In no way should you construe the following as even a fraction of a percent of support for Barrack Obama! The ONLY thing I have in common with the guy is that we are both married and have 2 kids...that is it...no more...not a thing more...zip...nada....
Got it?
No confusion, right?
So why do I think he could have done so much for us?
Think back about 12 months ago and try to remember the build up to the dominant force he became. Hillary was the presumptive nominee and was ready to be coronated. He was questioned if he was black enough - by black people. He was ridiculed for not being "down for the struggle" -- a reference to the civil rights struggle in the 1960's. He had to go to Selma, Alabama and speak in a "black" dialect. All to show that he was black enough and that while he may not have been marching for civil rights in th 1960's he understood the pain.
I had high hopes that he would have remained as an "outsider" in racial politics. He got far without having to bow to the civil rights movement leadership defined by the last 40 years by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. You have to understand that race is a business for a large portion of the democrat political machine.
If Barrack Obama indeed had been able to pull this off (as it seemed he was doing it all alone at the time), it could have changed a lot in the power structure of Washington politics. He could have finally, finally put an end to the race business championed by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They presumably wouldn't have helped him get the nomination or possibly the presidency and he would have owed them NOTHING. Their power could have evaporated. They would have limited influence in the Democrat party. We could have moved on.
Alas, the truth came out as it usually does. And like so many other things the true nature of Barrack Obama is being revealed. He is no different from anyone else out of the Chicago political structure and has gotten fully in bed with the civil rights crowd.
So, it is back to business as usual. Barrack Obama 360. No change here. We await for another messiah to free us from the shackles of racial politics.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
And you think kids are spoiled?
My friends we are spoiled. Recently, we have seen the US economy grow and expand to greater and greater levels. Did you know that we are in the midst of the greatest economic expansion in the history of the world? You wouldn't think so if you listen to the media. Yes, there are economic challenges (all created by government by the way) and the economy is going to make adjustments and flatten or even decline. But that is the nature of free markets -- we can't expect continuous growth. What goes up must come down.
Enough of the cliches and back to the topic.
Our growth and expansion has created expectations that are simply not realistic. We expect the power to always be on, that gas will always be cheap, food will always be on grocery shelves, and to own the latest techno gizmo. People born in the 80's and 90's simply have no clue about how hard things can really be for the world, country, or individual. This is especially true if they have never travelled outside of the US. So when the economy takes a dip or gas goes up by $2.00, we of course think the world is about to end. It breaks the mold and challenges our expectations.
So let's put things in perspective to illustrate the point. Take a look at the table below as it describes how long it has taken for 1/2 of the US population to adopt new technologies.
So 100 or so years ago, it took 71 very long years for the telephone to be adopted by 1/2 of the country! Stop and think about that for a minute. Seventy one years -- that is a life time. IPODs are on the other end of the spectrum -- they were adopted in 4 short years.
Chew on this for a while. Come back to it and chew some more.
We live in a time of instant gratification that feeds the "me too" mentality. Don't get me wrong, we should be proud of these achievements and I am not advocating we return to the horse and buggy. But let's re-adjust our outlook on things and not be lemmings and buy into mass hysteria about the first thing we hear about the state of affairs...
Enough of the cliches and back to the topic.
Our growth and expansion has created expectations that are simply not realistic. We expect the power to always be on, that gas will always be cheap, food will always be on grocery shelves, and to own the latest techno gizmo. People born in the 80's and 90's simply have no clue about how hard things can really be for the world, country, or individual. This is especially true if they have never travelled outside of the US. So when the economy takes a dip or gas goes up by $2.00, we of course think the world is about to end. It breaks the mold and challenges our expectations.
So let's put things in perspective to illustrate the point. Take a look at the table below as it describes how long it has taken for 1/2 of the US population to adopt new technologies.
So 100 or so years ago, it took 71 very long years for the telephone to be adopted by 1/2 of the country! Stop and think about that for a minute. Seventy one years -- that is a life time. IPODs are on the other end of the spectrum -- they were adopted in 4 short years.
