Team of Rivals

With the exception of the AG, Obama’s appointments have received broad approval and even applause. He has nominated at least 2 Republicans to my knowledge and a wonderful sampling of the melting pot is represented. I don’t think the President-elect is pandering with the diversity of his choices for the cabinet. The Cabinet will be made up of men and women of various ethnicities and backgrounds, but they were all chosen based on credentials. Pandering would have been making Hillary VP. I think President Obama (we may as well drop the ‘Elect’ since Shoe W. Target has no right to make policy anymore) has chosen to surround himself with patriots who will challenge him instead of bullying him or cowing to him and bring honest ideas to the table while striving to restore the American dream.
While the road ahead will be fraught with hardship, we should be optimistic that our leaders have our long-term interests in mind. We should be patient during the coming years and not blame the recession on the incoming administration. They will be building a ladder to get us out of the Bush-hole and it may take several years.

By the way, getting worked up because the invocation at the inauguration will be given by a preacher that once said something negative about gay rights is a waste of energy. Of course I am appalled by the passing of Prop. 8 and am a proponent of gay rights, but Obama is trying to heal this nation by bringing people of different beliefs to the same table. A man giving a prayer has no bearing on national policy.

P.S. – OMG, Deepthroat died! Maybe now the media will stop adding ‘Gate’ to every stupid scandal that comes up.

Random Tag

Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold.
How much have you done?
1. Started your own blog -obviously
2. Slept under the stars -meteor showers rule
3. Played in a Band -I played the sexy saxophone
4. Visited Hawaii - senior trip (we all vowed never to discuss the details)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland -back when Michael Jackson was still trusted with children (Captain EO)
8. Climbed a mountain- best was Mt. Whitney (highest in lower 48)
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris- does Vegas count?
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea -spectacular if you are in a cove-not so cool in open water
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child-one of our best decisions
16. Had food poisoning -stupid McD's gave me salmonella
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - very satisfying
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort- snow caves are even harder
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping -Myrtle Beach, SC
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset -recharges the batteries
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise- Honeymoon to Mexico
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language- I intend to learn Amharic before I go back to Ethiopia
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied- I'm satisfied, but we could always use more $
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing -not as much as I'd like since children...
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke -In the Philippines (nobody knew me, so no stage fright)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa- highly recommend it
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted -If you count a characature at an amusement park
48. Gone deep sea fishing -commerical salmon seining
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling -snorkeling in Hawaii and Mexico
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater -usually not in the trunk
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business- shovelling roofs and driveways in winter
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching -Alaska and Oregon
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma -I'm not allowed back until Mar '09, since Ethiopia is a malaria zone
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter- I even got paid to do it! -freakin' sweet
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - I won't admit what
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar -I ordered a salmon 'roll' at a sushi bar recently and the waiter thought I said salmon 'roe'. We were brave and ate it anyway-delicious!
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone -I tried, I swear
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book- does a thesis count?
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper -If you count my backside playing football. Also wedding anouncement.
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life -little boy drowning
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - not really, just a couple of lesser known NBA players
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby -by proxy
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake -stinky but fun
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy- Rome tarmac, but it counts.

I thought this was a fun tag. It brings back memories and helps you add to your bucket list. -Try it.

Gov. Rod Jagov

The story of Illinois Gov Blagojevich is almost comical. It reminded me of the Simpsons episode "Mr Lisa Goes to Washington" in which a congressman sells the right to drill for oil in Teddy Roosevelt's head (Mt Rushmore) to an undercover federal agent.
Ironically, the real story also takes place in Springfield. How stupid can one man be? Corrupt and evil is one thing, but throw in that level of idiocy and it boggles the mind. He knew he was the subject of a federal investigation. So, he thinks he can get away with feloniously profiting from the most high profile Senate appointment in history? -Really?!
In reference to Obama's Senate seat, he actually said that it's "a f---ing valuable thing. You just don't give it away for nothing. I've got this thing and it's f---ing golden and uh, uh, I'm not just giving it up for f---ing nothing."
I also have to wonder about the perceptiveness of Illinois voters. This governor's predecessor was also corrupt and Blagovich ran on a platform of cleaning it up.
It's sad that our leaders can be so corrupt, but also encouraging that this kind of thing does not go unchecked.

