The Veep Debate

Obviously, I think Biden won.  He was gracious, informed, informative, and overall, he's right on the issues.  Time after time, he corrected Palin (note no response to his charge that the "vote against" standard she used was "bogus") and Palin had to tactily concede the point.  You may also have noticed that Palin was ignorant of the tragic accident that robbed Biden of his first wife and infant daughter.  Even after he mentioned it (noting that Palin was the sexist here, not Biden), she did not acknowledge it.  Callous would be a good word.  

That said, Palin acquitted herself much better than I thought she would.  She gave the same mini-speech many times, but didn't go off the deep end like her Couric interviews did.  

Tactically, it is clear that the Palin/McCain ticket wants to say "we are different than Bush".  It is also very clear that they can not articulate one way that their administration would be different/better than the Bush's.  

The biggest thing on the foreign policy front is a semantic difference that I think is important: Palin uses "Fight" and Biden uses "Work".  This is key.  Palin talked about a passion for foreign policy.  McCain can only talk about all the preconditions Iran would have to meet before diplomacy can even start.  Iran is not going to kowtow to the US.  If we engage with Iran, we have a chance at some headway.  Not engaging = path to war. 

Last time I checked, war was not good.  Choosing a path that leads only to war is not good either; it's also stupid.  We did that with Iraq, see?  It wasn't really helpful.

I would have voted for McCain in 2000.  I was on the straight talk express.  But he's not the same guy any more.  And he has nothing substantive to offer.  Compare Obama's energy plan and McCain's.  One is unrealistic (McCain's plan has a ridiculous call for 45 new nuclear powers plants and no plan to make that happen) and the other has specifics where possible (require all vehicles to have flex fuel capability) and a plan to figure out the right specifics (new nuke plants require figuring out waste disposal first).  

Sorry, that was rambling.  I'm excited to get my ballot - I'll be voting early and often this season.

Him Who is Mighty to Save

Once a month, Mormons fast for 24 hours and give the proceeds saved to the poor.  This usually happens on the first Sunday of the month, and it's called Fast Sunday.  The meeting that day is not a group of speakers like most meetings.  We sing a hymn, take care of church business, take the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and then the meeting is opened to the congregation.  Anyone who feels directed by the Holy Spirit is encouraged to go up to the podium, and tell about their experiences with faith.  

Today was such a Sunday.  I felt before I left for church this morning that I should bear testimony, but didn't feel the need so strongly in the meeting.  But I do feel the need to do so here.  

Over the last 6 months, I've had a very good opportunity to understand how the Atonement affects me personally.  I understand now that the Atonement is the answer to all of my problems, if not all of my questions.  There's a difference there I only recently understood.  Many of my questions will be practical, tactical things: how do I write this performance review?  When and how much is appropriate to teach my children about sex?  Should I stay with my current employer, or look elsewhere?  

My problems are usually more metaphysical: I feel depressed.  I feel like I haven't done right by someone else.  I feel that I haven't put as much action into things I care about as I should.  I feel pain because someone I love is going through a tough time.  I have a habit I need to break.  What I understand by the Atonement is that God loves me.  And everyone reading this.  And everyone who doesn't read it.  That's first.  Secondly, when Jesus suffered in the Garden and felt everything a human can feel, he gained understanding of exactly where I am.  That real-ization has changed my life.  When I am faced with a situation that seems too great for me to bear, I can turn it over to Jesus, and know that He will deal with it for me.

Does that sound kooky to humanists?  I really don't care.  I know for a fact that it works.  When I can't concentrate because my brain won't slow down, I have a little prayer time, and I'm back on track.  When I hit writer's block, the same thing.  Just knowing that God can take the weight off my mind allows me to be free, and to be more of the person I thought I was but found it hard to be.  

He who is mighty to save has certainly helped me.  The Atonement means everything to me.  If only I'd understood it sooner.

Hiking Marion Lake

What a weekend!  Christian and I met up with 2 guys from work to backpack into Marion Lake in the Jefferson Wilderness area this weekend.  What a beautiful place.  We had a better-than-fabulous time.  If you're a backpacker and haven't been there, go.  If you're not and are thinking about getting started, go.  You can't miss.

Getting there

Directions are simple.  Take I-5 to Salem, and get on Hwy

 22 East.

Follow Hwy 22 through some delightful small towns to just past milepost 66.

Turn left on Marion Creek Rd, follow it 4 miles to the trailhead.

