04.03.07
Posted in Politics at 8:54 am by Todd
Today is the day to vote in Manhattan, KS and the surrounding areas. I hope everyone takes this chance to exercise that right. And since my blog is now the official website for Adam-For-School-Board (see this article on The Manhattan Mercury’s website), I wanted to provide some links to more information.
First, Adam participated in a forum that was broadcast on KMAN. That is now hosted on the Manhattan Mercury website here, here, here, and here. Second, the Mercury also has several articles that include information about Adam and the other candidates (voting record, growth, quick overview). Last, the K-State Collegian published an article yesterday that talks about Adam.
So get out and vote! And don’t forget to vote for Adam (assuming you think he is the best candidate, which I think he is).
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04.02.07
Posted in Politics at 7:53 pm by Todd
Tomorrow, my community will vote for representatives to the USD 383 School Board. So if you are eligible to vote, I encourage you to do so. And I would also like to renew my bid for everyone to vote for Adam Dolezal. If given the chance, he will help do great things on the school board.
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03.27.07
Posted in Family, Politics at 7:36 pm by Todd
On Tuesday, March 20, 2007 President Bush made a visit to the Ford and GM Plants in Kansas City. While there, he talked about his energy policy with special emphasis on reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
Now this isn’t news that hasn’t been covered all over. What is news, especially to my friends and family, is that one of us got to shake hands with President Bush. Our family friend, Wayne Henricks, had this snapshot taken while President Bush walked the assembly line.
Special thanks to the source of this great pic.
When I saw this picture I couldn’t believe my eyes. First, it is always hard to believe when someone I know meets, or becomes, famous. But mostly because when I heard about the Presidents visit to GM-Fairfax I asked Kari if she thought Wayne would get to meet the President. Turns out, it wasn’t off the wall.
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03.19.07
Posted in Politics at 7:03 am by Todd
I read this blog entry by Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) and it got me to thinking about what type of politician I am looking for. While doing so, I started to question why I don’t like politicians that “flip-flop”. I also had to consider why I think politicians should not make decisions based upon polling data.
One of the reasons that flip-flopping is a problem is that it shows a level of indecision. Now, that is not normally a problem but becomes one in my mind when that indecision is not stated. What I mean is that every policitian is utterly certain about everything they say and leave no room for other opinions or ideas. And, in most cases, they attempt to demonize the “other side” as much as possible. So, why then should it bother me when they decide to change their mind and become the other side?
Polling data, what good is it really? I tend to think that a perfect democracy could only exist in a perfect world. And in this perfect world, that polling data might mean something. But we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in a world where it is hard to write good survey questions, it is easy to write vague, meaningless questions, and it is easy to jump to inaccurate conclusions based upon those vague questions. So politicians that make decisions based upon that information are relying on faulty information. And instead of pointing out this fact, our leaders continue to use this information to make decisions.
On the other hand, if I thought that politicians behaved as Scott suggests, I would welcome that. But I don’t. I see flip-floppers as those that make up their mind on an issue without understanding it, sticking by that decision until such time as it can become a politican advantage, and without any more understanding, completely changing their stand. What’s more, since they don’t understand the issue or have any rationale behind their decision, they have a tough time convincing the public that they are right. So instead of leadership we are left with meaningless politics that only serve to garner politicians more power.
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03.16.07
Posted in Politics at 3:46 pm by Todd
Another season of elections is upon us. And the only election that I am paying attention to is the Board of Education for USD 383 (Manhattan/Ogden) school district. The reason that I care is that a great friend of mine is running. I hope I can do him justice here and it helps him get elected. While we have been friends for many years, I think I can still provide some unbiased opinion of him and his qualifications.
First, he has the right type of personality to do well in a position like this. Specifically, he usually takes a very considered approach to decisions and makes every effort to understand all sides of an issue before making any decisions.
Second, he is running for the right reason. That is to say that he truly wants to help make the community better. And he has been doing this for many years, just in a different capacity. Since completing his degree at K-State, he has been working for the City of Manhattan in the Parks and Recreation Department. He has done a great job of managing and expanding the soccer programs in Manhattan as well as the other programs that he supervises (including the ice rink, youth softball, and the high school intramural programs).
Third, he has a good background to help make decisions on the BoE. He earned his Bachelors degree in Education at K-State and has a great deal of experience with the youth in this community. He also grew up in a household where education was a topic at dinner because his mother has been a teacher in Manhattan for as long as I can remember. So he knows of a lot of issues from the educators side as well as issues from the students side. He grew up in Manhattan and attended several of the schools in the district (Theodore Roosevelt, Amanda Arnold, Manhattan Middle School, and Manhattan High School).
All this is to say that I hope everyone in the USD 383 school district gets out to vote for the best candidates. And I beileve that Adam Dolezal is the best candidate.
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02.20.07
Posted in Politics at 1:45 pm by Todd
I recently watched a lecture by Lawrence Lessig that he presented to OSCON 2002. I have seen him in person once, listened to a couple of lectures online, and I read from his blog regularly. In this lecture, he provides (what appears to be) an open, honest view of culture and freedom. He also does a great job of calling out those of us who are listening but not doing anything to fight against those that wish to bottle up culture (and sell it exclusively).
