Me=Obamacon

I have been tempted to write about this political season several times since I started this blog. I have refrained though because I didn't have the time or feel inclined to exert the effort to write the post that such a topic would deserve. My own political journey has taken me from a staunchly Republican family to where I am today- fancying myself more concerned with realism and pragmatism (which were conservative values at one time) than having any desire to embrace ideology. My simple answer, when I have been asked, is that this election I think Obama is offering better options than McCain. His positions align with the voices and recommendations of experts that I encounter when I read about the world we live in and the challenges we face. Mr. Andrew Sullivan, whose blog I read daily, offers a much better explained and concise set of reasons than I can, and mostly nails why I, as a self-identified conservative, will vote for Obama this year.

10. A body blow to racial identity politics. An end to the era of Jesse Jackson in black America.
9. Less debt. Yes, Obama will raise taxes on those earning over a quarter of a million. And he will spend on healthcare, Iraq, Afghanistan and the environment. But so will McCain. He plans more spending on health, the environment and won't touch defense of entitlements. And his refusal to touch taxes means an extra $4 trillion in debt over the massive increase presided over by Bush. And the CBO estimates that McCain's plans will add more to the debt over four years than Obama's. Fiscal conservatives have a clear choice.
8. A return to realism and prudence in foreign policy. Obama has consistently cited the foreign policy of George H. W. Bush as his inspiration. McCain's knee-jerk reaction to the Georgian conflict, his commitment to stay in Iraq indefinitely, and his brinksmanship over Iran's nuclear ambitions make him a far riskier choice for conservatives. The choice between Obama and McCain is like the choice between George H.W. Bush's first term and George W.'s.
7. An ability to understand the difference between listening to generals and delegating foreign policy to them.
6. Temperament. Obama has the coolest, calmest demeanor of any president since Eisenhower. Conservatism values that kind of constancy, especially compared with the hot-headed, irrational impulsiveness of McCain.
5. Faith. Obama's fusion of Christianity and reason, his non-fundamentalist faith, is a critical bridge between the new atheism and the new Christianism.
4. A truce in the culture war. Obama takes us past the debilitating boomer warfare that has raged since the 1960s. Nothing has distorted our politics so gravely; nothing has made a rational politics more elusive.
3. Two words: President Palin.
2. Conservative reform. Until conservatism can get a distance from the big-spending, privacy-busting, debt-ridden, crony-laden, fundamentalist, intolerant, incompetent and arrogant faux conservatism of the Bush-Cheney years, it will never regain a coherent message to actually govern this country again. The survival of conservatism requires a temporary eclipse of today's Republicanism. Losing would be the best thing to happen to conservatism since 1964. Back then, conservatives lost in a landslide for the right reasons. Now, Republicans are losing in a landslide for the wrong reasons.
1. The War Against Islamist terror. The strategy deployed by Bush and Cheney has failed. It has failed to destroy al Qaeda, except in a country, Iraq, where their presence was minimal before the US invasion. It has failed to bring any of the terrorists to justice, instead creating the excresence of Gitmo, torture, secret sites, and the collapse of America's reputation abroad. It has empowered Iran, allowed al Qaeda to regroup in Pakistan, made the next vast generation of Muslims loathe America, and imperiled our alliances. We need smarter leadership of the war: balancing force with diplomacy, hard power with better p.r., deploying strategy rather than mere tactics, and self-confidence rather than a bunker mentality.
Those conservatives who remain convinced, as I do, that Islamist terror remains the greatest threat to the West cannot risk a perpetuation of the failed Manichean worldview of the past eight years, and cannot risk the possibility of McCain making rash decisions in the middle of a potentially catastrophic global conflict. If you are serious about the war on terror and believe it is a war we have to win, the only serious candidate is Barack Obama.

I'm back!

I have acquired a new reader and she's wasted no time in drawing me back to this blog. I know a few of you have been craving for me to get back to posting more regularly. When I was younger (by which I mean up until about 6 months ago) I usually put my thoughts down in words only when I was going through tough times. Hence I have several half-used notebooks and one deceased blog full of mellow dramatic rants and declarations of undying love to the few women in my life I have really fallen for.

So, with a little deduction you can probably assume that do to the absence of any regular updates that things have been going very smoothly in life lately. All of this is a very long way of saying that I'll try harder to post more regularly and so, on that note, on with the show...

1. When I was in the 4th grade, my brother caught me with a fish hook between the eyes while he was attempting to cast. I was rushed to the emergency room with a night crawler danging in my eye...extremely blessed that the hook hadn't landed a half inch to the left or the right.