The hike

2.5 miles, of mostly slight uphill grade.  Total climb is 600', none of it steep.  The trail is very well kept.  You don't see any of the burned area on the hike in.  The 

forest is quiet in late September, with just the sound of the sunlight streaming through the treetop canopy.  There are a few streams

 on the way in, none very large until Lake Ann.  Marion Lake is just 0.3 mile past Lake Ann if you turn left at the fork.  If you 

tu

rn right, it's over a mile to the first camp site.  

Staying

The camp sites around the lake are huge, and there are a fair amount of them.  There's a large one right when you get to the lake, another 0.25 mile toward Minto Pass, another half a mile further on, and I would guess a few more that I didn't see.  They're mostly group sites, with enough room for a dozen tents, and all o

f them are right on the water.  There's an equestrian camp if you head toward Marion Peak.  The camp is about 60' down a bank, but the trail is pretty good.

Adventures and views

Once you pick a camp site, you can head out on day hikes.  You can get to the areas that burned in the 2

003 B&B fire within a couple miles either toward Marion Peak or Minto Pass.  The regrowing forest is alive in a way that the mature forest is not.  It reminds me of my 2 year-old son; so fresh.  Everything is beautiful there.  Three Finger Jack dominates the Lake scene from the camp sites.  If you climb a bit, Mt Jefferson comes into view. 

Impact

I've never been much of a Boy Scout.  I was a First Class, but got too busy with teen stuff to care about it much after I turned 14.  But the 3 camping experiences I had as a kid were great.  Between 1991 and this year, though, I'd only been backpacking once, in 2001.  It was fabulous, and lit the fire for me.  After I finished school this year, I resolved to go camping with Buddy.  We've gone twice this year, and it's been wonderful.  It's by far the best way to get me away from my computer.  So I'm hoping to go several times in 2009, and even hopefully a snow camp next winter.  I love the outdoors!  I'm so glad to live in Oregon.  There is not any more beautiful place on earth!

My Son is a Wimp. Yay!

We got a call from the Principal today. It's our first. Our oldest is in 3rd grade, and never has been within 100 feet of trouble. Christian has been in first grade for 2 weeks and 3 days, and we got the call. He was involved in an altercation at school today. A girl bent his finger back in the classroom after losing a math game, and it really hurt him.

He has a large array of things to do in retaliation, like everyone does. Angry words, hit her back, walk away, taunt her. But he didn't take the aggressive actions he could have. He teared up, and that was it. His teacher saw what happened and took care of the girl.

Katrina called me to say how proud she was. I'm a little torn. I've always felt a little shame that I didn't stand up for myself more when I was a kid. At the same time, we have taught our kids pretty relentlessly that physical retaliation is not appropriate in any circumstance. And Christian has no fighting skills - we haven't taught him how to fight.

In the end, I know it takes stronger character to not retaliate than it does to fight back. So I'm proud of him, too. He's a very good kid. Even though we have issues with him fighting with his siblings sometimes, he always recognizes when he's wrong. So, at 6, he's learned an awful lot about himself, dealing with others, and reactions to a difficult situation.

He's a sensitive kid. As a child, I cried a lot. Other kids called me a crybaby. It didn't help me that I knew even then that they were right. As I've gotten older, I've learned to control it a bit. I'll never be a stoic. I have wished that I learned how to control that better when I was younger. I wonder if he'll cry when other kids call him the equivalent of "Tom cat"? Or when he comes in second in the spelling bee? Or loses once in a math contest? Spilling a bit too much of my past here....

So I hope he can learn to think about his reaction before he does it. I no longer cry when someone says something negative to me. It's hard for me to speak to people in authority for some reason. My boss is fine, his boss is fine, but dealing with management above that level in a 1:1 context is hard for me. Likewise, when speaking to groups about things that are really important to me (like giving retaliation and harassment training to my team at work or speaking in church) often makes me tear up.

Maybe that's why one of my favorite country songs will always remain "The Coward of the County".

"Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics...

...do not know what religion is."

-Mahatma Ghandi

Last night I daydreamed a TV-movie speech that will never be delivered.  Here's the screenplay.  I've added links where appropriate.  My church is filled with wonderful people.  Most of them are conservatives, with a smattering of Libertarians and a handful of liberals out of the 300+ that come to meeting each week.  Sometimes it seems like there's just not an ideological space for us liberals there.

