DNC - Day 4 - Obama

So here we are, the final night of the DNC, outdoors at Mile High. While the first night of the convention was a little shaky, since Hillary gave her speech easing the tension, the convention has been focused. Definite theme of "McCain = More of the Same; Obama = Change We Need." However, the success of the convention rests on how Obama’s speech relates to the public. But first, we suffer through a litany of speakers with the same speech writer, rehashing ever less uniquely the week’s theme. To quickly get to Obama’s speech, I’ll sum up in a sentence or two the preceding speakers.

Gov. Tim Kaine: Evidently, his assignment was this: use every biblical cliché you can think of, speak Spanish for a few seconds, get off the stage.

Al Gore: young people are smart because they support Obama, old people are dumb. And Barack Obama is a reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln. And if Gore had been president, the climate crisis would be solved and 9/11 would have never happened.

Obama video: Very well done. Of course, it was sappy and over-the-top, but the images, narration, life story it told would connect with viewers. Additionally, Obama’s appeal to young voters is recognized by the music selections for the second half of the video. Obama won the primary by attracting many new and young voters. Traditionally, young voters do not vote. If these voters follow historical trends, Obama loses. If they remain energized, Obama wins. The electorate is still heavily polarized. If the new voters vote, then Obama will be able to squeak by where Kerry and Gore couldn’t – on the electoral map. Getting young voters, 18-30 year olds, to the polls in November is critical for the Obama campaign.

The Speech Setting: Obama is a phenomenal orator. Obviously, that’s why he’s where he is today, thanks to his keynote address four years ago. And his campaign has staging and visuals down. They may be too good at it, hence Obama’s celebrity status. But the atmosphere was great – packed stadium, striking backdrop (many said it looked like the Greek ruins, I think it looked like the White House). Obama enters to U2’s “City of Blinding Lights,” which is the song he has used throughout his campaign as entry music. There was even a shot of a crying girl in the audience. Obama is a rock star celebrity whether he wants to admit it or not. And this setting amplified that fact. So much so, that I nearly fell of the couch laughing when Obama said with “great humility” he accepts the nomination to be president. 80,000-in-a-football-stadium-with-all-this-hype-kind-of-humility.

The Theme: Obama was attempting to straddle the fence and be liberal and moderate at the same time. He definitely gave a speech aimed at independents rather than party faithful, while attacking McCain to give the faithful red meat. His theme seemed to come down to allowing government to do what people can’t do on their own, while restoring status of America around the world. He also spent time delineating the differences, as he sees them, between John McCain and himself. He has to prove that he is tough enough to withstand the next few weeks. He has to prove that he can be an effective Commander-in-Chief.

Obama listed his plan: tax cuts for 95%, end dependence on oil in 10 years, “world class education,” Healthcare for everyone, protect Social Security, be better people.

Pros: No one delivers a speech better. I liked his line about the need for both individual responsibility and mutual responsibility. He re-iterated many of the points he made four years ago when he discussed getting beyond red states and blue states. He certainly attempted to convey that he would be capable of defending the country as Commander-in-Chief. He addressed a desire for post-partisanship

Cons: No presidential candidate should have the need to assure voters that they are patriotic. First Michelle said she loves America, now Obama says he is patriotic. This cannot be a good thing that the campaign felt the need to address this. On his specifics, how will he pay for all these programs? How will he pay for healthcare, for college education for everyone? How will he end oil dependency, protect Social Security? Higher taxes? On whom? While he distorted McCain’s joke about $5 million being rich, Obama believes rich is $40,000. If we’re talking about raising taxes on the rich, I like McCain’s joking reference better.

Obama mentions that he will go through the budget and strike everything he doesn’t want. That’s great, except that the president does not have the power of a line-item veto. So unless he is planning on pulling a Putin and taking control of the legislature too, he’s going to have to rely on Congress. On global problems, he criticized Bush’s “go it alone” strategy, but then seemed to convey that he can single-handedly change world leaders’ minds and make them act nice. And on parenting, how will he make people be better parents?

One of the things that Obama has mastered is the art of double-speak. On abortion, he “reached out” to pro-lifers by saying he wanted to end unwanted pregnancies. How is that helpful, since abortion is a way to end an unwanted pregnancy? Why didn’t he say he wanted to work to make abortion rare, so rare that eventually no one would choose to kill their baby? Why didn’t he at least agree with the partial-birth ban or the born-alive protection act? On gun control – who favors criminals having AK-47s? On alternative energy – is he now in favor of coal and nuclear power? He seemed to say so tonight. Also, the speech ran about 45 minutes. Did people watch it and stay tuned in?

The Effect: So how effective is this speech. I give him an A. But how many people will vote for him now that wouldn’t before? How influential is the whole convention process? He seems to be receiving a slight bounce. As a result of this speech, I would guess he’ll be up by 10-12 points by Sunday. But the American people have short memories. Come November 4, will anyone remember either convention?

The Obama campaign should be happy with tonight. While the celebrity label was reinforced, the delivery was good. For people who don’t know much about Obama, they’ll think he’s a moderate. It places Obama back on offense for the first time in a couple of weeks. We’ll see if he can sustain it after next week as the Republicans gather in Minneapolis.

DNC - Day 2 - Hillary

On Monday night, the Democratic Party sought unity by focusing on Ted Kennedy and reminding the Obamamaniacs and Clintonites that before either of their groups claimed the party, the Kennedys were the uniting figures. Bill Clinton must not have watched last night, because he again vaguely questioned the nomination of Obama today. (Apparently, he wasn't alone in not watching. Practically as many people tuned in for "Deal or No Deal" as watched the convention on ABC, NBC, and CBS combined.) If Hillary's speech doesn't bring unity tonight, the Democrats may be rousing the spirits of Eleanor Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson. It should be high theatre.

I began watching about 8:05. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas was speaking. I can't believe she was one of the names mentioned as VP for Obama. She had nothing. No one was listening, she said nothing inspiring, I think she just woke up from a nap - she must have been on a very long short list. Next up Bob Casey, a rarity of all rarities - a pro-life Democrat! He had to rush through that detail in his speech out of fear a riot would ensue if the delegates found out. Then came the keynote address.

Rewind a mere four years ago when an unknown figure gave the keynote address. An Illinois state congressman running for Senate. His speech was electric. That single speech launched Obama into the stratosphere. How about tonight for Mark Warner? Not so much.

During the break, the camera kept showing Biden and Michelle Obama. Every time the camera would cut to the two of them, Biden's mouth was moving non-stop, I mean non-stop, and Michelle's head was nodding. This went on for a few minutes. I bet she wishes Barack had tapped Calvin Coolidge instead. She had that look of "Please stop talking to me" on her face.

Time for the main event - video tribute to Hillary with a comment or two by "Hillary's Husband," as Bill was titled in the video - I found that quite humorous. One comment in her video that struck me: "We weren't able to do it this time." Hmm, I wonder what she means by "this time."

Out comes Hillary, and it was more painful/sad than I even thought it would be. Not only did the media flash pre-convention photos of multiple pantsuits being matched with the backdrop, but here was Hillary - the inevitable candidate. This was supposed to be her party, and she had to come out and make a speech for Obama - The Mark Warner of '04. She's got to be kicking herself everyday that she underestimated him. Anyway, Hillary gave a good, solid speech. I have always thought she would be the most formidable candidate against John McCain. She showed that again tonight. I think the few weeks out of the spotlight did her some good too. She didn't channel Eleanor Roosevelt, but she did practically all she could to swallow her pride and support Obama. The highlights:

• By my count she mentioned supporting Obama 9.5 times
• She mentioned Biden 2 times
• Michelle Obama 1 time
• Bill Clinton's presidency 1 time
• McCain as her friend 1 time
• Anti-Bush 3 times
• anti-McCain 2.5 times with another 4 soft jabs

Those were my counts. Spending a substantial amount of time on her run for the presidency, Clinton made a couple of errors, in my estimation. First, she mentioned her "35 years of experience" in politics. Immediately, I thought of the very little political experience of Obama. Not a good comparison to make for the Obama campaign. Second, she said nothing of Obama's ability to maintain security or face the threat of terror. Why is this a glaring omission? Because the McCain campaign is using a quote of Clinton's where she compares the vast experience and readiness of John McCain to Obama's lone speech in 2002. By not addressing that issue, she left the door open for the McCain campaign to continue to attack Obama using her own words.