Chew on this for a while. Come back to it and chew some more.
We live in a time of instant gratification that feeds the "me too" mentality. Don't get me wrong, we should be proud of these achievements and I am not advocating we return to the horse and buggy. But let's re-adjust our outlook on things and not be lemmings and buy into mass hysteria about the first thing we hear about the state of affairs...
Tax Day!
Being a small government, anti-tax kinda guy I thought I would be remiss if I didn't post a blog on the day we all either pay or pay and file a delay.
Have a beer, sit back, and commiserate with the the rest of us -- but don't think you are finished yet! According to the Tax Foundation (http://www.taxfoundation.org/) you have 8 more days of work before you have earned enough (on average) to pay off your taxes. Yes, you read it right. On an average we have to work from 1 January 2008 to 23 April 2008 to earn enough money to pay your taxes.
So while today is tax day, 23 April 2008 is this year's Tax Freedom Day.
See the graph below for a history of Tax Freedom Day.
Overlay the data with who was the president and see the difference...
Have a beer, sit back, and commiserate with the the rest of us -- but don't think you are finished yet! According to the Tax Foundation (http://www.taxfoundation.org/) you have 8 more days of work before you have earned enough (on average) to pay off your taxes. Yes, you read it right. On an average we have to work from 1 January 2008 to 23 April 2008 to earn enough money to pay your taxes.
So while today is tax day, 23 April 2008 is this year's Tax Freedom Day.
See the graph below for a history of Tax Freedom Day.
Overlay the data with who was the president and see the difference...
Monday, March 31, 2008
The India Paradox
Finally, back to posting!
I recently (well it was a few months ago) went to my birth city, Bardoli, Gujarat, India. It was an experience that I cannot describe adequately in words. I took in everything...food, pollution, humanity, food, beauty, sounds, food, and dialog. Yes, I had lots of practice in my native tongue.
I want to share just two pictures that can describe the literal scale from proverty to affluence. The first picture is that of a billboard sign of Mohandas Gandhi with a caption, "Cleaniness is next to Godliness". The irony captured in the picture created the picture moment. The sign itself was absolutely filthy; in addition, the surrounding area was one you would not want re-visit.
I recently (well it was a few months ago) went to my birth city, Bardoli, Gujarat, India. It was an experience that I cannot describe adequately in words. I took in everything...food, pollution, humanity, food, beauty, sounds, food, and dialog. Yes, I had lots of practice in my native tongue.
I want to share just two pictures that can describe the literal scale from proverty to affluence. The first picture is that of a billboard sign of Mohandas Gandhi with a caption, "Cleaniness is next to Godliness". The irony captured in the picture created the picture moment. The sign itself was absolutely filthy; in addition, the surrounding area was one you would not want re-visit.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Are people always looking to sue?
Unfortunately, I may be an unwilling participant in America's litigious society -- fancy words for gosh I hope I don't get sued! How? Let me tell you...
So I was driving home during a normal commute minding my own business. A normal commute for me is driving bumper-to-bumper at an average speed of 35 miles per hour. So, I am driving on I-495 (Washington DC beltway) on the outer loop just outside of Tysons Corner. The traffic in front undergo a "brake check" unbeknownst to me. Long story short, I ran into the SUV in front of me at perhaps 15 MPH (yes, well below my average speed).
What happened next was rather comical. At least, I hope that it remains that way...
The lady I hit stayed in her car. We were in the "fast" lane and I wanted to move the cars over to the left shoulder. I put my hazard lights on and got out. As I as walking towards the car in front, cringing as I knew the damage to my car was gonna hurt, I noticed my BMW hood emblem and other artifacts on the road. Partly embarrassed, partly horror-struck, I quickly scooped up the the souvenirs and threw them in my trunk and proceeded to check on the lady and to have her move the car to the shoulder. As I approached the driver's window something seemed strange. The lady was holding a cell phone and she yelled something like "GET AWAY' and "I'M NOT COMING OUT". Now I often imagine I look like a tough guy, but I am certain I couldn't pull it off. So the lady couldn't possibly be intimidated. She sat here staring forward, wouldn't lower the window, and wouldn't even acknowledge my presence further. I stuck my hands in my pocket and tried to look natural as commuters from four lanes of bumper to bumper traffic stared. I then decided that I didn't want someone to rear end me and moved my a to the shoulder and waited for the authorities.
