Why do men.....

Okay, maybe this isn't the most PC post but after reading today's Sanders Says post about washing your hands, I've been thinking about it. Why is it that some/most men do NOT wash their hands after visiting the restroom? Twice today I noticed this. Now, I can see while going #1 you could sorta rationalize and say, "hey, I don't pee on my hands" but #2? Give me a break? Let's start a compaign, "Wash your hands!", I don't want your germs.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ....Wireless!

I'm in Long Beach this week for a GRAC conference. My favorite comment today was when this guy comes walking up to me and asks "Oh, are you on the internet?" I was of course (reading how neither the Bears or the Colts will make it to the Superbowl). "Can I check my AOL mail to see if my wife responded to my e-mail?" I responded "a.....sure, I guess."

The Anatomy of Peace

Last night I finished this good book. I highly reccommend it. It is a follow up to a previous book called Leadership and Self Deception. The book talks about how each of us justify our thoughts and actions and how this leads us to wage war (with our spouse, children, friends, coworkers, or neighbors). I should write more about this book and why I liked it so much but I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

Donkeys and Elephants

Like I said in my previous post, I was in Virginia. Being close to “the beltway” makes me feel a bit more politically inclined. On the last day of the training, someone asked me "why I was a Republican". Without thinking much, I rattled off a few things that I thought I should write down here. In no particular order here are some of the things that I believe are important.

Less Government - I think there needs to be less government, less taxes, less programs.
Simpler taxes - I think paying/filing your taxes should be less complicated.
Taxes in general - I think the more you make, the more taxes you should pay.
Guns - I think any law-abiding citizen should be allowed to buy and carry a gun.
Abortion - I'm against it however, I think a women has the right to choose.
Budget - I think our current government spends too much money and we need to get this under control.
Freedom of religion - I think it is really important that everyone has the right to choose how, when, and what they worship.
Capital punishment - I believe that if you take the life of someone else (especially if it was premeditated) then you should die.
Education - I think more control should be given at the local level. Parents ought to have the choice about how/where their children are taught. More money ought to be given to teachers. Lower teacher-student ratios, more accountability in the schools.

Are there more issues to list here? Certainly. I just thought it would be good to write some of these things down. I think over the past few years that I've moved more towards the middle of the road. I CERTAINLY do not like/support the far left/Hollywood/radical/ultra-liberal movement. However, the far right is just as dangerous. In the airport this afternoon I picked up Lou Dobbs' new book "War on the Middle Class". In the brief few minutes that I thumbed through the pages, the key idea that I got from the book was the need for all of us to reread (or read) and ponder the the documents: Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. That's what I'm going to do this week.

Ryan and Richmond

This week I’ve been in Richmond, Virginia, I was here about 5 years ago. This time I was here to work with the Department of Environmental Quality. I stayed right downtown and walked to/from their office. Luckily, the manager of the group was kind enough to take me to dinner a couple of the nights. One of the crappy things about being on the road is having dinner by yourself. Anyhow, the mid-term elections were this week and the state of Virginia was one of the pivotal states in the control of Congress. Last week before I left, I voted down at the County offices in Provo. I had very little free time but did manage to get on the bike each morning and night to exercise. Last night, I drove up to Alexandria to watch the BYU game at Ryan’s house. About a year or so ago he bought a condo and this was the first time to see his new house. Shortly after he moved in Marcella flew out for a weekend to do the decorating. She did a great job. The game was quite entertaining as the Cougars gave a serious beating to the Cowboys of Wyoming (55-7). Driving back was a challenge but I made it safely. Now, home for a couple of days before heading to Long Beach.

PSB

Last Friday, Marcella and I took the boys to see the Pet Shop Boys in concert at the E Center. Jake has known about it for a while but JJ didn't find out until the day before. It was a pretty fun concert and quite different from most of the other concerts that we've been to. It's pretty strange that here we are, 40 years old, and going to concerts with our teenage boys. They played most of their older songs (Shopping, Rent, Opportunities, Always on my mind, Domino Dancing, and my favorite It's a Sin). They also played a bunch of new songs (Minimal, Flamboyant, and I'm with Stupid). They finished singing with Go West. Way to go 80s band!