Regardless of the omissions, Clinton did all that could be expected of someone who lost such a close race. The tension in the hall seemed to be relieved. It's up to the Obama campaign now to capture the Clinton hold-outs. Of course, tomorrow evening Bill Clinton speaks. So everyone will be holding their breath once again.

Democratic National Convention Diary - Monday

Over the next two weeks, I am going to try to keep a running diary of each evening's convention happenings for both the Democratic Party this week in Denver and the Republican Party next week in Minneapolis. One of the difficulties I will face is our antiquated technology in our household. We do not have Tivo or cable, so I am reliant on real time and PBS. The major networks are only showing an hour each night including commercials, so I am thankful for PBS' full coverage, which makes me wonder: who's older, Dick Clark of Jim Lehrer? Anyway, I digress.

Due to spending time with the kids and helping get them to bed, I didn't begin watching the convention this evening until about 8:30pm - right in the middle of the tribute to Ted Kennedy. Say what you want about his politics or personal life, Ted Kennedy is an historical figure, the Lion of the Senate, one of a kind. There is not a figure in either party currently that matches the political clout of Ted Kennedy - not Obama, not Biden, not Clinton, nor John McCain. None of those Senators will ever have the title of "Lion of the Senate." That being said, after his health crisis a few weeks ago, it was good to see him at the convention. His endorsement of Barack Obama proved to be critical to Obama's nomination. Without Kennedy leading the charge for Obama, many of the party faithful may never have shifted from Clinton. Obama owes Kennedy big time.

9:00pm - major networks come in - I miss Tim Russert, badly. He was the best. NBC is lacking gravitas, ABC was showing Kennedy's speech again, and I don't bother with CBS, so it's back to PBS to stay.

After a few very forgettable speeches, a video of Michelle Obama is played. This video picks up where the Olympic videos on the athletes left off - telling the background story and obstacles faced by Michelle Obama. The campaign is trying to figure out how to re-introduce Michelle to the country. She has been somewhat controversial thus far in the campaign, I think rather unfairly. I know a politician's spouse is critical to understanding the politician, but the spouse should not be held to the same verbal scrutiny as the one running. Fair or not, the Obama campaign is in damage control, and the video accomplishes part of that goal. Her brother introduces her in a very personal and touching way, especially when he told how they shared a room as little kids and would often talk after they were supposed to be asleep. He remembered her always talking about the kids that were picked on at school. Kids form their personalities so early. (Reminds me of G and C and how much I love their relationship.) Then in comes Michelle Obama.

One of the things I admire about the Obamas is their seemingly sincere love for each other. I don't doubt her love for him or his love for her. It's great to see in politics today (especially compared to the Clintons and Edwards). It would be a shame if it ever came out otherwise.

Michelle gave a solid, but forgettable speech. She was not as personal speaking about Barack as her brother or mother had been speaking about her. She felt the need to say "Hillary Clinton" in what I thought was a rather forced interjection, and she had to say how much she loved America, to make up for an earlier gaffe. Overall, a good speech, but really didn't let us in on who she or Barack are. So I was a little disappointed in that. After the speech, her daughters came on stage - again seems very authentic. Perhaps the most authentic moment came when the youngest daughter took control of the microphone while on a very awkward telephone call from Obama in Kansas City. As Barack is telling everyone where he is, the youngest daughter is having fun talking to him in the microphone. It seemed to me that Michelle was in the quandary that many parents find themselves in - should I take the microphone from her and risk the reaction, or let her keep talking? Michelle chose what I would have chosen and let the daughter keep the microphone. I'm not sure who the family was that Barack was with in Kansas City, but it really didn't matter anyway.

Night one - no fireworks, safe, begins the convention on a feel good note. Not that many people are watching, but it was a good test run for the Obama campaign on how they will approach the fall. So there's night one - "One Nation." Now the next couple of nights will be intriguing, as the Clintons take over the convention. The art of "publicly-supporting-Obama-but-secretly-hoping-he-loses-so-I-can-run-in-2012" will be the task Hillary Clinton embarks on tomorrow. I don't think that's the theme, but it is definitely her plan.

It Took This Long for Obama to Choose Biden? Really?

So what took so long? Obama finally sent out the "highly anticipated" text message early Saturday morning declaring his VP to be… Joe Biden. I am sure it was easy for people to go back to sleep after hearing that. Ok, so Biden has a lot of experience in the Senate as well as some foreign policy cred, which helps Obama on paper. But Biden is arrogant, tends to stick his foot in his mouth, and garnered 1 percent of the vote when he ran for the nomination last year. Biden will be an attack dog for Obama, but I don't think he was Obama's first choice. Let me explain.

Most of the media pinpointed Biden as the selection last week. Why then, did Obama not send the text message until 3am Saturday? He missed Friday's news cycle, probably ticked off many on the text message waiting list by receiving a wake-up text at 3am, and it's Saturday - who is paying attention? If Biden was his selection all along, why the delay? I think Obama wanted someone else. And that someone else turned him down on Friday, sending Obama into panic mode and panic pick. (Perhaps like in fantasy baseball drafts when the guy you wanted gets picked just before you, sending you into chaos as you search for a new pick before time runs out.) Obama is campaigning on change, so he picks Biden? Obama is trying to offset his liberal policies so he picks Biden? Obama is trying to alter the electoral map, so he picks Biden? Makes no sense at all. (For the record, I still think Bayh would have been a much better pick for all the above reasons. Perhaps Bayh turned him down? A close friend of the Clintons, was he pressured to turn it down?)

Some may say Biden is to Obama what Cheney was to Bush in 2000 - gravitas. But, I think the better comparison is Dukakis-Bentsen. Bentsen was an accomplished Senator, throttled Dan Quayle in the debate - "You are no Jack Kennedy" - and was a well-respected leader, but Bentsen overshadowed Dukakis and didn't help Dukakis on the electoral map. Biden is more apt to overshadow Obama because he likes to hear himself speak.

So the pick makes little sense to me. I think Obama panicked. I hope one day the full story comes out. If this wasn't a panic pick, then Obama's campaign completely mismanaged the release of this news. Additionally, it was released that Clinton was never considered. (Even a bigger mistake to let that get out - and it makes Clinton's speech at the convention even more intriguing). The McCain Campaign must be thrilled this morning.

Dinosaurs

Why did God create dinosaurs? I've been pondering this question lately as our house has become obsessed with the giant lizards (which may or may not be a good description I've learned - perhaps they are closer to being giant pre-birds). Dinosaurs don't fit neatly into the story of creation for a lot of people. For those who claim the earth is only 6,000 years old, they really have a difficult time with dinosaurs, especially since the last dinosaur was around close to 70 million years ago. The young earth crowd believes the earth was created in six 24-hour time periods. This literal read completely disregards science. My question to the "young earthers" would be how exactly day one through three worked since the Sun, which we track our rotation by, wasn't created until day four? But anyway…

I believe the Bible. I believe our earth is billions of years old. And I believe God created it all. How did God create? I don't know, and it doesn't much matter. Whether God created each individual species independently of others or whether He used evolution, the fact still remains that God created. Should we hold Moses accountable for not scientifically relating to the Israelites all about DNA, the universe, cell development, the periodic table, etc.? Should we be dismayed that the Bible doesn't tell us whether or not to consider Pluto(id) a planet? Of course not. It doesn't take away from the authority of Scripture. It makes us explore and question and grow our minds - these minds that God created in us.

As Grant teaches me more and more about dinosaurs, I am even more amazed at God's creativity, humor, and majesty. From the Protocerotops to the Archaeopteryx to Diplodocus to the Pachycephalasaurus, what unique, awesome creatures God made. And how cool that God has given us minds to be able to reconstruct the dino world. As I ponder why God created dinosaurs, I'm reminded of why he created me. And I'm thankful. And I'm thankful I wasn't around when the dinosaurs were - I'm not sure I would be able to outrun a Spinosaurus.

VP: Safe or Gutsy

We are approaching the VP selection time. A few weeks ago, I listed potential VPs and their pros and cons. Now that we are nearing the selections, here are my "safe" picks and "gutsy" picks. "Safe" means the selection won't be a detriment to the campaign. It would maintain the status quo of the election, bringing little risk. The "gutsy" pick, if it worked, would ensure victory, but if it didn't, it would adversely affect the campaign in such a way that could cause a huge defeat.