One ambulance, one emergency vehicle, a hook and ladder, a normal fire truck, a state police, and about 5 flares later...I stood their scratching my head thinking so that is where the tax money goes.
Apparently, the lady statue had already called 911 and yes folks claimed she couldn't move and that her neck was in pain. Luckily a witness had stopped and was kind enough to talk to the lady before the emergency workers arrived and pulled out the "jaws of life". She still would not move but my witness friend was able to at least turn on the hazard lights of the SUV.
So emergency workers strapped her neck and slowly pulled her out head first from the car and directly on to the stretcher. I was grateful this was not a serious accident but sadden to not be able to give a better show to the rubber neckers looking for blood. Although, the lady statue did put on quite a show. She wasn't so statuesque as she desperately asked for her cell phone while on the stretcher. She was either text messaging or calling someone with her arms straight in the air as she was being hauled into the ambulance. I'm sure it was her lawyer.
My car was bruised but I faired well otherwise. I was given a light ticket with no insurance implications and made friends with the officer who was a fellow Hokie and motorcycle rider. I await the call from a lawyer...
So I was driving home during a normal commute minding my own business. A normal commute for me is driving bumper-to-bumper at an average speed of 35 miles per hour. So, I am driving on I-495 (Washington DC beltway) on the outer loop just outside of Tysons Corner. The traffic in front undergo a "brake check" unbeknownst to me. Long story short, I ran into the SUV in front of me at perhaps 15 MPH (yes, well below my average speed).
What happened next was rather comical. At least, I hope that it remains that way...
The lady I hit stayed in her car. We were in the "fast" lane and I wanted to move the cars over to the left shoulder. I put my hazard lights on and got out. As I as walking towards the car in front, cringing as I knew the damage to my car was gonna hurt, I noticed my BMW hood emblem and other artifacts on the road. Partly embarrassed, partly horror-struck, I quickly scooped up the the souvenirs and threw them in my trunk and proceeded to check on the lady and to have her move the car to the shoulder. As I approached the driver's window something seemed strange. The lady was holding a cell phone and she yelled something like "GET AWAY' and "I'M NOT COMING OUT". Now I often imagine I look like a tough guy, but I am certain I couldn't pull it off. So the lady couldn't possibly be intimidated. She sat here staring forward, wouldn't lower the window, and wouldn't even acknowledge my presence further. I stuck my hands in my pocket and tried to look natural as commuters from four lanes of bumper to bumper traffic stared. I then decided that I didn't want someone to rear end me and moved my a to the shoulder and waited for the authorities.
One ambulance, one emergency vehicle, a hook and ladder, a normal fire truck, a state police, and about 5 flares later...I stood their scratching my head thinking so that is where the tax money goes.
Apparently, the lady statue had already called 911 and yes folks claimed she couldn't move and that her neck was in pain. Luckily a witness had stopped and was kind enough to talk to the lady before the emergency workers arrived and pulled out the "jaws of life". She still would not move but my witness friend was able to at least turn on the hazard lights of the SUV.
So emergency workers strapped her neck and slowly pulled her out head first from the car and directly on to the stretcher. I was grateful this was not a serious accident but sadden to not be able to give a better show to the rubber neckers looking for blood. Although, the lady statue did put on quite a show. She wasn't so statuesque as she desperately asked for her cell phone while on the stretcher. She was either text messaging or calling someone with her arms straight in the air as she was being hauled into the ambulance. I'm sure it was her lawyer.
My car was bruised but I faired well otherwise. I was given a light ticket with no insurance implications and made friends with the officer who was a fellow Hokie and motorcycle rider. I await the call from a lawyer...
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Oh, my my...US Women 0-4 Loss to Brazil
So many expectations and hopes were dashed today in the Women's World Cup 2007 in China. Well at least my hopes and expectations were not met...there seems to be a shortage of people rooting for the US these days.
