up two former UCI graduate students who had used the book in teaching their own class and that I had worked with and called them to get their take on the book. I was only able to get a hold of one. She teaches at a small college in San Diego and was just preparing to teach her own Intro class from that very book. We talked for about 15 minutes about teaching, the textbook and the busy life of new faculty. In the end I decided to adopt that textbook and we both agreed to keep in touch with syllabi and teaching strategies for working with that textbook. I am quite enthused to have a colleague with whom I can discuss teaching Political Science - even if she is on the other side of the country.
Just another affirmation that this is the career for me,
Brad
Friday, April 25, 2008
Feeling guilty...
This month my wife has been doing her "write one blog post every day for a month." It has been great to read, but it has also led to a little personal guilt and hypocrisy.
The guilt is easily explained - she is blogging everyday and I am blogging once a month (if that!)
The hypocrisy comes in as follows:
When it comes to the end of the day and my wife still needs to post her blog, I tell her to just post something quick (anything will do!) Being the conscientious person she is, she puts some thought and effort into making every post worthwhile. So inside my mind I'm thinking "why can't you just post something short and call it good?" Now for the actual hypocrisy. When it comes to my blog, I always put it off by thinking that I don't have time to post anything worthwhile (the busy teacher and administrator excuse) so I don't post anything at all.
That only took three minutes,
Brad
The guilt is easily explained - she is blogging everyday and I am blogging once a month (if that!)
The hypocrisy comes in as follows:
When it comes to the end of the day and my wife still needs to post her blog, I tell her to just post something quick (anything will do!) Being the conscientious person she is, she puts some thought and effort into making every post worthwhile. So inside my mind I'm thinking "why can't you just post something short and call it good?" Now for the actual hypocrisy. When it comes to my blog, I always put it off by thinking that I don't have time to post anything worthwhile (the busy teacher and administrator excuse) so I don't post anything at all.
That only took three minutes,
Brad
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Yes, I'm still here...
It's been too long since I posted. I wouldn't have posted today (still too busy) except for an e-mail sent me by one of my students. I recently had my students write a journal entry focusing on the article China Games by Arch Puddington (great name, huh?) In the article it basically compares China to two other undesirables in history that have hosted the Olympics: 1936 Germany and 1980 USSR. My students all did an awesome job in their journals so I opened up the beginning of our last class for discussion on the subject. It was totally great! So now all my students have a solid appreciation for the history of politics and the Olympics and a better understanding of the protests that have surrounded the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Now for the e-mail. One of my students sent me a link to this picture. From the signs in the background, this was taken in the U.S. I would be so embarrassed if that protester had been one of my students. My guess it was in San Francisco or some other part of the bay area - that's where all the good protests can be found. Just like this one, as reported by the Daily Show:
"If only there were an organization that was sworn to defend that free speech."
Proud to have never participated in a protest,
Brad
p.s. I also love the idea of ending crime by eliminating the police
Now for the e-mail. One of my students sent me a link to this picture. From the signs in the background, this was taken in the U.S. I would be so embarrassed if that protester had been one of my students. My guess it was in San Francisco or some other part of the bay area - that's where all the good protests can be found. Just like this one, as reported by the Daily Show:"If only there were an organization that was sworn to defend that free speech."
Proud to have never participated in a protest,
Brad
p.s. I also love the idea of ending crime by eliminating the police
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tag! You're it baggy eyes...
My wife told me about the book meme she had posted on her blog last night, so I figured I would join in. I chose to wait until I was at my office to do it (I had a specific book in mind.)
Here's the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123
3. Find the first 5 sentences
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people
Unfortunately, the book I had in mind was not the closest one when I started typing this blog entry. So I'll stick with the honest response and pick up Ellen Grigsby's "Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Political Science" 3rd ed.
For example, fascism is presented as an ideology that opposes pacifism. Pacifism rests on the notion that countries can and should coexist peacefully and resolve disputes by nonviolent means. Pacifism is peace seeking and peace building.