For Obama:
Safe Pick: Sen. Evan Bayh, Indiana. He is my top choice for Obama. Bayh was a Clinton supporter, he's well-liked in Indiana , he has some foreign policy experience as well as governing experience, he's a moderate on many issues. I really think Bayh would be the best choice. In fact, I think he would have been the best choice for the presidential nomination among Democrats, however, Iraq hurt him. He was pro-Iraq war and is more conservative than Obama on most issues; however, as frequently as Obama seems to be amending his positions, it may not be long before he agrees with Bayh on most issues - at least for a while anyway. Bayh's support of the Iraq war may cost him the nomination.

Gutsy Pick: Gov. Tim Kaine, Virginia. Kaine has little experience, is not well known outside of Virginia, and doesn't have near the charisma that Obama has, but if he were selected, he would strengthen the "outside of Washington" aspect of the ticket as well as help bring in Catholic voters (Kaine is Catholic) and Hispanic voters (he speaks fluent Spanish). If Kaine could also deliver Virginia to the Democratic column, Obama would be the next president. However, if experience and foreign policy become major issues, Obama/Kaine would have little to offer and may lose big.

My pick: Bayh.

For McCain
Safe Pick: Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota. I find this an incredibly boring, but safe pick. Pawlenty re-affirms McCain's desire to reach independents and broaden the Republican party without flash or pizazz that could get the candidate in trouble (except for some of his jokes.) Pawlenty may not be able to deliver Minnesota to the Republicans, but he would shore up other Midwest states, I believe, and give McCain a decent shot at winning. Incredibly safe pick.

Gutsy Pick: Gov. Sarah Palin, Alaska. Strong Pro-Life, Strong Family Values, Anti-Corruption, Reformer, Outsider. If Palin were McCain's VP, she could help bring in upset Clinton supporters while also exciting the conservative base. McCain could win in a landslide if Palin is embraced by the public. The risk - she's governor of Alaska and little known as to how she would perform on the national stage. She runs the risk of being Quayled. Also, with McCain's age, would she be seen by the public as ready to be president? A "safer-gutsy" pick would be Kay Bailey Hutchison. While she could appeal to the Clinton supporter, I'm not sure she would excite the conservative base as much as Palin. And she's not the most exciting person to listen to either.

My Pick: Palin

Good Advice

This is a random assortment of advice given to me over the years. While most of this advice was given to me as a minister, I think it fits well with whatever profession one is involved. Here are a few sayings that have stuck with me (I am giving credit to the one who gave me the advice):

"To be on time is to be late; to be early is to be on time." - John Hume

"When I'm talking and you're talking - nobody's listening!" - Randy Hall

On Revelation: "I'm not on the planning committee; I'm on the preparation committee." - Dr. Dominy

On tough theological issues that no one really knows the answer to: "I reserve my right to change my mind when I get to heaven." - Dr. Dominy

On hospital visits: "Be brief, be bright, be gone." - Pappaw

"Don't be so heavenly bound that you're no earthly good." - Dr. Wade

"Babylonians 4:12 - No one can please anyone all the time." - Dr. Winfred Moore

"Don't hug anyone over 7 or under 70." - Dr. Winfred Moore

And my favorite:

"Keep your hands of the women and off the money - and tell the truth." - Dr. Wade

Fatherhood Success

I oftentimes wonder how effective a father I am to my children. Am I raising them up in the way they should go? Are they learning how to act, how to treat others, etc? Am I a godly example for them? I don't know the answers to these questions, and I guess I won't until much later in life, long after I can do anything to correct my mistakes. But I am encouraged by one influence I have made with Grant - he loves baseball!

On Saturday afternoons, FOX has its MLB game of the week. Since we don't have cable, and since only 40 Ranger games are on regular TV, and most of those are at night, Saturday afternoon has become a good time for us to watch baseball. But let me back up a second. We are able from time to time to go to a Ranger game. Last year, whenever Grant and I would go, he would be more excited about the jumbo-tron and gimmicks than the game itself. He loved how the "H" in "Southwest" would light up whenever anyone got a hit, and of course, he loved the occasional fireworks after a homerun. But as far as the game itself, he really didn't care all that much. Toward the end of last season, he began to catch on a little more, perhaps from playing T-ball and watching more games with me. But this summer, baseball has captured Grant's attention. Like I said, we watch the FOX game of the week. Usually, this involves the Yankees, Red Sox, or Cubs. So we choose a team to root for and go from there. Grant has quickly learned the rules: always cheer for the Rangers, always cheer against the Yankees. Last week, the Red Sox were playing the Yankees. He kept me up to date on the game. As we were watching, he would say "Oh man! The Yankees got a hit. I wish they would have gotten out!" and "Yes, he struck him out!" We discussed why Giambi is a cheater and why we don't like the Yankees. Anyway, the last two weeks, the Yankees have won, much to our displeasure. In fact, the week before we also watched the Cubs play the White Sox. We pulled for the Cubs and they lost as well. We are not having much luck, unless, as Grant reminded me, we go to the Ranger game - the Rangers have won both times we have gone this year. So he thinks we should go again.

Over the weekend, we watched Wimbledon as well (uncle Ben would be happy). I haven't kept up with tennis since Sampras and Agassi, so we decided to pull for Federer. He lost, but it was still fun to see Grant get excited about tennis as well. (Tennis by the way is much more difficult to explain scoring wise to a 5 year old.) But when the epic match was over, we flipped over to the Ranger game, which was actually on regular TV. It was in the 8th inning. Grant said, "I wish it was just the 2nd so we could watch the whole game." I am smiling. I don’t know how good a job I am doing as a father, but I am so happy that Grant loves baseball. And I am even happier that he loves to watch it with me.

Happy July 4th!

In 1993, I was fortunate enough to travel with a group from my high school to the Presidential Inauguration in Washington , DC . While we participated in many events and visited numerous places, certainly the event that made the most remarkable impression on me was the actual inauguration ceremony. There, in span of a few minutes, President George H. W. Bush became former president, while Bill Clinton became President Bill Clinton. Both men stood only a few feet apart. Both had just endured a long campaign. Power was transferring from one political party to the next - with only a short recitation of an oath. No bloodshed, no intimidation, no fighting. After the ceremony, Bush left via helicopter, Clinton rode in the presidential limo to the White House. Simply remarkable.

Fast-forward to Zimbabwe today. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai initially wins against highly corrupt long-time leader Robert Mugabe. However, Mugabe is in charge of releasing the vote totals. After holding the results secret, Mugabe declared that Tsvangirai did not have a majority and there would be a run-off. Over the last month leading up to the run-off, Tsvangirai has been arrested, run out of town, and threatened, while his supporters have been beaten, harassed, and intimidated to the point that Tsvangirai withdrew from the election. Mugabe then forced everyone to vote and claimed victory a few days ago, holding on to his power. The world has called the election a sham, but yet Mugabe still maintains his power. Meanwhile, the people of Zimbabwe face 4 million percent inflation - that number is not an exaggeration.

In America, George W Bush is highly unpopular, the economy is sagging, and the war in Iraq has been heavily criticized. McCain and Obama, campaigning to succeed Bush, trade barbs daily in the race to the White House. It looks like over the next few months we will see McCain and Obama go after each other as hard as they can. As nasty as our politics in America can be, come January, our new president will be sworn in as Bush stands a few feet away, and as the losing candidate heads back to the Senate. Bush will get in a helicopter and fly away, the new president will ride in a limo to the White House. And while some may be upset or depressed that their candidate didn’t win, we will peacefully continue on as a free, democratic nation. Perhaps Zimbabwe will claim the same one day. Happy July 4th!

So When Does Life Begin?

As much as I criticize the FRC, this is a very good rebuttal.

I Love the New Wal-Mart

A new Wal-Mart opened near our house a few weeks ago. It has quickly become my favorite store. It's not crowded like other Wal-Marts, it's clean, and the service is spectacular. Anyway, I think I have told Jessica how much I love this Wal-Mart a thousand times, and apparently, Grant has overheard me too. A couple of days ago, Grant and I were looking for a replacement cord for a DVD player, so we went to Wal-Mart. But they didn't have the right cord. As we were leaving, Grant said, "But Daddy, I thought Wal-Mart had everything!" I did too, Grant, but don't worry, this particular Wal-Mart remains my favorite store.

2nd Annual Father's Day Camp Out

One of my favorite traditions in our family is our Father's Day Campout. This was the second year to do this, and this year, Claire joined us over night in the tent. I didn't realize it until the next day, but the night of the campout was the hottest day of the year - 101 recorded at DFW that day. And while it was a bit warm in the tent, it didn't matter. After cooking hot dogs and roasting marshmallows, Grant, Claire, and I climbed into the tent with about 10 books and 2 flashlights. We read books, sang songs, laughed, got in and out of the tent a billion times, and then finally went to sleep. The next morning, I asked them what their favorite part of the campout was. Their answer: "Hot dogs and acting silly in the tent." I love these moments with my family - all the sweat in a tent on the evening of the hottest day of the year is worth it to see how happy they were to spend the evening camping with Daddy. Can't wait until next year.