(A hundred people or so are gathered in the main hall of a church.  It doesn't have windows, but is well lit from the ceiling.  The people are seated in pews, lightly sprinkled throughout the room.  Teacher is standing in the front of the pews, facing the class.  There's a blackboard on wheels, and the word 'Idolatry' scrawled across it.  Katrina is seated about 2/3 back, house left.  Class member #2's hand is raised.)

Class member #1: You know, hearing the way that Democrats talk about Joe Biden, it's like they're worshipping him.  Like he's an idol.

(Katrina raises her hand)

Teacher: (pointing at Class member #2) Yes?

Class member #2: I was going to say the same thing.

(Teacher glances at Katrina)

Teacher: I'm going to cut off this discussion right here.

Katrina: (stands up) I'm sorry, but I need to say something.  (Looks around at other class members) Why do you come here?  Why are you here instead of some other church?  Or waterskiing?  Or working?  I come here to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of my own conscience.  I don't recall there being a requirement to be a Republican (one by one, people start to look at the floor) to be here.  I will gladly cast a vote for Obama and Biden this fall, and I'm a liberal, and I'm sick of sitting here in church and feeling like I'm the enemy.  I've heard liberals called enemies here, heard all sorts of wacky things said about Democrats, and I won't sit silently any more.  If we agree to a truce, and we can leave politics at the chapel door, that's fine.  But if politics intrudes on our worship and learning here, then I will speak.  I've just heard 2 people say that Democrats are treating Biden like an idol.  I have heard you speak of Sarah Palin like she's the best possible person to have in the White House, that she's perfect.  Are you blind to the hypocrisy?  You talk about Obama being for abortion.  He's not.  He thinks that's a decision between the woman, God, and whomever she counsels with.  Obama's position on abortion matches the church's more closely than Palin's does.  But you can't see it!  The Republican culture of life has killed a hundred thousand people in Iraq and 4000 Americans!  Can you not see that?  Do you realize that when we are asked to live the United Order again that we'll have universal healthcare?  And taxes will be close to 100%?  You see poor people getting poorer and rich people getting richer.  You see the economic disruption that's messing with all of us in one way or another.  There are too many abortions in America.  I love you guys.  I do.  We see the same problems, and seek the same ends.  (one by one, most heads come up and look at her)  It's just our means that differ.  But that doesn't mean that you are wrong or that I am wrong.  Can we be friends and sisters and brothers?  And leave enmity outside.  And work together for the common good.   God loves all of us the same.  Can we love each other that way, too?  (sits)

Teacher: Okay then.  I don't know what to say.  What do you all want to do?  Leave it at the door?  Or are you willing to have a 2-way discussion?

Class member #3: She's right.  Let's leave it at the door.  I'll do it.

Class member #1: Katrina, I'm sorry.  I'll leave it at the door, too.

Teacher: Any opposed? (no response) Done.  Thanks.

Palin...experience matters

...but positions matter more.

So the theme from McCain that Obama is unqualified is obviously out the door.  Sarah Palin does not even cross the (admittedly audacious) threshhold that Obama set for experience.  Palin's actions in office and worldview are, however, deeply troubling.  

First, I'll get a caveat out of the way: most of my friends at church are Palin supporters.  

I depart from orthodoxy here to talk some about Palin.  Generally I don't like to do ad hominem, but the Republicans have made this an election about narrative and personality, not issues.  Thus, the person becomes the issue.  Really, we don't know much about Palin and where she stands on the issues.

Conundrum #1: Palin literally believes the Bible to be true, to the extent that she believes that dinosaurs and people walked the earth at the same time.  I believe the Bible to be the word of God, but also recognize that God speaks to people according to our understanding (2 Nephi 31:3).  Thus, the scriptures are a way that God teaches us, but the Bible was given to an ancient people so they could understand it.  Whether Palin believes the earth was created 6,000 years ago or 3 billion years ago is not relevant to me.  If Palin believes she should bring on a nuclear war to usher in the rapture is VERY relevant to me.  I disagree with the theology of the Rapture (it's not in the Bible), but I disagree more with the idea that someone would use their religious views to do things that will cause real people to die.

Conundrum #2: Palin has no idea about international relations.  She told Charlie Gibson that Georgia should be part of NATO.  When he questioned her about the implication of a Russian attack on Georgia, she replied that sanctions would be good.  NATO article 5 states that an attack upon any NATO member is an attack upon all NATO members.  Palin's statement can be back-stepped to reason that if Russia attacked the US, she would be for sanctions.  She would never admit to this position, of course, but her statements mean that either she doesn't understand our NATO obligations or she isn't really into defending America.  I surmise the former to be more likely.

