THANK YOU, P-DIDDY (for nothing)

As I mention below, election season is an exciting time. It can also be a confusing time with all of the important decisions we must make. Thank goodness for Hip-Hop Moguls like P-Diddy who provide guidance and insight during these turbulent times: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_090208/content/01125109.guest.html

#1-Thank you, P-Diddy, for reminding me that in order to be qualified for the Vice President position, one must come from a state that has a significant population of crackheads. Definitely forgot about that important fact.

#2-Thank you, P-Diddy, for reminding me that one must come from a state with a significant crime problem in order to be a qualified Vice President. And all this time I thought that if you were running a city or state with low crime levels, you were doing a good job. Boy was I foolish!

#3-Thank you, P-Diddy, for reminding me how persuasive it is to be repetitive. Your use of the word Alaska 7 times in 30 seconds really drove the point home about how unwise it was for McCain to choose Palin as his Vice President. You must have taken that page straight out of Allen Iverson's book (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI).

#4-Thank you, P-Diddy, for reminding me that you have the power to convince millions, because after all, you are P-Diddy. If you are that persuasive, maybe we should write you in as a presidential candidate and you can be the leader of the free world.

Thank you, P-Diddy, for nothing.

SARAH PALIN

I absolutely love presidential election season. It's a time where anything goes and both the elephants and the donkeys pull out all the stops. One thing that has made this year's election even more interesting than usual is the appearance of Sarah Palin in the big time political picture. Just when I thought that nothing would top the styro-foam columns in Colorado, a moose hunting hockey mom appears on the scene.

Honestly, I thought McCain's best move would be to name Mitt Romney as his VP. I remember listening to the radio when they announced that McCain chose Sarah Palin. Then I heard about her background. I was most intrigued by the fact that she sold the government jet. When I listened to her speech the other night, I was quite impressed. For one of the first times in my life, I saw a real person speaking and not a politician. I love the fact that she is from a small town, and that she went to the University of Idaho and not some Ivy League school. I am also impressed by the fact that she is not afraid to take on tough tasks and that she actually gets things accomplished.

So what do you think? And in particular, I would love to hear what women think about Palin. The floor is yours . . .

PELOSI

Is she for real? I have tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but this one takes the prize. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeUx6o9qpYY
She doesn't even make sense. Please, someone, explain this to me.

ON ALCHEMY AND FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS

Last Sunday, I was bumping around on iTunes Store and I noticed The Alchemist as a free audiobook download. I read this book for a Humanities class back in the day and I quite enjoyed it. I quickly snatched up the free offer. Because my wife and child have temporarily abandoned me, I gave it a listen on Sunday night while I ironed my shirts for the week.

What an amazing and profound book! This book is all about following your dreams and the obstacles that arise along the way. One precept that is repeated throughout the book is that the universe conspires to help us achieve our dreams. Having that perspective transforms apparent misfortune into the path towards our dreams. Think about it. How many times when something "bad" happens do we give up, become complacent, or settle for comfort and ease? On the other hand, if you analyze what has happened from the perspective that it was supposed to happen to bring you closer to dreams, you come away from the experience with motivation and direction.

On many occassions, the author eludes to the various things in life that distract us from our dreams, and perhaps these things come about when we don't have the perspective I mentioned above. For example, the author references complacency and the opinions of others as obstacles to our self-fulfillment. Its amazing how much self-fulfillment we sacrifice for the sake of comfort. But if comfort is so easy, can't we always go back to it if absolutely necessary? However, the opportunity to do and achieve what you really want in life only comes once. It reminds me of that scene in October Sky when Homer Hickam goes back into the mineshaft, and as he travels downward, he looks up and sees the sky (and his dreams) disappear.

So hear is your chance to comment. What is it that causes us to go back into the mineshaft? Does the perspective that the universe is conspiring to help you reach dreams really work? What other thoughts or perspectives keep you from going back into the mineshaft?

REINCARNATION OR DESTINY?

Did any of you catch last week's "Lost" episode? I have to admit, I am addicted to this show. Anyway, there was a flashback to John Locke's youth, and Richard Alpert quizzed him about which objects he owned. Locke first asks Richard if these are objects that Locke can have "for keeps" and Richard reiterates that he is asking which objects were already his. Two of the objects, the compass and the sand, are obviously items that Locke would have on the island. So this leaves only two possibilities in my mind as to how Locke could actually own them. Either Locke lived on the island in a former life and was reincarnated, or Locke was destined to come to the island in the future, and then he would own these objects. What do you think?

CLIMATE CHANGE

Last week, I attended a Water Law Conference. One of the speakers gave a presentation on climate change. I was intrigued by the basic assumptions that the climate change scientists rely on in support of their arguments. According to the scientists, there is a strong connection/correlation between higher levels of carbon dioxide concentration and higher average temperatures globally. The scientist at the conference used a graph that showed carbon dioxide concentration from 1851 to the present time, with a steady increase in carbon dioxide concentration and the present time depicting the highest levels. Likewise, the average temperatures from 1851 to the present time showed a steady increase.

What really interested me is that the scientist said that they have been measuring carbon dioxide concentration levels since the 1970's, and that scientists typically rely on ice core data from the 1851 until the 1970's. I asked him about ice core data, and apparently carbon dioxide concentration can be analyzed be looking at ice. I was surprised at how little he actually knew about ice core data and he even said that he didn't know much about its accuracy.

Interesting how a scientist would assume so quickly that ice core data is valid. If the ice core data is invalid, and the carbon dioxide concentration levels in the late 1800's were similar to today, then we really couldn't say that carbon dioxide concentration is causing the average temperature increase.

I can't say that this scientist represents all of the climate change scientists, but I am definitely skeptical of the statistics and assumptions cited in support of climate change theory. If any one knows more about climate change or the underlying data, I would appreciate your input.

WHY OBAMA?

A few years ago, I heard about this guy named Barack Obama who gave a really good speech at the Democratic National Convention. Then he became a United States Senator. Now he is running for president. Most of the democrats that I have spoken with praise him and are in awe of him. But aside from giving motivational speeches about change, I haven't really heard much about him. What has he done in the past that should persuade me to vote for him? What is the "change" that he will bring to our country? Obama supporters, tell me why I should vote for him. . .