Heroism and Faith of John McCain

"I was finding that prayer helped. It wasn't a question of asking for superhuman strength or for God to strike the North Vietnamese dead. It was asking for moral and physical courage, for guidance and wisdom to do the right thing. I asked for comfort when I was in pain, and sometimes I received relief. I was sustained in many times of trial." - John McCain on his experience as a POW in Vietnam. After reading his first-person account of his time as a POW, I have even more respect and admiration for what he went through serving our country. I wonder how I would have responded in similar circumstances. McCain doesn't flaunt his faith in the public square, which is why I highlighted the above quote from the account. I think it reveals a little as to who God is to him.

Happy Juneteenth

"I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free." -Emancipation Proclamation

I know there are many days of observance that receive much more attention, but my favorite Texas holiday is Juneteenth. In September of 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which went into effect January 1, 1863. In our fast paced information age, I know it is hard to fathom, but the news of the Emancipation Proclamation did not reach Texas until June 19, 1865 - almost 2 ½ years later. General Granger landed in Galveston and shared the news that the "slaves are free." With the victory in the Civil War and the leadership of Lincoln, along with the religious voices of the day, America 's Original Sin, this injustice embedded into our Constitution, began to be overcome. Granted, the newly found freedom wasn't fully protected by law for another 100 years, and obviously, there is still racism and prejudice in our country and state today; however, today, June 19th, is a day to celebrate the news that all are free. I thank God for the freedom I have in Christ and for the freedom I have here in this country, and I pray for the courage to speak up against injustice around me. Happy Juneteenth!

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

_____ for VP Part II

Following up on my post featuring potential Republican nominees for VP, here's my analysis for Barack Obama's potential running mates. Whereas the Republican field is sorely lacking, I believe the Democratic field has a few excellent choices for Obama. What factors into Obama's pick? Does he choose an elder statesman to give him gravitas (see Dick Cheney for Bush)? Does he pick Hillary? No way. He does not want Hillary anywhere around. (Because with Hillary comes Bill. His campaign has been about change, so I don't see how Hillary helps him with that or with his weakness in national security… except for her experience in Bosnia of course.) But Obama has to secure Hillary supporters, beef up his national security expertise, and/or choose someone to win a key state. With this in mind, here are his best options:

1. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Big Clinton supporter, so he may help with her supporters. Indiana is in McCain's column, but Bayh is extremely popular in Indiana and could swing the key state to Obama. Bayh is a fairly conservative Democrat, which would balance the liberal Obama and appeal to independents. I don't know about his foreign policy experience, but I think Bayh would be his best choice.

2. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Another swing state that Obama would win if Richardson were on the ticket. Richardson would be the first Hispanic on a major ticket, which would certainly help with the Hispanic vote. He has foreign policy experience with the Clinton administration. Ran unsuccessfully for president, but definitely brings a lot to the table for Obama to consider. If I were McCain, I would fear Obama selecting either Bayh or Richardson.

3. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas. Traditionally Kansas is Republican state, but Sebelius is very popular and would bring Kansas in for Obama. She would possibly satisfy the "because she's a female" Clinton supporters. She lacks any foreign policy experience, so Obama would still be at a deficit there. But she's an outsider and adds to Obama's campaign for change in Washington.

4. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia - appeals to independents, military experience, traditional Republican state that could be up for grabs. However, Webb is in his first term as a Senator. Some could say he won in 2006 only because of George Allen's fateful comment. He would appeal to the yellow dog Democrat, but I think he is too inexperienced for Obama to select him.

5. Sam Nunn - Another conservative Democrat. Brings ample foreign policy credentials. Is a southerner. He would be to Obama what Cheney was perceived to be to Bush, or Bentsen was for Dukakis.

There's my prediction. Much stronger candidates in my mind than what the Republican side has to offer.

________ for VP

Barring a Clintonian-esque comeback by Hillary Clinton, it appears the impossible has happened - Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. So now, the question becomes, who will McCain and Obama choose as their VPs? One could debate just how much a VP helps/hurts a candidate. (Quayle certainly cost Bush I votes, but has Cheyney for Bush II? Bentsen couldn't deliver Texas for Dukakis.) Perhaps VP John Nance Garner was right when he said the Vice Presidency wasn't worth "a bucket of warm spit." Nonetheless, a short run down of potential choices:

First McCain. His age, 71, is definitely a factor. His political appeal is that of a Maverick, which helps him among independents. However, some hard-core conservatives are balking at voting for him. Does he choose a VP that shares his conservative-independent nature, or does he choose a candidate whom the Religious Right will support, but in the process, cause him to possibly lose some independents? Here's a short list:

1. Colin Powell - I don't think that Powell wants to run or would run, but if McCain convinced him to run, I believe Powell would tip the election clearly to McCain, even if the conservatives were ticked with a McCain/Powell ticket. I give this about a 1% chance of happening though, which by the way, would be the same percentage I would give Powell of being Obama's running mate.

2. Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina - I don't know much about him except that he would be favored by conservatives. However, South Carolina is a state that McCain will win no matter what, so Sanford would not be much help regionally. But if he unites conservatives behind McCain without alienating moderates, he would be a safe, albeit boring, choice.

3. Kay Bailey Hutchison - Intriguing. Let's say that Clinton supporters, namely women, are really upset that Obama won. Would Hutchison help McCain win the female-leaning Clinton vote? Would Hutchison be perceived as presidential? This is a must for any McCain pick due to his age. Hutchison has planned to run for Governor, which won't happen until 2010.

4. Mike Huckabee - McCain needs to thank Huckabee for helping him win the nomination, but I don't see how choosing Huckabee would help McCain at all. Huckabee may have "shot" himself in the foot last week with his NRA comment about Obama anyway. I like Huckabee. But I don't view him as presidential. He needs to go the road of Stephanopoulos and become a political commentator.

5. Mitt Romney - Please no. I cannot figure out how Romney has become Mr. Conservative with so many people in the Republican Party. A year ago, he was pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, liberal ex-governor from Massachusetts who ran left of Kennedy for the Senate in the '90s. Now he's Mr. Conservative? I don't get it.

6. Condoleezza Rice - She would be the most qualified, however, serving eight years in the Bush administration would make her a liability to the McCain campaign, as they try to counter the "Bush-third-term" label.

So there's the Republican short-list. In my view, not much of one. The Republican Party is sorely lacking in leadership right now. One name not on this list is Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana Governor. He's only 36, but apparently has been dubbed as the next Reagan. However, he probably isn't ready for national politics quite yet. Any of these names get you excited?

The Plastic Grocery Bag

Whip. Flap. Flap. Whip. Whip. What's that noise? Just a plastic grocery bag stuck high in a tree in our backyard. How long has it been there? Quite a while. Where did it come from and how did it get so high in the tree?

Drive down Eastchase. Exit onto Division. As you take the loop around, try to count the number of plastic bags you see. It may take you a few hundred trips to be able to spot them all.

Cleaning up these plastic bags costs the city over a million dollars every year. Who pays for that? We do.

Thankfully, Arlington is discussing banning the plastic grocery bag. I am all in favor of it. Paper bags would be easier to recycle and easier to control if littered. To go one step further, we could bring environmentally friendly bags with us to the store each time we shop. If we provided our own bags, that's less cost for the store to provide the bags, which may be passed on to us in savings. So this proposal to ban plastic bags makes sense economically (for the city, for property value, and for our grocery costs) and environmentally (both for recycling and neighborhood litter).

With that said, how's the best way for the city council to handle it? Before they just make the decision themselves, I think receiving public response and educating the public as to the benefits would be very wise. Some like the handles on plastic bags, thus objecting to the change. However, the canvas bags that can be re-used have handles as well. Also, many places have paper sacks with handles (Braum's for example). Encouraging local supermarkets to voluntarily remove plastic bags while publicly praising the ones that do (free advertising) might make the transition smoother. If they won't budge, then the council should move forward to do what's best for the community. But grocery stores shouldn't be given a lot of time to comply. Wal-mart, for example, shouldn’t need much time to remove their plastic bags. If they are able to move the merchandise they do, they can move out the plastic bag as well.