Fitness Tip of the Week: Work out all day

As you move through your day, always be on the lookout for ways to burn calories:

• As you walk down the street or the hall, flex your core muscles (abs, obliques, back).
• When sitting at your desk or in your car, flex your glutes (largest muscles mass on the body) and/or pelvic floor (known as Kegels to you Lamaze students).
• Bend with your knees (this prevents back injury and works the quads).
• Park in the back of the parking lot.
• Take the stairs.
• Go home for a 'nooner' ; )

World AIDS Day

I was reflecting yesterday on the progression of knowledge and perceptions regarding HIV/AIDS since the 1980's. When the U.S. public was initially told about AIDS, not much information was known other than it was sexually transmitted and was cropping up predominately in male homosexuals. It was originally dubbed GAIDS by some researchers-not as a joke or insult, but because they thought that only gay men could get it. It was a death sentence and the Moral Right said it was "God's Justice". That is until cases with children started appearing. Then everyone cared, and they were also terrified. Anyone who had it was shunned or worse by society, hearkening back to biblical attitudes toward leprosy. Strangers were eyeing each other suspiciously, and parents were dodging each other in crowds clutching their children like the pigskin in a game of flag football. No one knew if you could get it by kissing, sharing a bathroom, or accepting an innocent handshake.

Eventually, the virus that caused AIDS was isolated, and this knowledge led to the ability to test for it in blood. This made all the difference because the blood supply could be protected and those who had it could be identified and educated about safe behavior, right? Well, those receiving blood transfusions are now protected, but you can't force those engaging in high-risk behaviors to desist their vices and get tested. The problem is that symptoms may not manifest for years, all the while it is being spread to others.

We now know of course that one can not contract HIV through casual contact, but I think Americans have maybe become too casual about AIDS in general. It is just not in the news unless the story is about Africa. The ARV triple-cocktail is a wonderful advancement and it allows HIV+ individuals to live long lives, but this should not remove a healthy degree of fear toward the aggressive virus. For one thing, viruses can evolve relatively quickly and what works today may not work tomorrow.

One thing the current President Bush did right was to fund HIV/AIDS research and treatment in the form of President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). I read much of this piece of legislation and was very impressed. It is very progressive and aggressive. This program is treating 1.7 million people worldwide with ARVs and promoting prevention through education to the general populations and also targeting high-risk groups. The PEPFAR workers use an A.B.C. approach: Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condom use. -Good advice to anyone of any age on any continent.

Bail Out Main Street

I think I am in the majority when I say I am fed up (no pun intended) with the government giving handouts to failing businesses. All this printing of money we don't have will eventually bite us in the ass when it comes to the value of the dollar. I understand that FNMA and FHLMC (I refuse to call them by their better known pseudo-acronyms) had to be helped out or else the global economy might collapse, and it makes sense for the government to help them since they were federally spawned out of the Great Depression. Now it seems any large company that had a bad year can ask for an 11-figure cookie, then ask for a glass of milk when it doesn't satiate them.

Many people are asking “How did this happen?” The short answer is ‘greed.’ Don’t get me wrong, greed is the fuel that capitalism runs on, but when greed and short sightedness bump uglies, then you get debacles like our current mortgage crisis. Here’s how it happened. The price of homes was rising on a mathematical J-curve for no reason other than people kept paying successively ridiculous prices.
Q: How were people able to do this? A: Sub-prime lending.
Basically, it was a case of one-upsmanship. In order to generate short-term revenue and entice investors, one lender would decide to give a particular loan that no one would have considered 10 years ago. Brokers from other companies would complain they were losing all their business to the company doing the crazy loan. So, all the other lenders were forced to offer the same crazy loan to ever more unqualified borrowers. This went back and forth until Cletis the slack-jawed yokel, with no job and a credit score of 43 was signing a $450,000, 50-year loan with variable interest and yearly balloon payments. Then, to everyone’s surprise, foreclosure rates went through the roof and nobody got paid. Come on, no one saw the glass ceiling? Really?!
Let’s do the numbers, shall we? In 2008, the U.S. government approved over $900 billion dollars to shore up failing lenders. Now the money is going towards enraging things like securing the salaries and bonuses of CEOs running these floundering companies.
Here’s one idea: There are approximately 112 million households in the U.S. and roughly 69% of them are homeowners. That means that instead of flushing billions down the toilet, the government could have given each homeowner ~$11,700 to use toward their mortgage and avoid foreclosure. This money could be given as a handout or as a loan with a very low interest rate (0 – 5%) on a sliding scale based on income. People would not be allowed to spend it on anything other than their mortgage and people without homes could be given a similar amount to put towards a down payment or in a down payment savings account depending on their credit. This way, foreclosures would stop and the lenders would still get the money and everyone would benefit. Maybe I’m naïve, but tell me that wouldn’t bolster the economy.