Conundrum #3: Palin does not have faith in science.  There is a large swath of America that shares her beliefs in creationism.  There is a large swath who share her belief that climate change is not anthropogenic (I'm not convinced either.  See here.)  Those are fine - she doesn't have to believe the same things I do.  But I do require that my elected officials allow me to believe what I choose to believe (see here and #11 here) and take action according to the best knowledge we have.  Knowledge trumps faith - real faith will find a way to reconcile with knowledge; blind faith denies knowledge a place.  The Catholic church was able to do this with Galileo after a long time (from 1633 to 1992).  We don't have that kind of time any longer, because our decisions have such swift consequences.

Conundrum #4: Palin's beliefs on abortion are rather extreme.  I am personally pro-life.  I also believe that such a difficult and life-altering decision belongs to the mother and people she consults.  Those people may include a religious leader, the father, the mother's parents, and God.  It is not my decision to make for her.  Nor is it Sarah Palin's.  Most people (even most liberals) believe that there are too many abortions in the US.  So we should do what we can do reduce abortions (see page 50). 

Conundrum #5: She's inconsistent.  The Bridge to Nowhere claim has been debunked time and again.  She was not a McCain supporter until he offered her the job as VP.  She said that she was not someone who thought that people had anything to do with climate change, then she claimed the opposite (there are semantics involved).  So where does Palin actually stand on anything?  We really don't know.  And someone I don't know is someone I can not trust with the Presidency.  The stakes are too great.

Camping with Christian

During the summer, Christian and I have had a few opportunities to hike together.  On our road trip, we hiked the side of one of Mt Adams' foothills, a ski slope in Park City, Utah, and Multnomah Falls.  He's done well every time.  Christian is not a great athlete (yet), but this is no surprise given his parentage.  But he is pretty tough for a 6 year-old.  

So when I called my best friend Sean and proposed a camping trip with the boys, I had a hike in mind.  I didn't know which one, but I wanted to hike an

d camp in the middle of nowhere.  Sean proposed the Molalla River Recreation Corridor, and that's where we went on Friday.  I took off from work at 3, and at 4 we were in the car heading to Sean's house.  We packed the gear into Sean's van, and took off.  3 boys 8, 6, and 5, and 2 dads who had never camped with just their kids before.  

We wandered around a bit first trying to find the right spot to park the car and hike a mile into camp.  

That 

effort failed.  

So we

 settled on a spot on the side of the road that was an actual camp site and started to settle in.  

The boys went to the river and threw so

me rocks.  I started boiling water for mac and cheese.  Sean got the water for boiling hot dogs ready.  Dinner was yummy.  We had a great camp fire, roasted marshmallows, and talked until late at night.

And you know that most fun part of the trip?  Getting to know Sean's kids.  They're great kids - fun, smart, nice, energetic, happy.  Eric helped me put up my tent, Djeryd and I had discussions about Star Wars and books he was reading, and he had questions, questions, questions.  I love to answer questions.  When Eric called me Unc

le Tom I felt pretty special.

Christian and I had lots of fun, but he spent lots of time exploring on his own - he'd rather figure something out than ask a question.  Making some new friends in the woods was wonderful.  Sean and I got some time to talk, too.  We hadn't had a slow opportunity like that in years - more than 10 years.  Far too long.

In the morning, we packed up camp, and started up the trail to Table Rock.  It's 4.5 miles one way.  We got 3 miles in and with 1 knee acting up and a kid getting tired, prudence was the greater part of valor.  We decided to turn around.  2 of the kids walked the whole way.  The littlest guy was carried off and on for about 2 miles coming home.  

The views were great, the trail was nice, and the forest out there is so quiet and calm.  So much more of the world was that way until we got engines and power lines and roads.  I love the woods, and will return often, I think.

We're going somewhere again in 2 weeks - hopefully it will be just as fun.  And you'll see a post.

Today's Disappointment...or not

I have been agressively pursuing an expat assignment in Japan for the past few months.  I passed the interview, and was engaged with our executives to figure out a package that would work.  In the end, we couldn't make it work.

I didn't ask for much in the way of money, but I did ask for an exception to policy.  In this case, the money was not a problem, but the project wasn't high enough of a priority to bend the policy rules.