If you were not aware, Women's World Cup soccer is being played in China. The 2nd semi-final match was held today between US and Brazil. Germany defeated Norway in the 1st semi-final yesterday so it will be Germany-Brazil in the finals.
As with any good soccer tournament, controversy reigned. It started the day before the US match when the US coach (called manager elsewhere in the world), Greg Ryan, picked Briana Scurry instead of Hope Solo to be the keeper. Briana hasn't played a game in a very long time and Hope has been the coach's keeper of choice for nearly 54 games. Coach Ryan's rationale was that Brianna has a better record (12-0 with eight shut outs) against Brazil. In addition, Solo did not do so well in the opening match against North Korea. It was a brave move but alas there was no joy. Briana did not play all that well and Hope had the "see I told you so pout" on the side line all game long. The team chemistry definitely did not look well mixed. But still the keeper change was a brave move and one the coach has stood behind. Let the pundits and arm chair captains throw insults and abuse at Coach Ryan.
It is so funny how things shake out. If the US had dominated Brazil and won, the coach would have looked like a pure genius. There is a very fine line that sometimes separate the great from the failures. Think about it. Babe Ruth would have have looked like an idiot if he had struck out after pointing to where he is going to hit the next ball during the 1932 World Series. But instead, he is a celebrated hero for making it happen. Misbah-ul-Haq during the very recent 20/20 Cricket World Cup would have been a hero had he succeeded hitting a "6" with that weird scoop backwards stroke. But instead he is vilified for taking that chance and losing the game for Pakistan (go India). Great ones take chances and are called great because the chance succeeds. Greg Ryan will not be called a great one. It is unfortunate considering his amazing winning record with the team.
I also find it comical how all the US haters are coming out of the wood works and saying US soccer is now dead -- for under performing in a tournament. Read the many blogs out there if you don't believe me. Do they realize the sheer quantity and quality of players coming up from the youth soccer system? No, they do not. Do they realize the US has more youth in soccer then any other country in the world? No, they do not. Brazil has beaten the US only once in the last 22 matches and this victory means that US soccer is dead? Get real people. It must be wishful thinking. They said the same thing after the last wave of great US women soccer players retired (Mia Hamm, Judy Foudy, etc.).
But, I don't want to take anything way from Brazil. The Brazilians played beautifully and demonstrated why Brazil should be feared. They played amazing defense (the prior major weakness for Brazil) and they played as a team. Individual performance had the true Brazilian flare. I am going to love watching Marta play hopefully for a very long time. She is only 21 years old and already has more goals in the World Cup then Mia Hamm had in all of her games.
So it is time for US soccer to re-tool, re-focus, and probably find another coach (which I think is the wrong answer). Chin up girls.
If you were not aware, Women's World Cup soccer is being played in China. The 2nd semi-final match was held today between US and Brazil. Germany defeated Norway in the 1st semi-final yesterday so it will be Germany-Brazil in the finals.
As with any good soccer tournament, controversy reigned. It started the day before the US match when the US coach (called manager elsewhere in the world), Greg Ryan, picked Briana Scurry instead of Hope Solo to be the keeper. Briana hasn't played a game in a very long time and Hope has been the coach's keeper of choice for nearly 54 games. Coach Ryan's rationale was that Brianna has a better record (12-0 with eight shut outs) against Brazil. In addition, Solo did not do so well in the opening match against North Korea. It was a brave move but alas there was no joy. Briana did not play all that well and Hope had the "see I told you so pout" on the side line all game long. The team chemistry definitely did not look well mixed. But still the keeper change was a brave move and one the coach has stood behind. Let the pundits and arm chair captains throw insults and abuse at Coach Ryan.