Fitness tip of the week: Thanksgiving

For those of you already at your ideal weight and/or body shape, go ahead and gorge yourself for one day-you’ve earned it.
As for those of us working toward weight loss goals, we must avoid the following on Thursday:

• Butter: Corn tastes great without it, as do rolls and mashed potatoes (which probably have some mixed in already).
• Gravy: It is horrible for you-nothing but sodium and fat. Think about what happens to gravy when is sits too long and then think about that happening in your body.
• Candied yams: Too much sugar.
• Turkey skin: Pure fat-peel it off.
• Sweets: You may have one small slice of pie. Just pick your favorite and be done. Don’t sample them all.

Have a Happy Turkey Day!

My current stats: 226 #, 29.8 %

Body by Mii

This is a personal post. If you have seen me in the last year or two, you have noticed that I have become rather pudgy. Back in May of this year I actually broke the deuce-and-a-half mark (251 lbs)!- Ouch. Well, at that point I finally admitted that I had officially “let myself go” and something must be done about it.

Back in July my lovely and supportive wife bought me a late father’s day present of a Nintendo Wii Fit™. If you haven’t heard of this, it is an interactive balance board to be used with the Nintendo gaming system. A virtual trainer guides you through yoga poses, strength training, balance games, and aerobic activities. It is very cool, and I would highly recommend it for families or individuals to get you off the couch. The first thing you do after plugging in your Wii Fit is to make a Mii. A Mii is a virtual representation of yourself where you pick your eye shape, hair color, etc. One caveat though, it does not let you stay the slender virtual self you programmed in if you are actually a fatty. You see, the board is also a scale and it will know if you lied about your physique. I had to stand there powerless as the little Lindsay Mii blew up like a balloon. - I thought the Japanese were supposed to be polite!
Since then, I have been working out on my lunch breaks and with the Wii at home and have lost about 19 lbs. I was pleasantly surprised when the Wii told me I was no longer 'obese', merely 'overweight'. Of course muscle weighs more than fat, so one should never just go by weight to measure progress; body fat percentage is a much better indicator.
I decided to swallow my pride and put this embarrassing info out on the web for all to see, which will force me to either stay on track or become a shut-in. So, here’s the breakdown:

• I started at 251 lbs and 34.5% body fat (I got this from a digital scale, not the Wii).
• I am now 232 lbs and 30.4% fat (I am 6' 1", by the way).

I am far from my goals, but it is an encouraging start. Ideally, I would like to be back to my post-Alaska/wedding day weight of 190 lbs, but I will be happy with my high-school football playing weight of 205 lbs (I was the smallest guy on the line). If anyone out there needs my moral support for a similar goal, please feel free to contact me by blog, email, or phone (depending on how well you know me, of course). Despite my appearance, I do know something about nutrition, physical fitness, and weight training, thanks to classes taken in college. So, if you know next to nothing about these subjects and need help setting up a program, I may be of assistance.

*By the way Reena, I am very impressed that you lost all your baby weight and have managed to stay fit-‘cuz you were huge that first time around. Seriously, you are a great role model to us fatties.

charity: water

The water that most of us drink every day is safe and we don't have to give it a second thought, but the next time you take a drink from your tap think about the fact that 1 out of 6 people (that's over a billion) do not have access to clean drinking water. Many of the world’s life-threatening diseases could be reined in of everyone had clean water. The mortality rates in Africa would drop significantly and young women and children could become educated instead of spending the daylight hours journeying miles through dangerous territory for unsanitary water.
If you can, please donate $20 dollars or more to charity: water. It is an upstanding organization that is drilling wells in Africa and has plans to drill many more if properly financed. You can also buy merchandise that just says ‘charity:’ or ‘water.’ The shirts will make a great X-mas present for your favorite charity-case or hydrophile. I'm getting a set for myself and the wife (I'm the water-lover, so guess what that makes Cindy-jk).
The charity's overhead is paid by sponsors so 100% of every dollar you give will go toward establishing and maintaining water wells for impoverished people. Please visit: http://www.charitywater.org/ and encourage others to do the same this holiday season. I'm planning on passing out free water bottles at my work with something similar to what I've just written.
Every little bit helps a lot.