Unfortunately, many people view all environmental improvements as some conspiratorial agenda by "liberal evil forces." Forcing the issue right away just feeds that irrational fear. (As an aside, mentioning San Francisco as an example the city is following doesn't help with this group either.) But, I think through partnering with grocery stores and educating the public as to the economic and environmental benefits, perhaps the fears of those opposed to anything "environmental" can be alleviated, and we can take a step to make Arlington a cleaner, more attractive place to live.

Arlington City Council District 6

City politics shouldn't be this ugly. District 6 in the Arlington City Council election has become so. I am trying to make up my mind for whom to vote in District 6. I have narrowed my selection to Vera McKissic and Robert Shepard. However, instead of hearing about the issues that each candidate would address and how they plan on serving Arlington, I have received fliers and phone calls concerning McKissic's "confrontational" approach to governing. Nobody seems to be able to give examples of this confrontational approach, but they have labeled her so nonetheless. Additionally, I have received a phone call from the McKissic campaign stating that she is not confrontational.

Last night was the last straw though. We received a recorded message from Dick Malec, blasting Vera McKissic. His reasons? He mentions her confrontational style and her "dark agenda." The "dark agenda" is the most bothersome aspect of this call. What is Malec implying with his choice of words? Now I'm not a big PC guy, so please don't think I am overreacting to this, but I am very curious why the term "dark agenda" would be used against an African-American candidate. If Malec does not intend a racial undertone with this statement, he should come out and explain his choice of words. Evidently, according to the Star-Telegram, he is bitter that the McKissic campaign is not taking his advice anymore. Good for them. This phone call shows a lack of professionalism - no candidate needs that type of character as an advisor.

I would also like to hear Shepard come out against the negative attacks against McKissic, since he is evidently the one benefiting the most from the attacks. Most importantly, I would like to hear McKissic and Shepard share their ideas on how to fight crime, to attract business, to partner with the school district, and to alleviate traffic concerns. And I would appreciate the newspaper covering these topics so that the voters of Arlington can make a more informed decision than whether or not one is "confrontational."

Besides, here's the deal: I don't mind "confrontational" if it means making Arlington better. In fact, a fighting spirit on the council might be just what the city needs.

American Idol's Dark Side...or Paula Abdul is a Complete Idiot

Stunning. I don't really know what else to make of Paula Abdul's complete mental breakdown last night. I know she has one every week, but none this blatant. I was so flabbergasted by it that I basically tuned out the rest of the show thinking about what her comments meant for American Idol. Here are the options:

1. She is just simply crazy. She truly thought she heard Jason Castro sing twice. While this is a possibility, I find it hard to believe.

2. When mentioning Jason's second performance as lacking, she was meaning to reference David Cook, who sang second. However, this is out the window because she said David Cook was her favorite.

3. The entire show is scripted, or at least her lines. It's obvious that the producers want the show to come down to David vs David. Kind of like how MLB wants Boston or New York or the NBA wants the Lakers and Celtics. In order to make David vs David happen, they have scripted at least Paula's comments to reflect their views. Paula screwed up last night by reading her lines for the next round too soon.

I go with the 3rd option. So what does this mean? Just another "reality" show that is completely scripted? What about the voting, is it controlled as well? I have not read an explanation of what happened last night, but this moment kills AI's credibility. Kind of like how The Biggest Loser lost all it's credibility on the next to last weigh-in this past season. (I know very few people watched the Biggest Loser, but it actually is an intriguing and inspiring show.) Anyway, American Idol meet 21. Charles Van Doren lives again.

To All Christian Drivers in Florida

Florida, my home state for 2 years, is attempting to approve a Christian license plate (pictured above). Of course, whenever a government entity desires to produce a religious work, certain people question the constitutionality of it. In this case, with Florida having so many vanity plates to choose from, I would surmise that it would be upheld as constitutional, so long as the state prints plates for all faiths (or no faiths.) If this were to happen, then Christians in Florida who have the "I Believe" plate should not become enraged when they pull up behind an "I Don't Believe" plate, or an anti-religion plate. In our pluralistic society, what one claims as free exercise of religion (in this case having a Christian plate on the back of one's car) should apply to all equally.

I don't have a problem with the state producing these plates, but I do wish we could somehow control who is able to get them. Yes, I know that would be too much government entanglement, but I fear the person who gets the plate, only then to drive like the biggest jerk on the road. It might not be the best witness to cut someone off in traffic with one's "I Believe" plate staring the other driver in the face. Or, someone with the plate throwing trash out the window, speeding through a school zone, not yielding at a 4-way stop sign, or picking up a prostitute. So if one could pass an "I'm not a Christian Jerk" test, then I would feel much more comfortable with them having the plate. But having lived in Florida for two years, I would gather from the other drivers that there aren't any Christian drivers in Florida - at least not from what I could tell driving around others. (To all my Christian friends in Florida, I, of course, don’t mean you!)

Oh well, if it's a Christian plate you want, go for it, but please be careful how you drive. And don't cause a stink when you pull up behind a car with an "Oprah is My God" plate.

Take Your Child To Work Day

Yesterday afternoon was so much fun… it was "Take-Your-Child-to-Work" Day at G's school. So, after helping Jessica all morning with all she does, Grant spent the afternoon with me at work. The highlights… Grant comparing my class sizes with his class size - he informed me that only one of my classes has more students in it than his… After giving him a tour of the fitness center, or "gym," Grant asked who the gym teacher was… the wheels on the chairs in the classroom were way too much of a temptation for a 5-year-old to remain perfectly still throughout the class… Grant wanting a copy of the quiz that I was giving out to the students… Grant wishing that everyday but Wednesday was a "Take-Your-Child-To-Work" Day. (Not sure why he singled out Wednesday, but he thought it would be good to just go to school one day a week.) Anyway, we had a great day.

In the Name of Love

Early evening, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky.
Free at last, they took your life, they could not take your pride.

Oftentimes in our past, when religious organizations and political parties have joined forces, religious groups have lost their prophetic voice, morphing into a political group that once was religious. This is one of my chief contentions with the Religious Right movement and most notably James Dobson. (Now I don’t want to go off on a James Dobson tangent, perhaps in another post.)

Every once in a while, though, religious voices rise up, challenge the status quo, and help usher justice into the laws of the land. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s effort for racial equality represents one of those times in our history where religious voices made a positive difference (in politics and religion). On this date 40 years ago, MLK was assassinated. As someone who was born in '76, it is hard for me to fathom the extent to which our country justified segregation just a few years before my birth. Schools, water fountains, restaurants, neighborhoods - all segregated simply due to the color of one's skin. King, along with other religious leaders, led the charge to point out these injustices. I am not naïve enough to think that we are in racial harmony now, discrimination and racism certainly still exist in all segments of America, but I do believe that the change brought forth through the civil rights movement has allowed my generation and my children's generation to begin to embrace racial differences not as something to be frightened of, but rather, as something to celebrate.

Our experience in inner-city Tampa taught me many things, one of which is the extent to which discrimination still exists. Having kids in our house after school everyday was such a joy - they were great kids who taught us a lot as we tried to minister to them. Of course, not everyone in the neighborhood shared our view. On one occasion, a neighbor's garage had been broken into during the school day. This "neighbor" confronted me in my front yard, angrily blaming the break-in on the kids that came to our house. As kindly as I could, I attempted to correct his cloudy and prejudiced view, but to no avail. I finally said, "In case you haven't noticed, we live in a bad neighborhood, so why you want to blame the kids who are staying out of trouble by being at our house is beyond me to understand. Plus, they're in school right now." (What I wanted to say was, "You're an idiot, get out of my yard," but he was pretty upset and I don't think I would be a good fighter.)

Our society has a long way to go - de facto segregation, subtle discrimination and racism, socio-economic prejudice - but big strides are being made as well. Much of our progress is due to the determination and prophetic leadership of MLK: "I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land… Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." (MLK, April 3, 1968)

Ode to Opening Day

Play ball!

This Is the Pitching As Best As I Can Remember It

This is my favorite time of year - warmer weather, plants budding, and baseball beginning. After the very unstable start of the MLB season in Japan between the Red Sox and the A's, the real MLB season is about to begin. As always, the Texas Rangers are not expected to do much of anything. In fact, it will probably be considered a success if they win 70 games this year. Even so, I love baseball. (I am disappointed that the Rangers will only be televised on regular TV about 40 times this season. As one of the few remaining people in the country with just rabbit-ears as our TV service, I am frustrated that so many games will be on Fox Sports rather than My 27 or whatever the station is currently called.)