So, let me say it: "ARGGHHH!!!"  Now that's over.

So what's next?  I retain my old job (not a bad one), and the fact that my VP went to bat for me feels pretty good.  On the other hand, I really really really want to contribute to my company in a big way, and my current position makes that almost impossible.  It also makes the last 4 years of business school irrelevant.  My freshly minted MBA is already gathering dust.  

So what's next?  Firstly, I'm going to be the single best supervisor at NPI.  Period.  Secondly, I'm going to close out the projects I have on my plate.  Thirdly, I'm going to polish my resume and see what else is out there.  Maybe there's a Portland company that needs a Japanese-speaking MBA grad with 10 years experience in service operations.   Fourthly, I'm going to go home at a decent hour, spend time with my family, and work on the house.  Goodness knows those things all need to happen.

Happy living!

Vacation - Trout Lake Washington

We spent the weekend of August 9th packing and prepping for the big vacation.  I put down foam and carpet in the back room (looks nice now) and got laundry caught up so Katrina could pack for the kids.  On Monday, dad and I took the kids to OMSI for the day so Katrina could do whatever she needed to. 

We all got in our seatbelts at about 1pm Tuesday, said a prayer, and off we went.  We took the Bridge of the Gods to the Washington side of the Columbia and wound along the river until we headed north on Hwy 141.  Trout Lake is a little town that used to be a lot bigger.  In the middle of the 20th century, it was home to lots of logging.  My father and many of his school mates worked on dairy farms in the area.  

We stayed at Elk Meadows campground.  To get there, you head North through town and follow the signs.  They're hard to miss.  It's laid out like a state park.  Our site had full hookups, was huge and right on the meadow in the name.  

The picture of my father was taken in the early morning as he sat on the split-rail fence that separated our camp site from the meadow.  Mt Adams is just off to the right.  There are some more photos on my facebook page.  

My dad lived here longer than anywhere else growing up, a total of 4 years broken into 2 2-year stints working on Stan's dairy in Trout Lake.  He took us on a tour of the town while we were there.  The old Trout Lake school, which housed all 12 grades in a 2-story building, is still standing.  It's called Jonah Ministries now, and is undergoing heavy renovation.  The folks at the school were kind enough to let us walk through and take pictures.  Dad's 3rd grade class was the only 3rd grade class in the school.  The entire high school was about 6 rooms on the 2nd floor.  I hadn't known dad has ever been on stage before, but he mentioned that he was a tree in the school play at this school.  I got a picture of him reprising the role.

The farmhouse the family of 9 lived in is still standing.  The field surrounding the house is where dad learned to drive a tractor when he was assigned to spread manure over the hay field.    We went to the general store that has stood there since the 30s, still with its original wood floor, and run by the founder's grand-daughter.  

We had a great Family Home Evening there with mom, dad, Elna, and our clan.  Aria was in charge of the activity, and decided that we'd make up camp songs, boys vs girls.  So we split up.  It was a blast - the boys did a pirate song about the Trout Lake Creek, and the girls made up new lyrics to Popcorn Popping.  

We left Trout Lake on Thursday morning after dad and I took a sunrise dip in the creek.  It was refreshing, and we didn't die of hypothermia.

Back from Vacation!

Short post today. We left on August 12 and got back last night. On the way, we traveled 2800 miles in the motorhome, 200 miles in a rental car, hit 6 states, I don't know how many counties, 2 national monuments, 9 different camping/sleeping locations.

Significant stops: Trout Lake Washington, where my dad spent 4 years as a child; Montpelier, Idaho, where my dad worked for a summer as a young man and where my aunt still lives; Mountain Home, Utah, where my dad's family lived until he was 2; Park City, Utah, where we spent a week at a timeshare doing fun stuff around Salt Lake; Idaho Falls, Idaho, where my parents were married and close to a museum dedicated to a famous relative of mine (no, not this museum) is located; Craters of the Moon National Monument, where the whole clan had a blast and learned Pahoehoe and Aa lava types.

We have 1500 pictures to go through, several dozen pages to write, and other stuff to get ready for.

On the political side, thank goodness for Joe Biden! Good pick, Obama. Why McCain picks Sarah Palin, 1.5 yr governor of a population-poor state which relies on handouts from the federal government for 20% of its revenue (see page 3) who was previously a mayor of a town of 9,000 for VP is beyond me. Seems the Republicans don't care about experience after all.