Obama on the $5 dollar bill!

I was chatting with a co-worker about the election and she said she was happy America chose Obama, but said "I'm just afraid they're going to kill him." They being ignorant hate-filled racists. In the wake of JFK and his brother, this has probably crossed all our minds at some point over the last 2 years. Bobby Kennedy was a brilliant strategist and he may have gone down as one of the greatest presidents ever, but his fate does not have to be revisited. Barack has had secret service protection ever since there was a hint of his running for President (that's right, we're on a first name basis now). A potential assassination attempt is not something to focus on; we all need to be positive as we enter this new era. I was actually encouraged by the recent foiling of a group of neo-Nazis that had a plan to kill Obama and several other politicians. According to officials, the plan was ill-conceived and never could have succeeded. That made me realize that evil is dumb. People that hate others for no other reason than the color of their skin are not bright enough to even get close to the President of the United States in this day and age. I'm guessing that the secret service have learned a few things over the last 40 years and we should not give our President's safety a second thought.

I am so excited about the international response to our election. Europe was throwing parties and even Iran congratulated Obama. I think he will be able to heal many rifts in this world and start some positive dialogues. We may soon be able to travel abroad and not pretend the be Canadian, eh?

Lincoln has his face on a bill and a coin. I propose that after his 2 terms, we give the five to Obama.

Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles

Okay, I just have one point to make about the gay marriage ban and then I will leave it for the courts to decide. In the 1940's there was a ballot measure banning mixed race marriages (anti-miscegenation law) in California. The measure was passed by a 95% vote. I imagine that most of these voters were conservatives who thought the idea of a black man together with a white woman was disgusting and immoral-sound familiar? The courts later struck down this law. Maybe today's conservatives should take a step back and realize that a legal contract (marriage) between two consenting adults will not affect them or their children and that it is really none of their business.

Inspri(red)

Okay, maybe I was a little optimistic on the popular vote (52%-I forgot about the Greenies and the Libbys), but I was damn close on the electoral vote. Assuming that we get N. Carolina, that's 364 electoral votes. I really thought we could get Montana and N. Dakota, and Missouri was a squeaker-oh well. It was the most one-sided victory since LBJ.
You da' man Barack!
Kudos to John McCain for his inspiring and gracious concession speech.
Let the healing begin.

P.S. -BHO is my new BFF. I received this exclusive email yesterday.

Lindsay -- I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first. We just made history. And I don't want you to forget how we did it. You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change. I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign. We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next. But I want to be very clear about one thing... All of this happened because of you. Thank you,
Barack

Election Results - Predictions

I know you are maybe tired of my ranting about the election, but of course that is the only thing on my mind today. I too am weary of this long, drawn-out process, but I am digging deep and forcing myself to stay excited through tomorrow night. Cindy said she was getting nervous about the outcome last night, so I am going to attempt to allay her fears. Now, despite McCain's delusions, this election is wrapped up and I'm going to have the audacity to tell you by how much Obama is going to win:

Obama will get 54% of the popular vote and 370 (out of 538) electoral votes. This, ladies and gentlemen, will be a clear mandate from the American people (not like that fake mandate of Bush's 4 years ago).

What am I basing this on? I think that every contest that is close will go to the Democrats because when it comes down to it, more undecided voters will conclude they have no choice but to hope for a better tomorrow and vote Obama because the alternative is stagnation. A McCain-Palin administration would get nothing done because our 'donkey' congress would fight them every step of the way. That means the current George Bush 'keep digging when you're in a hole' policies will remain in place.