It is so funny how things shake out. If the US had dominated Brazil and won, the coach would have looked like a pure genius. There is a very fine line that sometimes separate the great from the failures. Think about it. Babe Ruth would have have looked like an idiot if he had struck out after pointing to where he is going to hit the next ball during the 1932 World Series. But instead, he is a celebrated hero for making it happen. Misbah-ul-Haq during the very recent 20/20 Cricket World Cup would have been a hero had he succeeded hitting a "6" with that weird scoop backwards stroke. But instead he is vilified for taking that chance and losing the game for Pakistan (go India). Great ones take chances and are called great because the chance succeeds. Greg Ryan will not be called a great one. It is unfortunate considering his amazing winning record with the team.
I also find it comical how all the US haters are coming out of the wood works and saying US soccer is now dead -- for under performing in a tournament. Read the many blogs out there if you don't believe me. Do they realize the sheer quantity and quality of players coming up from the youth soccer system? No, they do not. Do they realize the US has more youth in soccer then any other country in the world? No, they do not. Brazil has beaten the US only once in the last 22 matches and this victory means that US soccer is dead? Get real people. It must be wishful thinking. They said the same thing after the last wave of great US women soccer players retired (Mia Hamm, Judy Foudy, etc.).
But, I don't want to take anything way from Brazil. The Brazilians played beautifully and demonstrated why Brazil should be feared. They played amazing defense (the prior major weakness for Brazil) and they played as a team. Individual performance had the true Brazilian flare. I am going to love watching Marta play hopefully for a very long time. She is only 21 years old and already has more goals in the World Cup then Mia Hamm had in all of her games.
So it is time for US soccer to re-tool, re-focus, and probably find another coach (which I think is the wrong answer). Chin up girls.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Excursions south of Chennai
I had the opportunity to visit two cities / towns / purams south of Chennai, India. Puram is city in Tamil (or one of the many languages in regular use in India). By the way, did you see the statistic that some 2,000 languages become extinct ever day! Unbelievable. But I digress...back to my adventure. I visited Mahablipuram now called Mamallapuram but referred to as Mahabs. It is a neat town located on the Bay of Bengal and it has a lot of history. There are many ancient temples built in the 7th century at Mahabs. One of which is the Shore Temple -- one of seven temples built by the Pallava kings. The other temples are under water just off the coast.
Upon arriving at the Shore Temple, we were immediately accosted by people selling trinkets and stuff. I assumed I was immediately categorized as a tourist (i.e., weakest of the group) given the number of people that shoved merchandise in my path. No one bothered the other members (CK and SR -- I'll talk about SR in a minute) of the group as they were "locals". I'm not sure how the merchants decided to target me given that my jeans and t-shirt were no different then their jeans and t-shirts. Things became easier once SR stepped in and shoo'ed the merchants away. BTW, "shoo'ing" is an art form that I did not master in my short stay. It takes a certain look, tone, and body language that only real Indians can perform. Maybe I shouldn't be hard on myself given that SR is an ex-policeman. SR was even more impressive later in the day and the next day. SR works in our India office and runs things with military efficiency and speed. He is an ex-guard for the previous chief minister and has a lot of knowledge about the area.
Even with SR at our side, we decided to procure the services of a tour guide, John Pasha. No really that is his name. John was unlike most other tour guides you may encounter in that he was hard to understand, seemed like he was making up facts, and didn't really want to talk too much. But he did have a name tag (that is how I knew his name -- I'm smart like that). John was interesting however and did do a good job demonstrating how Portugese sailors may have tied their ships to the docks -- he put one arm through a hole in a rock and held his hand with the other hand that was wrapped around the outside of the rock -- you had to be there.
SR also demonstrated his knowledge of protection tactics when he had to pull over and let the current chief minister's motorcade pass on the highway. He pointed out the role of each car and particularly the leading car with large antenna's. It was a signal jamming car and mine "finder". At which point I had to look on the ground around my feet to make sure my feet were not on a trigger. Hey, I've seen 24. It got a bit exciting at one point as I wanted to take pictures with my camera phone. One of the guards shouted at CK and SR (again he knew I was an ignorant tourist somehow). The quick translation was to put the cell phone away. Apparently a previous chief minister was assassinated by a bomb triggered by a cell phone. Needless to say I put my cell phone away quickly and took another glance at my feet. I wasn't feeling like Jack Bauer at this point.