Interestingly enough, my Intro class just finished our unit on Fascism. I was observed by the VP of Academic Affairs on the day I gave a reading quiz on the Fascist chapter (the chapter was about fascism, not the chapter openly sought to control my political, economic and social life through brute force in the name of the state). I will meet with him next week to discuss his observations. He actually took the quiz; however, he only got 7 out of 10 right. He has a Ph.D in history and has recently taught college courses on WWI and WWII, but he didn't read the chapter ahead of time. Still, he did say that he took some issue with getting only 7 right. I'll let you know how things go.
Hopefully he won't bury me in the cold cold ground,
Brad
Here's the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123
3. Find the first 5 sentences
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people
Unfortunately, the book I had in mind was not the closest one when I started typing this blog entry. So I'll stick with the honest response and pick up Ellen Grigsby's "Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Political Science" 3rd ed.
For example, fascism is presented as an ideology that opposes pacifism. Pacifism rests on the notion that countries can and should coexist peacefully and resolve disputes by nonviolent means. Pacifism is peace seeking and peace building.
Interestingly enough, my Intro class just finished our unit on Fascism. I was observed by the VP of Academic Affairs on the day I gave a reading quiz on the Fascist chapter (the chapter was about fascism, not the chapter openly sought to control my political, economic and social life through brute force in the name of the state). I will meet with him next week to discuss his observations. He actually took the quiz; however, he only got 7 out of 10 right. He has a Ph.D in history and has recently taught college courses on WWI and WWII, but he didn't read the chapter ahead of time. Still, he did say that he took some issue with getting only 7 right. I'll let you know how things go.
Hopefully he won't bury me in the cold cold ground,
Brad
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Lights, camera, action!
Well, I got to sleep in because none of my seminary students were coming today. The good side of that is 2 extra hours of sleep. The bad side is that I didn't have time to shave this morning before I had to leave. In addition to my 2+ days growth I haven't had a haircut in well over a month (and my last cut was just the "edge" around the ears and neck.) So I was looking a little shaggy and scruffy. I wouldn't normally mind that for a Wednesday - I only teach 1 smaller class and the only other people I see are faculty or staff for meetings. But today...
I knew I was going over to the TV Studio on campus for what I thought was just a "prep" for my televised presentation, "Madame Secretary of State: Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice," on Friday, March 14th. Of course not, that would be too easy. It ended up being a recording session for a 2-3 minute interview with Dean Richard Strada about my presentation for an "ad" spot on OCC's cable channel. I did really well. Despite being very nervous (I can speak in front of 35 kids at a time, three times a day, or 400 people in a lecture hall and do just fine - but three cameras scare me?) my interview came off smoothly and appeared very natural (I hadn't prepared anything - but I know the topic well enough to fake it.) It's probably better to look bad and sound smart....
The alternative is just scary,
Brad
I knew I was going over to the TV Studio on campus for what I thought was just a "prep" for my televised presentation, "Madame Secretary of State: Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice," on Friday, March 14th. Of course not, that would be too easy. It ended up being a recording session for a 2-3 minute interview with Dean Richard Strada about my presentation for an "ad" spot on OCC's cable channel. I did really well. Despite being very nervous (I can speak in front of 35 kids at a time, three times a day, or 400 people in a lecture hall and do just fine - but three cameras scare me?) my interview came off smoothly and appeared very natural (I hadn't prepared anything - but I know the topic well enough to fake it.) It's probably better to look bad and sound smart....
The alternative is just scary,
Brad
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Very, very, busy...
I've decided to start posting again (before I go more than a month between posts!)
Last week I biked to work twice (and home once - my dear wife and boys picked me up on a particularly late and windy day.) This week I should be able to bike to and from work four times. Today I had a nice tailwind biking in; however, the wind has picked up and is still blowing from the same direction. I guess I'll get to experience the "fascist headwinds" as one of my favorite bloggers calls them.