Also, I think we are going to have a record turnout of 18-25 year-olds voting democratic, and many of them are not being included in the polls we are seeing. Watching the country slowly turn blue on the election maps gives me goosebumps.

http://www.pollster.com/

http://www.slate.com/id/2195956/

http://news.yahoo.com/election/2008/dashboard

CO and NV were battleground states-they now favor Obama. McCain's home state of AZ is no longer a GOP lock. Even UT, where a month ago 64% were voting for McCain, now only 54% want McCain (I'm so proud). Their 5 electoral votes will end up going for the Republicans, as will AK's 3 votes. But, even if you are a democrat living in a red state (or vice versa), go out and vote so that we can send a message that we care about the process and want a voice. Tomorrow, we need much more than half of Americans to provide their opinion on this historic day.

I'm Voting for "That One"

I recently had the pleasure of attending a speech by Sen. (Pres-Elect) Obama. I had decided way back in primary season that he had my vote and I've listened to several speeches on TV, but I wanted to see the future President in person. What took me by surprise is how deeply I was moved by his words. He damn near brought me to tears!-S.O.B. I had heard many of the things he was saying before, but he is just so passionate about his belief that this great country can be repaired. He promised to improve our education system, but challenged parents to do their part and keep their kids on task. The stirring promise of a brighter future while calling all citizens to action evoked patriotic pride in the crowd of the kind Americans must have felt in 1960. BHO is definitely the heir apparent to JFK.

Obama spoke with an enthusiasm that belied his excruciatingly long campaign trail. He made spontaneous jokes and made us believe he cared about the issues important to working class families, such as health care and education. It wasn't just broad generalities either-he had real concrete ideas like providing college assistance to students willing to volunteer in their communities. No one denies that Obama is eloquent, but it is the sincere emotion and inspiration behind the words that gave me hope that this country will still be a grand beacon of opportunity and freedom for my grandchildren.

Religion

I was listening to NPR recently and heard something very disturbing. They were talking to a panel of voters about race and one woman said she would not vote for Obama because she suspected he was secretly Muslim. Obviously he is a devoted Christian, but all I could think is "So what if he was Muslim?!" Why are we vilifying Islam? Haven't we learned from the Crusades? Islamic teachings are not inherently evil and Muslims as a whole are not our enemy. Fundamentalist extremists are our enemy. There are plenty of nutjob fundamentalist Christians inflicting harm on others because of their misinterpretations or exploitations of their doctrines.
Read Under the Banner of Heaven by Krakauer if you haven't.

America is supposed to be a nation of religious tolerance, but some are trying to make Muslim the new Communist. What does that say to Americans who happen to be Muslim? Should we put them in concentration camps until the Iraq war is over? (facetious, rhetorical question). Over 20% of the world is Muslim, and most of them just want to live in peace and raise their children to be good people. Over 30% of the world is Christian, and most of them just want to live in peace and raise their children to be good people.
You are not allowed to hate what you do not understand.

Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

-John Lennon

Tag- I'm it

Fine, I’ll do the blog tag thing…thanks Sweetie , but I can't pass it on because I don't know any bloggers other than the ones Cindy just tagged.

1-I love my job. How many people can say that? As a hydrologist, I get to work outdoors much of the time and there is always something new or interesting to deal with, be it domestic beaver violence (they don’t like being dam evicted) or dodging shotgun pellets from crazed rural residents hurling epithets such as “the gov’ment put a chip in my brain, but I’ll be damned if it gets my water!”

2-I miss school. As I said I love my job and wouldn’t trade it, but sometimes I long for the simple life of a student. Sure, being a student costs you money instead of earning it, but after being in school for so long (yes, I went to college for 10 years and didn’t become a doctor) student life becomes comfortable and it is hard to give up. I miss the camaraderie of like-minded peers and the energy emitted from knowledge being dispensed and absorbed. If you have spent time on a college campus (other than Arizona State-jk) you know what I mean-it is palpable. I think if I went back for my PhD I would graduate a bachelor (Cindy was patient and supportive for long enough).

3-I enjoy Q-tips more than I probably should. There is almost no better way to start your day than a good ear-cleaning. I’m thrifty when possible, but Q-tip brand cotton swabs are one of those products where you can’t buy the generic store brand (I’ve tried and they suck). If we run out, it ruins my day.