During the adventure we had tea (chai) at a road side shop. I am a huge chai fan and had to take in the local color. CK guiltily ordered as the chai guy didn't understand "grande double shot soy extra hot with no water". I say guiltiliy because he rightly predicted it could cause me trouble. The decision doesn't seem too smart 10 Imodiums later! But let me live in that moment...the chai was awesome. It was made with a few drops of strong tea, hot milk, and dried ginger powered. The taste was awesome. You just had to overlook where the flies last landed.
We visited the uninteresting Pondicherry the following day and stopped at the same tea wala -- I just didn't get enough. I was still brave at that point. Pondicherry is a French influenced city and still have many French people who have emigrated to the area. It was weird seeing a white guy (I'm assuming he was French) steer a motorcycle as expertly as the Indians. We visited a museum that had archeological artifacts from the area. The museum tour guide, no it was not John Pasha, was a bit more knowledgeable but not anymore interesting.
All in all, it was a great outing and I learned a bit more...
Upon arriving at the Shore Temple, we were immediately accosted by people selling trinkets and stuff. I assumed I was immediately categorized as a tourist (i.e., weakest of the group) given the number of people that shoved merchandise in my path. No one bothered the other members (CK and SR -- I'll talk about SR in a minute) of the group as they were "locals". I'm not sure how the merchants decided to target me given that my jeans and t-shirt were no different then their jeans and t-shirts. Things became easier once SR stepped in and shoo'ed the merchants away. BTW, "shoo'ing" is an art form that I did not master in my short stay. It takes a certain look, tone, and body language that only real Indians can perform. Maybe I shouldn't be hard on myself given that SR is an ex-policeman. SR was even more impressive later in the day and the next day. SR works in our India office and runs things with military efficiency and speed. He is an ex-guard for the previous chief minister and has a lot of knowledge about the area.
Even with SR at our side, we decided to procure the services of a tour guide, John Pasha. No really that is his name. John was unlike most other tour guides you may encounter in that he was hard to understand, seemed like he was making up facts, and didn't really want to talk too much. But he did have a name tag (that is how I knew his name -- I'm smart like that). John was interesting however and did do a good job demonstrating how Portugese sailors may have tied their ships to the docks -- he put one arm through a hole in a rock and held his hand with the other hand that was wrapped around the outside of the rock -- you had to be there.
SR also demonstrated his knowledge of protection tactics when he had to pull over and let the current chief minister's motorcade pass on the highway. He pointed out the role of each car and particularly the leading car with large antenna's. It was a signal jamming car and mine "finder". At which point I had to look on the ground around my feet to make sure my feet were not on a trigger. Hey, I've seen 24. It got a bit exciting at one point as I wanted to take pictures with my camera phone. One of the guards shouted at CK and SR (again he knew I was an ignorant tourist somehow). The quick translation was to put the cell phone away. Apparently a previous chief minister was assassinated by a bomb triggered by a cell phone. Needless to say I put my cell phone away quickly and took another glance at my feet. I wasn't feeling like Jack Bauer at this point.
During the adventure we had tea (chai) at a road side shop. I am a huge chai fan and had to take in the local color. CK guiltily ordered as the chai guy didn't understand "grande double shot soy extra hot with no water". I say guiltiliy because he rightly predicted it could cause me trouble. The decision doesn't seem too smart 10 Imodiums later! But let me live in that moment...the chai was awesome. It was made with a few drops of strong tea, hot milk, and dried ginger powered. The taste was awesome. You just had to overlook where the flies last landed.
We visited the uninteresting Pondicherry the following day and stopped at the same tea wala -- I just didn't get enough. I was still brave at that point. Pondicherry is a French influenced city and still have many French people who have emigrated to the area. It was weird seeing a white guy (I'm assuming he was French) steer a motorcycle as expertly as the Indians. We visited a museum that had archeological artifacts from the area. The museum tour guide, no it was not John Pasha, was a bit more knowledgeable but not anymore interesting.
All in all, it was a great outing and I learned a bit more...
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