Of course, the Ranger problem this year is a familiar one - pitching. It has been maddening to see the many pitching duds come to town. From Oil Can Boyd to Chan Ho Park to Kevin Millwood, it seems that the Rangers have a hard time landing good pitching. So I began to wonder, "Who are the best pitchers I have ever personally seen pitch?" Not on TV, but in person, at the stadium (or Field, or Ballpark). Here's what I have determined are the best pitchers I have ever seen (in no particular order):

1. Nolan Ryan - Arlington Stadium - early 90s. Even though I missed his 7th no-hitter (9th grade Biology Bug project), I was fortunate enough to see Ryan on other occasions. Definitely one of the greatest.

2. Greg Maddux - Wrigley Field 2006. I don’t have a list of things to do before I die, but if I did, I always said that watching Greg Maddux in person would be one of them. In my opinion, he is the best pitcher in my lifetime. I know that he has deteriorated a bit over the last few years, but in his prime, the Cy Young Award could have been renamed the Greg Maddux Award. Nothing imposing about his presence, just knows how to pitch.

3. Roger Clemens - Fenway 91? and Tampa 2002. I will set aside his performance enhancing drug use to say this - He was awesome to watch in person. While he was with the Red Sox, I saw him at Fenway, then as a Yankee, he was making a rehab start for the Yankees AAA team in Tampa. I got to watch him for a $1. He has the presence and he was good.

4. Pedro Martinez - Spring Training 2002. Yes it was just a Spring Training game, but he was amazing. I am glad I got to see him in person. He may rival Greg Maddux as the greatest pitcher of my lifetime.

Honorable Mention - Kenny Rogers - Ballpark - Perfect Game. I only saw the last inning. I was working one summer at the Ballpark, exchanging the vendor's money for their product. As he got closer to the perfect game, the vendors began to cash out for the night so they could go watch it. I counted the money quickly and headed out too. I sat in the outfield bleachers with $5000 in a bag, high-five-ing drunk guys all around me. It was awesome. And I made it to the bank safely with the money too.

Well, that's my list.

Go Bears

Great moment.

Happy Easter

It hasn't felt like Holy Week to me this year. Maybe it's because Easter is so early this year, maybe it's because I no longer work in a church so I am not as mindful of it, or maybe it's just me. But I have had to remind myself that this is Holy Week. So I have been reading the crucifixion and resurrection stories in the Gospels, reminding myself of God's amazing love for us.

One passage in particular stuck out to me. It is a rather obscure couple of verses in Matthew. I do not recall ever hearing a sermon on these verses, but yet, the power of Jesus' work on the cross is mightily revealed in these verses. The verses that grabbed my attention were Matthew 27:52-53. Jesus has just given up his spirit, the curtain in the temple tore in two, and there was an earthquake. Then Matthew writes in verses 52 and 53, "The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people."

Wow! I know I must have read that many times in my life but I can't really fathom just how wild that must have been. Imagine being in Jerusalem and one day seeing a bunch of people that had been dead coming through the city again alive. What a crazy scene. The life that Christ brings through the cross was so powerful that it broke open some graves and brought folks back to life even before Christ was resurrected.

It reminds me of eight years ago when Jessica and I were in Washington, DC over Thanksgiving. (Thanks Dad for the free trip!) (Funny side note: We had spent Thanksgiving Day touring the various monuments and museums. However, being Thanksgiving, there were no restaurants open there around where we were. So for our Thanksgiving lunch we ate at the little deli connected to the Holocaust Museum. Probably the most random place to ever eat a Thanksgiving lunch - and why exactly is there a restaurant as part of the Holocaust Museum anyway?) But anyway, one day we made it out to the National Cemetery. As we were looking out over all the white tombstones in the cemetery, I remember a lady and her friends discussing how crazy it will be when Christ comes back and the dead in Christ rise. She was describing how so many of the graves we were looking at would tear open as the people would rise to meet Christ in the clouds. A pretty amazing picture!

Well, this passage and this memory have helped me reflect on the significance of this week and on the amazing love that Christ has for us. God loves us so much.

McCain and Autism

“It’s indisputable that autism is on the rise among children,” Senator John McCain said while campaigning recently (March 4, 2008) in Texas. “The question is, What’s causing it? And we go back and forth, and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.” (To read this article, click here.)

A couple of weeks ago, I contacted the McCain campaign, asking if the campaign would address the issue of autism, not realizing that McCain has actually been concerned about the issue for sometime(The embedded video was recorded a year ago). Still, I am very impressed that he has addressed the issue on the campaign trail this year(I realize that countless people have likely contacted the Senator about this issue, so I am not taking credit for him addressing it obviously). While he will undoubtedly take a lot of heat from drug companies and vaccine producers over his above quote, I am proud to support a candidate who is not afraid to seek answers, even if it means ruffling a few feathers along the way. Nothing can be ruled out as to why autism is on the rise. While I am not saying that vaccines are the cause, I don't think they can be ruled out either. I do think more studies need to be done to see whether, in some cases, they are. I am thankful that McCain apparently feels the same way. Just another reason to support John McCain.

February 29th and What We Should Do About It

Ah, February 29th, the most annoying date of the year. And not for the usual reason of "so-and-so is celebrating his 8th birthday today even though he was born in 1976." No, February 29th bugs me for other reasons:

1. It messes up March. Every year, it is usually so easy to know what day of the week a certain date will be in March because it follows the same pattern as February. If February 20th was a Wednesday, then March 20th will be a Wednesday. Except, for this year, where now all the days in March will be thrown off the usual pattern.
2. The weather almanac shows nothing for this date. I am a little obsessed with weather. I believe that if I couldn't be a professor, I might try to be a meteorologist. I love the weather. I usually like to look on my favorite weather website and see what the Almanac predicts for the upcoming days, what the averages are, and what we should expect. Well, February 29th has no almanac info. So I have had no way of knowing whether the weather will be warmer or colder than usual. This bugs me.
3. Our electric bill this month will have one additional day charged to our account. Same for the water bill.
4. For those of us who get paid on the last day of the month, we have to wait one extra day to receive our paycheck. (And of course that paycheck is less per day this year due to the extra day.)

If I were in charge of the world, on my first day in office, I would do away with this silly day. If we need to add 24 hours every 4 years to make sure the earth stays on proper orbit, I propose a better way. Basically, each year is short 6 hours. That's 30 minutes a month. So I propose:

1. Add one minute to everyday of the month for the first 30 days of each month. (Of course February screws this up having only 28 days, so take the extra two minutes and add it to January 31 and March 31.) This would make much less hassle. An extra minute of sleep per day, and extra minute to do all those things we didn't quite get done. I think this would be great. And it wouldn't mess things up like February 29th does. Or,

2. Once a month, add 30 minutes to a Saturday night, like we do during the time change. Could you imagine having an extra 30 minutes to sleep a month? This would be great.

If you think we should have more time to do things, then you should agree with me on this issue. Whether or not these two plans would throw off our days and nights, I am not sure - and it doesn't matter. What I do know is that we need a "change." We need change, and we are the ones to do this. I believe it is time to get rid of February 29th forever. So, in summary, the current February 29th has led to a history of confusion and misguided policy. I am for change (don't worry too much about the specifics of my plan, because I am for change and that is all that matters.) So will you please support me for ruler of the world?

And the Oscar Goes To... ZZZZZZ

OK, so I have three kids and we don't go to the movies much. But for the last two years, I had seen and accurately predicted the Best Picture Winner (Crash 2005 and The Departed 2006). This year, I had only seen Juno. So I was hoping it would win as we sat down to watch the Oscars.

As for the Oscar presentation… pretty, pretty, pretty dull. The White Witch Ice Queen won Best Supporting Actress; an actress I had never heard of from a movie I had never heard of won Best Actress. Seriously, did anybody see that movie? La Vie en Rose has grossed a whopping $10 million. So apparently, only the voting members of the academy have seen it. Pretty much goes for all the nominated films. Aside from Juno ($130 million), the other Best Picture Nominees have pathetically limped through the Box Office: No Country ($64 million), Michael Clayton ($49 million), Atonement ($49 million), and There Will Be Blood ($35 million). So the competition for most of the awards involved movies no one had seen, Jon Stewart, who is normally very funny, was not so much(apparently the writers haven't quite gotten back on their game yet, or they are ticked that Stewart started his show back without them), and the acceptance speeches were so-so, nothing memorable. The best moment goes to the winners for Best Original Song from the movie Once, which was basically just a movie made to publicize their soundtrack, but I was glad they won - I had actually seen the movie(well, kind of, I remember struggling to keep my eyes open at the end of the movie.) Anyway, maybe I'll see more of the nominees next year.