4-I love my wife. That is not random, but what is inexplicable is that after 10 years of marriage and 3 kids, the passion has not dwindled. I’m talking about that intense spark that emerged the first time your looked into that person’s eyes and realized you wanted to spend your life with her. I realized we were right for each other when we spent a month back in ’97 driving across the country. We were together 24/7 and never fought once. It was blissful and I proposed on the way home in a secluded campsite in Illinois. Observing other married people I always assumed that passion evolved into a different kind of love that was just comfortable. My best friend tells me we are the exception to the rule, but I hope there are many other couples out there as happy as we are. Cindy and I are still guilty of PDAs, much to the irritation of friends and family.

5-I enjoy math (and many other nerdy things I won’t mention). When I’m on a long drive by myself I’ll come up with a problem that is hard to do in my head to pass the time. I take it as a personal challenge to not use a calculator when I’m doing field work. In high school I was the one that everyone cheated off of during tests. College calculus was a different story though. It’s strange to suddenly be average when you’re used to being the best at something. Higher education is good at humbling big fish from little ponds, then pushing them to strive even harder (or humiliate them until they drop out).

6-I like cold feet. Most people freak out if you put your cold feet on them under the covers…so I’ve heard…whereas I enjoy the visceral sensation, which works out well for Cindy because she always needs warming up. It’s a little odd, but I don’t think it’s a fetish or anything…right?

7-I’m a Bolts fan. I have never been to San Diego and have no affiliation with that city whatsoever, but I have been a San Diego Chargers fan for as long as I can remember. I vaguely remember my dad giving me a helmet when I was very young and that may have been the catalyst. Keep the faith-we’ll get over .500 yet!

Cheers

Aid

I was pleased to hear Pres Bush say it would be a mistake to cut back on foreign aid even though our economy is floundering.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102523.html?hpid=topnews

Despite his many, many shortcomings, I will give W. props when it comes to providing assistance to impoverished nations. We should follow our nation's example and give when it hurts to do so.

The following is a partial reprint of something I posted awhile back on The Sweetest Thing:

I implore everyone to take action against the injustice of extreme poverty in the world. I understand that many of us are reevaluating our own budgets with the current economic downturn, but think about giving the gift of food and water to those that need it this holiday season. Every dollar you can spare will help a fellow human being. When you do give, make sure it is to an organization with a proven track-record of getting the money where it will do the most good, such as UNICEF or OXFAM, both of which allow you to buy tangible things such as bed netting, vaccines, and even farm animals for those in need. You can also give these things as a dual gift, by donating them in someone’s name. What do you get for the person who has everything? -A goat (that will provide food and/or milk for a starving family).

If you simply can not find spare money to give, then at least lend your voice to the cause. Visit http://www.one.org/ and join the cause of ending extreme poverty and the associated diseases. The ONE campaign is an unprecedented mass-scale grassroots campaign initiated by Bono and others using the power of the internet. The ONE campaign does not solicit money. Instead, they educate and alert via email about issues where the public voice can make a difference. When important legislation issues are moving through congress that will impact the impoverished, you will be presented with the facts about the bill and asked to sign an electronic petition or contact your local representatives, exhorting them to do the right thing when it comes to international and domestic aid.

One thing we cannot do as citizens of the humanity is proverbially stick our heads in the sand. Some Americans say we should be isolationist as a country and just 'protect our own'. That type of ethnocentric sentiment is ignorant and completely unfeasible in the modern world. “Where you live should no longer determine whether you live.” -Bono.
We all need to educate ourselves and stay informed on global issues because the butterfly effect is real, and if our generation does nothing to alleviate the beating wings of starvation occurring half a world away, we will surely be judged harshly by future generations when the hurricane is at their doorstep.

What's In A Name? -Part Deux

I think it is fantastic that Barack Hussein Obama is proud of his name and his heritage. I've actually heard people say that his name is a major turn-off to his campaign and that it may affect his or her vote. It sounds insane, but I think we are all guilty of name discrimination at one time or another. I remember hearing that the new President of Iraq would be Jalal Talibani and thinking "that's a terrible person to put in power, we are fighting the Taliban." Of course names like Hussein are incredibly common worldwide, but I think many Americans are guilty of tunnel vision when it comes to name association. Ask yourself, would you leave your kids with a nanny who had glowing references and happened to be named Lizzie Borden? Would you eat at a 5-star restaurant if you heard the chef's name was Jeff Dahmer?....food for thought.