2. I once told a girl I had a crush on that I thought it was "disgusting" when she told me she thought I was good-looking. It was probably the longest day I ever spent at work.

3. I voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. I did so the first time with extreme eagerness. I did it the second time because I was angry that my state's votes were going to John Kerry regardless of my vote.

4. If I could have anyone's sense of humor it would be Jon Stewart's.

5. I've seen U2 in concert 7 times in my life.

6. Absolutely destroyed my 6th grade teacher's all-time record in her annual "Global Pursuit" trivia game.

7. Went to the Columbia River Gorge today and couldn't believe it...

I don't even think I know 7 people with blogs so how about it you read this and want to consider yourself tagged you can leave a link to your blog in my comments section. Deal?

Crazy World Indeed

How insane has this week been? Some saying we are on the verge of a Great Depression-like situation. Also, a very really reminder that you can't always get what you want and that sometimes you can really hurt someone even when you are trying to do the exact opposite.

Weekend in Review

This weekend was the first time that I had both Saturday and Sunday off since I started working. The urgency of the project is over as the deadline has been successfully met. Thus, no need for overtime. Friday, we began transitioning into a new project that and so I will have a while longer to continue working at this job. It was also brought to my attention by my co-worker that our supervisor on this assignment was asking her what she knew about my background and qualifications because there "are always opportunities here." So it will remain to be seen if something more permanent will emerge from the situation. Honestly, I'd have to give such an option serious consideration if the pay was right since it's been such an ideal situation so far. I'll keep you all posted.

The weekend was great. Saturday morning, Tim, Julia and I headed off to a great farmer's market that is located at Portland State University. I bought some delicious strawberries. Tim came home with a nectarine he really enjoyed and Julia, who was the only one smart enough to bring along any real amount of money, brought home all sorts of fruit and vegetable delights. Then I hiked off, with the two love birds dawdling behind to find the main library which was a few blocks away. The library is in a grand, old three story building. It was a pleasant experience walking through all the rooms checking everything out and acquiring a new library card. I plan to spend a lot of time there this coming winter as it will provide a nice way to get out of the house when the winter sets in.

This morning, Tim and I went out and bought a frisbee. Then we headed over to the University of Portland with Julia and Sluggo, her dog. It was a very beautiful day in Portland today and so we joined not a few UP students in the quad. Tim and I worked on our frisbee throws. He wants to learn to play Ultimate and Julia ran her dog silly chasing his ball all over the place. It really made me miss college and everyone I knew at Chapman but it was a leisurely day nonetheless.

Tonight, Tim and I went to a church that one of my temporary co-workers told me about when we were working together. It's called Red Sea. From what my coworker told me and what I could glean from the website I understood the church to be affiliated with Mark Driscoll's Acts 29 Network of churches. I assumed the experience would be similar to the white, urban evangelical church stereotype that I have in my mind. Largely it was except for the fact that 3/4 of the congregation are black. I don't know that this is even noteworthy and in some way it makes me feel kind of weird to even point this out as noteworthy. This congregation, though small (there were only around 40 there tonight) was by far the friendliest group of Christians we have gone to church with since we've been up here. After the service was over, we were invited to dinner by many of the people in the church and also invited to someone's house for BBQ and a movie on Wednesday. I felt bad having to decline both offers but Tim and I were exhausted after the events of the afternoon and this Wednesday I think Megan and her parents will be in town.

I'm not really sure what to do about the church. There is no reason not to go back, but like Imago Dei, I'm not sure if I should commit to something right away. Should I keep exploring or just settle down?...realizing that ultimately church is about things that are so much bigger than just me.

A Feast

I don't know if I'm surprised or what but between the two of us Tim and I can whip some really good stuff. Tonight: steak and mushrooms, asparagus, baked potato and spinach and a big, delicious beer to wash it all down with.

Aside from that, work continues to go well. I got an issue of Portland Monthly magazine earlier this week and so I know have some ideas of things to see and places to eat around town. Can't wait to explore!

August 23, 2008

I played two and a half hours of ultimate today at a park that I walked to. I missed the camarederie of my friends but this was still a ton of fun. Last night, I went to a baseball game with my ex-boss. Again a lot of fun.

Reality Sets In

I had a great day today. Then after a nice evening work out as I'm settling down for bed my brother comes home to inform me that someone stole the catalytic converter off his truck. I guess Oregon has its fair share of low lives as well...Now I don't know how to express in a blog how angry I am.