Here's to better movies in 2008.

Just Words and the Clinton Machine

Many months ago, I predicted, along with all the other pundits, that Hillary Clinton would coast to the Democratic Nomination. Everybody has been surprised at her struggles thus far. But remember this - Hillary and Bill Clinton are two of the most astute, nasty, go-for-the-jugular politicians ever. For the last few weeks, Clinton has consistently labeled Obama as just a talker. This has caused Obama to defend his promises and lofty speeches, which is definitely his strong point. However, in what I believe was calculated from the start, the Clinton campaign is now accusing Obama of plagiarism. That his "great oratory skills" are not his own, but stolen from others. (Never mind that Thomas Jefferson stole much of the Declaration from John Locke, or that Matthew and Luke apparently read Mark.) It turns out many of his words are not his own. Is this a big deal? Not really, but the Clinton political machine will beat this plagiarism drum until Obama's one strength, his oratory skills, will be so maligned in the public's eye that Clinton will comeback to win. And if this tactic doesn't work, I am sure the Clinton's have many more ways to go about destroying Obama. Their only miscalculation may have been waiting too long. While the Democratic race is certainly exciting to watch, I have not changed my mind…yet… that Clinton will still win the nomination. We'll know more after Wisconsin tonight. How many Republicans will vote in the Democratic primary just to throw off the results? While Obama leads McCain in the polls now, I really think Obama would be a much easier candidate for the Republicans to defeat in November than Clinton would be.

If Grant Were God

During the past week, we have been reminded just how crazy Texas weather is. We have gone from freezing temperatures to record highs of 82 and now are heading back down to freezing again. Our kids love the warm weather. Over the weekend (with highs close to 80), they pretty much lived outside - in the sandbox, playing on the back porch, etc.

In Texas, we usually go from extreme hot (Spring and Summer) to pretty cold (Fall and Winter). We rarely get to enjoy a true mild fall or spring. I am not sure if Grant was referring to this or if he was commenting on the recent crazy weather, but the other night as he was going to bed, Grant asked: "Why does God make it hot then cold, hot then cold, hot then cold?" Before I could answer he said: "If I were God, I would make it hot, hot, hot, then cold, hot, hot, hot, then cold - so we could play outside longer."

Good Commercial

Here's why I won't support Romney. And I continue to be baffled as to why talk radio supports him so much.

Romitzkimpson

Politics often mirrors sports.

This has been a rough year for Metroplex sports. In basketball, the Dallas Mavericks posted the best record of the season only to be bounced by the Golden State Warriors in the first round. League MVP Dirk Nowitzki had to accept the award in shame the following week. Not to be out done, the Dallas Cowboys added to the local sports catastrophe by losing on a fumbled snap to Seattle in 2007, and then, losing their first game of the playoffs this year to the Giants. Fair or not, Romo now shares the spotlight with Dirk as post-season slackers.

So how does politics mirror this? Enter Fred Thompson. Hailed as the savior of the Republican Party, Thompson entered the race with much fanfare, only to quickly fade into oblivion. I posted before of his initial weak debate performance and his need to "turn it on." He never did. He defended himself by saying he didn't really want to be President, which is a poor defense. Campaigning is grueling, but actually being President is even more so. I want a President who wants to be President.

So Thompson initially fooled me. I thought he would be a great candidate. Entering the race, he claimed first place in the polls. However, I guess this was only a "fairy tale." Once the playoffs began, he Dirked it. Now, Fred joins Dirk and Tony as those who don't quite live up to the hype.

Holiday Claire-ism

On Baby Jesus in the manger: "Look, there is baby Jesus in his nest!"

What I Hate About Politics

Last week, I was reminded of how much I hate politics, even though I can't get enough of it. But I hate politics today because of the lack of concern politicians have for citizens. It's just a game, a conquest for power, that is more concerned with the next dollar collected than with solving real problems.

For 6 1/2 years, President Bush has signed into law every spending bill that came across his desk, caring nothing for the pork. For 6 1/2 years, Bush has expanded government, making it larger and larger, never once concerned about the growing national government.

Last November, Democrats campaigned partly on the need for fiscal responsibility and accountability in government.

Last week, Bush vetoed HR 3043, the Fiscal 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill citing too much pork. Wow, it took him 6 1/2 years to decide to do this? And of all the bills he decides to take this stand on he singles out this one? Why am I so upset about it? Because this bill authorized the use of $165 million for autism research and treatment as authorized by the Combating Autism Act, which one year ago Bush had called a very important act that needed support. And now, he finds fiscal discipline after 6 1/2 years due to $20 billion worth of pork in the $600 billion bill. I don't fault Bush for being fiscally responsible, but I do fault him for failing to do so for all this time only now to decide to veto. Perhaps if he had vetoed other spending bills, this one wouldn't have been laden with so much pork.

As for the Democrats, who talk so much about the need for accountability and decreasing deficits, here they are adding funding for a prison museum, sailing school, and classes in Portuguese among other things. Bush called the Democratic congress a "teenager with a new credit card," which is an accurate description, but Bush has acted like a willful parent signing off on all these measures for the bulk of his presidency.

Through all of this, who gets penalized? One in 120 children and 1 in 94 boys who are on the autism spectrum. In this game of politics, where the issue is more about who can make who look bad, the American people, specifically those dealing with autism, are the ones who get hurt. Wouldn't it be nice to see government try to solve problems rather than play games? Well, that's why I hate politics.

Remembering Charla

Our family lost someone this week who had become part of our every day life. She was our front porch spider, Charla. For months, Charla had resided in the corner of our front porch with a finely kept, intricately designed web, which she always maintained so nicely. Every once in a while, the web would look rather ragged; however, by morning Charla would have it tightly woven again, with the zig-zag pattern prominently displayed. She got her name from Claire, I think, who when referring to her as Charlotte, as in Charlotte's Web, instead called her Charla, a name no doubt she knew from our aunt and real estate agent. (If by some chance aunt Charla reads this, I promise the spider being named Charla was the kids' doing, and something you can even be proud of, because Charla was a magnificent spider.)

Last night, we noticed Charla was missing. Claire said she probably went to her friend's house, Grant thought she was probably sleeping, Jessica and I feared the worst. Before I went to bed, I checked again, still no Charla. The web is failing and it doesn't appear that Charla is still here to fix it again. Then this morning - still no Charla.

Charla reminded us of the beauty of God's Creation. How she worked on her web as an artist, wrapped up her prey, protected her egg sacks, and did it all so gracefully. Jonathan Edwards, a 19th Century American Evangelical, remarked that the ultimate thing shown by the spinning spider is "the exuberant goodness of the Creator, who hath not only provided for all the necessities, but also for the pleasure and recreation of all sorts of creatures, even insects."

So thank you Charla, for reminding us daily of the beauty and intricacy of all of God's creation. And should one day your offspring appear, they will have a welcoming home in the corner of our front porch.

Charla
July -November 2007

World Series Time

I love this time of year. Of all the sporting events, the World Series is by far my favorite. This year's match-up should be great as well, with the tradition of the Red Sox v. the Cinderella Rockies. I am pulling for a great series and for a Rockies win. (Now why can't the Rangers ever get here?)

I started thinking about my brilliant baseball career. My career lasted from 1985-1990 with an attempted comeback that fell short in 1992. (Ok, so my career happened before I was 15. I have never been mistaken for a great athlete.) Here are my career highlights:

1985 - Team: Cowboys, Grade: 3rd. This was my first year of baseball where there was no tee or no coach pitch. I batted .000 drawing many walks and HBPs. I think I got more walks than strikeouts, but I am not sure. Needless to say, I could only go up from here. I believe I mostly played outfield or DH - my fielding has always been a liability, even when I batted .000.

1986 - Team: Cowboys, Grade: 4th. My career year. I batted .500, played better in the field, and was part of a winning team. The highlight of my career came in the quarter finals of the playoffs, where I came up in the last inning with 2 outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd, and the fate of our season in my hands as we trailed 2-1. (Incidentally, whenever the season was over, we had to turn in our jerseys and baseball pants. So in the playoffs, we were supposed to always bring a change of clothes in case our team lost, but I had forgotten mine, which made me worry that I would have to go home in my underwear if we lost.) My coach pulled me over and said, "Just like batting practice." The first pitch I lined up the middle for a base hit, two runners scored, game over. My first base coach hoisted me up and we celebrated the victory. It was a great feeling. Every kid dreams of doing this - it was surreal. I remember afterwards going to Denny's where Pappaw bought us all dessert. Definitely the highlight of my sports career. (Yeah, since 4th grade it has all been downhill for me athletically.)