What's In A Name?

This is a plea to all mothers to stop stealing boy's names for their baby girls. Anyone who knows me personally has heard this rant before, but it makes me feel better, so here goes. If you don't know me and just happened across this site by accident, you are probably thinking Lindsay Rants has a female author. NO! I have man gear that I was born with (don't make me prove it). My ancestry is part Scottish and my father had actually lived there for 2 years as a young man where he became good friends with a guy named Lindsay, who I am named after. In Scotland, Lindsay is a very common, very manly name. In America, the name was fine and masculine until that damned Bionic Woman (Lindsey freakin'-Wagner) came along. The Bionic Woman aired the same year I was born (1975) and thousands of mothers started naming their babies Lindsay, usually with some basterized, cutsey spelling. My wifes laughs at me because I still fume whenever her stupid dial-a-bed comercials come on the TV.

I've never met a female Lindsay older than myself and I've only met a handful of male Lindsays (all older than me). Despite being a Republican, Lindsey Graham (Rep-S.C.) helps my cause a bit. I actually know a guy who is so embarrassed of his name Lindsay that he goes by his middle name...get this, Ashleigh. Which starts the long list of names abducted by girls: Sidney, Leslie, Marion, the list goes on and on. Once a name is feminized then those of us men who already have it get sissy jokes hurled at us our whole lives. Actually, Marion Butts and Leslie O'Neal probably didn't get too much crap...or, maybe it made them the hard-hitting NFL stars they turned out to be. The unfair part is that is doesn't work in reverse. If it did I would have named my first boy Stephanie out of spite. The truth is, being teased as a child made me swear I would never give my children androgynous names....'bout that..somehow my two boys ended up Justice and Tristan, which are both considered unisex names-whoops.

I used to have I crush on a girl named Tyler-what if we had ended up together? It just wouldn't work on paper. I've also met girls named Ryan and Devon-where does it stop? Please mothers, there is an endless list of beautiful girl names out there, so stop pilfering from the boy list. If you want to be original, go with something nutcase like Talulabelle or Apple.

Just for Grins

This is one of my favorite desktop backgrounds.

Try to look at this picture for one minute and not think of anything naughty.

...couldn't do it, could you? They're clouds, just wholesome clouds! What's wrong with you....sinner.

Actually, these cloud formations are known as mammatus derived from mamma, which is Latin for breast. The photographer, or whoever put this pic out labeled it "tight jeans."

Vote Early, Vote Often

I found out that 50% of my audience is clamoring for my thoughts on the final debate, so I will indulge her. I enjoyed the format of the last debate more than the others. The fact that they were sitting across from each other and allowed to respond directly to comments made for a lively interaction. At first it almost seemed as if Obama was tired-literally worn out from getting his message across for 20 grueling months. But then I realized he was just comfortable, cool, at ease...presidential. The debate was won by Obama because he was speaking to swing voters-people who are struggling financially and need some good news. McCain was speaking to his base-people who would vote Republican even if the candidate had sex with an underage page in an airport bathroom shortly after declaring unilateral war against a stable nation because his running mate needed to pay off some political favors with defense contracts! Sorry...got a little worked up there, but my point is that McCain is not persuading anyone who is on the fence.
The candidates both came across well at last night's Alfred Smith dinner. It was nice to see there was no ugly mudslinging, just humor. With that last meeting together out of the way and no horrible gaffes, we can finally breath easy. Early voting starts tomorrow in my state; I say let's get this thing over with. Let's put McCain out of his misery before Nov 4th. Let's face it, I was right-Obama is going to win and it's going to be a landslide. Woo-HOO!
P.S.- Does anyone know how to make an animation morphing Pres. Bush into a mallard with a broken leg?

Terrorism

I watched the flick "Catch a Fire" recently and it made me pause and rethink my perception of terrorism. In the movie the 'terrorists' were fighting against South Africa's apartheid regime. These freedom fighters were opposing injustice, but they were terrorists because they were causing destruction and subverting the government. I realized that not all terrorists are inherently evil as our fear-promoting government would have us believe (if you haven't read "Culture of Fear" by Glassner, you should). It seems like whenever the Bush administration wants to get some controversial foreign policy item past the U.S. taxpayers or congress they just say "go along with it or the terrorists will gain strength!"
(I'm paraphrasing of course).