I've introduced our department's office managers to Google calender. It has been so helpful in scheduling my program coordinator responsibilities (no more going back and forth between offices with paper calenders.)
Well, I need to head out or I'll never get home in time for dinner and ward choir.
I should probably block off a regular time to blog on my Google calender,
Brad
Last week I biked to work twice (and home once - my dear wife and boys picked me up on a particularly late and windy day.) This week I should be able to bike to and from work four times. Today I had a nice tailwind biking in; however, the wind has picked up and is still blowing from the same direction. I guess I'll get to experience the "fascist headwinds" as one of my favorite bloggers calls them.
I've introduced our department's office managers to Google calender. It has been so helpful in scheduling my program coordinator responsibilities (no more going back and forth between offices with paper calenders.)
Well, I need to head out or I'll never get home in time for dinner and ward choir.
I should probably block off a regular time to blog on my Google calender,
Brad
Thursday, February 7, 2008
One down, one to go...
It's basically over on the Republican side now that Romney's gone. I am personally disappointed. I didn't like McCain in 2000, and that was before his name began regularly appearing on legislation next to almost every liberal democrat in the Senate. Oh well! At least we'll still have interesting debates as Huckleby kisses McCain's butt in an effort to secure the VP nomination and crazy uncle Paul keeps failing to take his meds.
The Democratic nomination is still up for grabs. Though Hillary is leading, Obama is favored by the gamblers (59-41). If Hillary pulls it off, I think McCain has a decent chance. Obama, however, will run circles around angry old-man McCain in the general election. McCain's been the media darling because he was the "liberal" Republican. When he's the conservative candidate, the media will turn on him at every opportunity (the idea of any Democrat as president triggers their most primal pleasure centers.)
Enough politics - maybe I'll get a late start on lent and give up political primaries.
Last Sunday was Fast Sunday, and my wife and I choose to fast from lunch Saturday to lunch Sunday. So after running some errands on Saturday afternoon, we decided to let the boys choose what they wanted for dinner. My older son said "hamburgers" and my younger son said "hot cereal." My wife and I offered to get White Castle burgers for them. My older son was overjoyed; however, my younger son still said he wanted hot cereal. OK, so on the way to White Castle my younger son was bothering his brother, so I said "if you don't stop hitting him I'll get you a burger and you won't get hot cereal!" That did the trick. He was well-behaved the rest of the drive and happily ate his hot cereal and fries (my younger son would never give up fries.)
Who knew that a burger was such a powerful threat?
Brad
The Democratic nomination is still up for grabs. Though Hillary is leading, Obama is favored by the gamblers (59-41). If Hillary pulls it off, I think McCain has a decent chance. Obama, however, will run circles around angry old-man McCain in the general election. McCain's been the media darling because he was the "liberal" Republican. When he's the conservative candidate, the media will turn on him at every opportunity (the idea of any Democrat as president triggers their most primal pleasure centers.)
Enough politics - maybe I'll get a late start on lent and give up political primaries.
Last Sunday was Fast Sunday, and my wife and I choose to fast from lunch Saturday to lunch Sunday. So after running some errands on Saturday afternoon, we decided to let the boys choose what they wanted for dinner. My older son said "hamburgers" and my younger son said "hot cereal." My wife and I offered to get White Castle burgers for them. My older son was overjoyed; however, my younger son still said he wanted hot cereal. OK, so on the way to White Castle my younger son was bothering his brother, so I said "if you don't stop hitting him I'll get you a burger and you won't get hot cereal!" That did the trick. He was well-behaved the rest of the drive and happily ate his hot cereal and fries (my younger son would never give up fries.)
Who knew that a burger was such a powerful threat?
Brad
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Back on the bike...