1987 - Team: Eagles, Grade: 5th. Thus began the dark ages. New team, new coach. The coach was the coach of the team I had the winning hit against the year before. I never liked him all that much - my confidence was gone. I was Roy Hobbs dating Memo. I batted .150. Simply a terrible year. Iris never stood up.

1988 - Team: Eagles, Grade: 6th. Again .150. See 1987 for more details.

1989 - Team: Pirates, Grade: 7th. A rebound year for me. I batted .300 and had the most RBI on my team. New coach, same friends. Still playing the outfield and occasionally 2nd base.

1990 - Team: Pirates, Grade: 8th. A repeat performance as I batted .300 again and led the team in RBI, but I wasn't chosen to be the All-Star representative from my team. It's funny what affects a kid, but not being chosen and not ever having the chance to pitch stuck with me for a long time. This was my last official year of playing baseball. I am not sure why I didn't play in 9th grade, but I didn't.

1992 - Attempted Comeback. I tried out for the AHS baseball team my Sophomore year. I didn't make it - my hitting wasn't consistent (actually it was kind of bad) and I wasn't very fast for a 2nd baseman (in fact, I am pretty slow). So thus ended my playing career.

I have good memories from my baseball days - many of my friends were on my team. Good memories for the most part with the game winning hit as the definite acme of my career. I continue to be a big baseball fan. I learned a lot about myself playing baseball. I experienced the joy of winning, the frustration of losing and not hitting, and the fun of being a kid dreaming about being a baseball player. That is why I love the World Series so much - all the drama and emotion in a simple, yet wonderful game.

Arlington's Crime Tax Proposal

On November 6, Arlington residents will decide whether to raise the sales tax .125% to help fight crime in Arlington. This increase to 8.125 cents on the dollar will enable the city to hire more police officers, more bomb squad officers, and code enforcement personnel. In addition, the revenue would go toward youth and senior adult initiatives.

Arlington is a growing city with a bright future. But with growing cities comes an increase in crime. In order for Arlington to remain a vibrant, attractive city, we need to make sure we lower the crime rate in Arlington. An addition of 48 police officers is a step in the right direction, along with more code enforcement officers who will hopefully crack down on property owners' deteriorating structures.

The opponents of the tax increase, the Citizens for Lower Taxes, cite youth initiatives as part of the problem with this tax increase. First of all, the Citizens for Lower Taxes are always opposing progress in Arlington. If they had their way, Arlington would already be an unattractive city with no future of improvement. This is a very narrow-minded group that has little visionary insight. They seem to live in an Arlington of about 40,000 people rather than a city approaching 400,000. Thankfully, this group is a very small group, but it is a group that will turn out to vote, which represents a threat to this crime tax increase passing.

On the objection to money going toward youth initiatives, CLT is simply not making logical sense. This tax increase is going to fight crime. We want our city to be safer and to stay safe - that's the ultimate goal. The youth initiatives, which grant money to at-risk youth to participate in after school programs, sports, and camps, are simply ways to stop crime before it happens. Cops hopefully catch criminals after or during a crime. The youth initiatives will hopefully stop crime before it happens. Our city is safer and the youth have a better future. It's a win-win. And any plan on fighting crime must take into consideration ways to prevent crime. Having worked in inner-city Tampa for two years, I saw firsthand the need for teens to have healthy alternatives after school. Many of the teenagers we worked with after school were not only safe from crime, but were safe from committing crime. A city that addresses only the after-effects of crime without addressing the causes for crime is a city that will never corral the crime problem. Thankfully, our city leaders appear to see this - hopefully those who don't, such as CLT, will be outnumbered at the ballot box.

I'm voting for the crime tax increase. It is worth the extra $0.00125 it will cost me per dollar to have a safe place to live. I hope you vote for it too.

Claire-ism

We are on round three of the dreaded webworm. For the third time this summer, our yard has been overrun with the crawling, leaf-eating menaces. After spraying them today with poison, something I really hate doing, I came inside and told Claire, "We have webworms everywhere." She said, "I know, I saw one as I came in from the garage today." I said, "They are disgusting and I don't like them." She replied, "No daddy, they're cute. You can like them because they are cute."

Republican Presidential Debate

Yesterday, I was stuck running sound for the same presentation three times at my work. In the sound booth ensuring quality vocals on the microphone for three hours, I quickly found other things to do. So I pulled up the internet and watched the Republican debate in Michigan on CNBC.com. There are still nine Republicans running for the nomination, which makes the debate extra boring and worthless. Why do we need to hear from Tancredo, Brownback, and Hunter? Are they adding anything to the campaign? Is there anyone beyond their immediate family supporting them? Anyway, here are my reactions to the debate:

Tancredo, Brownback, Hunter: See aforementioned question of just what exactly they are doing here. I'll give Brownback some credit - he was the best of these three, but that is not saying much. He did sound rather knowledgeable on the issues and I particularly liked his answer to the biggest obstacle facing the US economy - the breakdown of the American family. But other than that, these three should pack it in and allow others to have more time to talk about the issues. I really don't care what Hunter thinks about China, because he is never going to be close to making any sort of presidential decision concerning it. These three have the same amount of chance of winning the presidency in '08 that I do.

Ron Paul: The most unique positions of the candidates. He is more Libertarian than Republican. I am not sure whether his presence helps or hurts the other candidates. In the first few debates, he may have helped, but now he is a distraction. But, at least you know where he stands on issues - he is not afraid to speak his mind. And he nailed Romney on the Iran question. But he has no chance as well, and at this point, is merely an ideological candidate for the Libertarian Party and a few conspiracy nuts.

Huckabee: I don't know what to make of him. He is trying too hard to have down-home witty things to say all the time. I oppose his tax plan, and I really don't know what more he stands for, except that he is socially conservative. People mention him as a possible running mate for Giuliani, but I think he would be Quayled if he ran as VP.

McCain: A few months ago, I declared his candidacy to be dead. But there is still something I like about McCain. I like that he is not beholden to the Religious Right. I like that he was brave enough to try to do something rational about immigration, even though he is taking the heat for it now. I like his military experience and his opposition to torture. I like the guy - but it may be too late for him to make a comeback. However, there is a sign of a pulse there, so we'll see.

Romney: I can't stand him. Too smooth, too mechanical. And, I don't believe he believes half of what he is saying. Unlike McCain, Romney is trying to fashion himself as a Religious Right candidate, even though he has held positions contrary to them in the past. I find him unauthentic. His jab at Thompson was so rehearsed and lame. His "consulting lawyers" answer was completely out of touch. I would not vote for him - and while much has been made of his Mormonism, that is not a factor as to my dislike for him. I hope he fades quickly, because the Democrats would have a field day with him and the Republicans could lose southern states if he is nominated.

Thompson: At this point in the race, he is my personal favorite. While the beginning of the debate was a bit rocky for him, I could barely hear him in the sound booth - I almost thought he was too tall for the microphone - he got better as the debate went on. But he will have to be much more emphatic with his answers if he wants to gain much ground. He is a very tall guy - I never realized until yesterday how much taller he was than everybody else. He has a way to go to catch Rudy, but he showed a genuine, relaxed attitude that contrasts sharply with Romney's fakeness. I also appreciate the fact that, while he is conservative, he is not pandering to Dobson either - in an interview last week he said he doesn't care to meet with Dobson until Dobson apologized to him. I am eager to hear him articulate his issues in the coming days.

Giuliani - still the front-runner, but for how long? Just how much influence will the social conservatives have in '08? Rudy could split the party, which is why I still doubt he could win the nomination. But I like him as a leader and communicator. He is very genuine as well and quick on his feet. But will he be able to win the nomination merely as a fiscal conservative? He would do well in the general election against Hillary. Of all the candidates, I think he would be the strongest, but if the social conservatives bail on him, he may not have much of a chance. Still, with Hillary as the Democratic nominee, that may be motivation enough for social conservatives to vote for Rudy - just as an opposing vote to Hillary more than anything else.

Of the Republican candidates, Giuliani, Thompson, and McCain would be the three most formidable candidates. Any of those three would be a solid nominee for the Republican Party. But this is a watershed moment, because neither of those three will be in the pocket of the Religious Right, even though McCain and Thompson share much in common with them. It should be an interesting few months.