Yes, many terrorists commit atrocious acts, sometimes against innocent civilians, and this must be condemned and combated. However, in order to combat terrorism, I think we need to understand the root causes of it: terrorism is bred from oppression; terrorists perceive a threat to their country, family, or ideology and believe it must be defended to the death; and every terrorist we take out becomes a martyr to his or her cause. In the movie, the protagonist was just trying to raise his family and do his job but he was taken by the government, questioned and tortured under groundless suspicion of a terrorist act. By the end he felt he had no choice but to join the freedom fighters, because no one could live peacefully until the oppressors were ousted.

I believe the U.S. military has good intentions, but every time civilians are inadvertently killed we are producing more terrorists in the form of those that cared for the fallen. If a foreign power occupied my city and a member of my family was killed by a stray bullet in a firefight, I would become blind with rage and take up arms against that force and do everything in my power to undermine their cause. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died since this war/operation has begun and no one in America talks about it. Yes we should honor and pay tribute to our fallen soldiers, but we should also apologize for destroying Iraqi families. I think these endless military strikes are like trying to beat out a fire with a lit torch. We need to try more diplomacy because this war can't be won by technological superiority.

My point is that most Americans live relatively privileged lives and some are quick to pass moral judgement on others, when we should in fact try to see the other side and get some perspective. Being American does not make you right. It makes me sad when I hear about our government disregarding the Geneva Convention because those in our custody are not technically prisoners of war. I love my country, but I long for the feeling I had as a young boy when I was 100% certain that we were the 'good guys.'

OBAMA WINS!!!

That's right, I'm beating the networks to the punch and calling the election for Obama. Everyone is so tentatively hopeful right now, saying things like "do you think...he could really...win?" Yes!-and I for one am elated as hell about it. I don't want to jinx the man as in 'Dewey defeats Truman', but since the Broncos won last week and the Chargers lost, I don't believe in jinxes (see Sweetest Thing blog). Actually, I never believed in curses or bad juji-I'm just sorta rational that way.
The thing is, the American people are starting to see the truth about what this country needs and Obama is surging in the polls. It looks better everyday, but as of now McCain would have to win every swing state (of which Obama has slight edges in), as well as the tentative red states in order to win 269 electoral votes. pssst...that's not enough John.
As for those states that are still boldly red (I won't name any names, but you know who you are), they can't honestly believe that McCain's economic plan will be good for the majority of Americans. I think they habitually vote Republican out of fear:

• Fear of a black man in the White House-He's qualified, get over it.


• Fear of abortions-On this issue, no matter who is elected the status quo will remain. John McCain is pandering by saying he will fight to overturn Roe v. Wade. If he does happen to outlive a Supreme Court justice, he could never get an ultra-conservative appointment past a Democratic congress.


• Fear of losing their guns-You won't. Obama supports the 2nd amendment. He of course would uphold the current ban on assault rifles, but would never strip anyone of their hunting rifles and shotguns. Obama also believes it is the right of local communities and states to make laws concerning handguns (e.g. Sarah Palin once opposed an ordinance that would prohibit carrying guns in bars and schools).


• Fear of terrorism-Some think that McCain would combat terrorism better because he was in the military. The problem is McCain has a reputation as a hot-head and when international threats arise, we don't need a President who makes knee-jerk reactions. We need someone with diplomatic skills who isn't afraid to use force as a last resort-I believe that is Obama.

Eight years ago, I really liked John McCain and I may have voted for him against Al Gore. McCain fought against corruption in congress and did much to bring compromise amidst a bitterly partisan atmosphere. However, I think he sold out his convictions in order to secure the nomination and get the backing of the religious right or uber-conservatives.

Conservatives see liberals as morally corrupt. I like to think of liberalism as willingness to change. Conservatives have been on the morally reprehensible side of some the most important issues in American history. I'm not talking about a difference of opinion-history has judged them to be wrong. Conservatives opposed the following based on fear of change:

• Allowing black people to be free
• Allowing women into institutions of higher education
• Allowing women the right to vote
• Allowing black people the right to the same educational opportunities and public services as whites
• Allowing black people the right to vote

If you can't bring yourself to Stand for Change, then at least allow yourself to hope for it.