Well, Aldetha came back from the shop in great shape. The most noticeable change was the larger and thicker rear tire - hopefully it will prevent flats on these terrible Jersey roads. The downside to the larger tire is a loss of speed. My average speed yesterday was 15.6 mph! With the old tire I could average at least 16 mps - even with a headwind. The upside of a slower ride is that I am working out longer - hopefully I can be more slim and trim for my visit to Utah.
Here's a fun clip from YouTube:
I love it because this is the only song I learned on the piano that I can still play.
Plus I have a fantasy about playing this as I enter a department meeting,
Brad
Here's a fun clip from YouTube:
I love it because this is the only song I learned on the piano that I can still play.
Plus I have a fantasy about playing this as I enter a department meeting,
Brad
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Out of action...
After Tuesday's ride, Aldetha needed to go into the shop. She's had 4 flat tires in the last 2 months which includes almost no riding during the last month. Hopefully she'll be ready this afternoon and so I can start up again next week (I'll be house hunting with our realtor tomorrow - so no biking.)
I hope you've noticed the "My Recent Workouts" section on the left side of my blog. That's where you can see what I've been up to as far as running and biking. If you want to know the details you can click on the activity and get all the details.
Following the example of my wife I took the Trekkie Test. Here's my results:
I loved the questions! If you have any interest in Star Trek, take the test.
It's like blowing up a balloon and something bad happens,
Brad
I hope you've noticed the "My Recent Workouts" section on the left side of my blog. That's where you can see what I've been up to as far as running and biking. If you want to know the details you can click on the activity and get all the details.
Following the example of my wife I took the Trekkie Test. Here's my results:
I loved the questions! If you have any interest in Star Trek, take the test.
It's like blowing up a balloon and something bad happens,
Brad
Friday, January 18, 2008
Goodbye 2007...
12/11/2007: 14.43-mile biking, 52:27, 16.5 mph
12/12/2007: 14.10-mile biking, 50:13, 16.8 mph
12/13/2007: 14.96-mile biking, 54:51, 16.4 mph
12/18/2007: 7.01-mile biking, 25:35, 16.4 mph
12/20/2007: 14.11-mile biking, 49:08, 17.2 mph
12/21/2007: 14.12-mile biking, 50:09, 16.9 mph
12/24/2007: 2.5-mile run, 21:49, 8:43 pace
12/27/2007: 7.2-mile biking, 26:46, 16.1 mph
12/28/2007: 3.0-mile run, 29:12, 9:44 pace
That's all for the year 2007! For the calender year I ran a total of 383.1 miles and biked 872.02 miles.
In addition to all that running and biking, I have grown so much as an individual. My family is closer than it has ever been - possibly due to Daddy being so much more happy with his job situation at OCC than he was with his graduate/Ph.D situation at UCI. I have come to understand myself in so many ways and I really like this person that I am.
I plan to make some changes to the blog for 2008, but I need to end for now and work on my Spring semester preparation.
Hello 2008,
Brad
12/12/2007: 14.10-mile biking, 50:13, 16.8 mph
12/13/2007: 14.96-mile biking, 54:51, 16.4 mph
12/18/2007: 7.01-mile biking, 25:35, 16.4 mph
12/20/2007: 14.11-mile biking, 49:08, 17.2 mph
12/21/2007: 14.12-mile biking, 50:09, 16.9 mph
12/24/2007: 2.5-mile run, 21:49, 8:43 pace
12/27/2007: 7.2-mile biking, 26:46, 16.1 mph
12/28/2007: 3.0-mile run, 29:12, 9:44 pace
That's all for the year 2007! For the calender year I ran a total of 383.1 miles and biked 872.02 miles.
In addition to all that running and biking, I have grown so much as an individual. My family is closer than it has ever been - possibly due to Daddy being so much more happy with his job situation at OCC than he was with his graduate/Ph.D situation at UCI. I have come to understand myself in so many ways and I really like this person that I am.
I plan to make some changes to the blog for 2008, but I need to end for now and work on my Spring semester preparation.
Hello 2008,
Brad
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