I have a hard time with this because I do not approve of what our lawmakers are doing and what the entertainment industry is doing. On the other hand, I must not be too bothered by it since I continue to buy CDs, books, movies, and other forms of culture (which supports those I oppose) as well as not express my distaste to lawmakers. Futher, I don’t even support those that fight against this in any meaningful way. Put another way, in thought I am outraged … but in action I am doing the opposite.
I hope I can finally convince myself to do something about this (stop purchasing their wares and support those that fight against them). I also encourage others to consider what is happening in the world related to intellectual property and act appropriately.
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11.09.06
Posted in Politics at 5:18 am by Todd
I would have liked to wish Donald Rumsfeld a fond farewell at his Landon Lecture today but I have more pressing issues (bugs in Cadena are keeping me up at night). Instead, I will have to do it here on my blog (not that he would ever be caught reading this).
Quick side-line: I watched his lecture online today and I it was very well done and very educational for me. I never thought about the parallels between the Cold War and the current War on Terrorism.
While I would never claim that I agree with 100% of his positions and decisions, I will say that I think he has done a great job as Secretary of Defense. His focus on making the military responsive and efficient is a very worthy goal and a goal that I think should continue long after his departure. And while I believe he is responsible (directly and indirectly) for everything that happens in the Defense Department, I think critics should moderate the blame they are heaping up him. What I mean is that he is not completely responsible for stolen paper clips or spelling errors in all reports produced throughout the military. I also don’t think that he is responsible for all the death and destruction that has happen, and is currently happening, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other battle fields on earth. Shouldn’t we lay some of that blame on the actual “evil doers” that inhabit those areas? And maybe upon others in the chain of command (including those in Congress who are responsible for the checks-n-balances)? It seems like he is being used as a political scape-goat for the trouble in Iraq and for the shift of leadership in the US Congress (house and senate). But that is an argument for another time … this is about “Rummy”.
So, I wish Donald Rumsfeld a fond farewall and wish him all the luck in future endeavors. I hope that includes some rest and relaxation since his current, and soon to be past, position was stressful and probably all-consuming. I will certainly miss his personality and wit during press conferences (honestly, I never watched press conferences until I saw the way he gave them).
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09.21.06
Posted in Politics at 7:49 pm by Todd
I heard something funny on my drive into work this morning. I was listening to snippets of an interview of President Clinton as he talked about the current debate on interrogation methods (using that term you can easily see which side I stand on) and he said something along the lines of “We live in a land of laws and nobody is above those laws.” I found this amusing because my first thought went back to when he was being questioned about having relations with Monica Lewinsky. I was thinking about how easily he lied about their relationship and how he seemed to believe he was above the law. Anyway, just thought it was funny and hoped others might find it just as funny.
And to be fair, it looks like his famous quote about “not having sexual relations…” was not an out-right lie since their was a a wonderfully abstract definition of sexual relations (although I don’t know how much faith to put into this text since this seems to be their source).
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02.16.06
Posted in Politics at 2:00 am by Todd
I just got an email from a friend that included a letter from the Mayor of Tall ‘Afar (Ninewa, Iraq), Najim Abdullah Abid Al-Jibouri. I have mixed emotions about the content of the letter. My first reaction is that I am very proud that our soldiers are doing such fine work and truly making a difference. But then my next reaction is, why is it that I did not hear about this during my daily mainstream media time (I watch the morning news on the Today show and catch the first 15 minutes of one of the network new stations at night). Based upon the “mainstream media” accounts of the war in Iraq, there is only death and destruction with no improvement for our soldiers or the Iraqi people. But being the cynical guy that I am, I usually discount those reports as biased and look for other sources of information (like CSpan, blogs, first-hand accounts, and sometimes I even watch Fox news) to provide a well-rounded perspective on the situation. So the letter provided below certainly does provide a different view than what NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are reporting.
Hopefully my many readers (and by many I mean the two people that read this blog) will also be enlightened with this letter.
From: Mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Ninewa, Iraq
In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful
To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who
have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which
terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing
with life.
To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists
who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many
months.
To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us
restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and
gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and
stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.
Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The
city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our
schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our
streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were
barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every
corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the
city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses
of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to
kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young.
This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto
them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who
liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh
fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to
flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of
other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally
destroyed them.
I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are
not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God
Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.
The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey,
LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom.
Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of
knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of
a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to
date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in
military science. This military operation was clean, with little
collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and
precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city
without causing unnecessary damage.
God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated
these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the
families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the
families of
those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in
reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not
in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around
us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for
giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most
valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower
growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be
proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.
Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment,
I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and
soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary
heroes and their brave families.
NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID
AL-JIBOURI
Mayor of Tall ‘Afar,
Ninewa, Iraq
[Editors Note: In an effort to make sure this was not some hoax or just some slanted view, I did some google searching and found a couple of other postings of this same letter here and here. I also found a transcript of a presentation that quotes from this letter here. If any of these sources are unreliable, please let me know since I did not research them fully.]
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01.18.06
Posted in Politics, SAnToS at 12:54 am by Todd
Well, I should clarify the title. President Wefald has been very outgoing about promoting events, activities, and programs within one department at KSU (hint, it is the department that holds the football program, the basketball program, and the baseball program). It seems like he is finally taking aim at promoting the research that the university does and how it benefits the state.
For several years now I have heard that the university brings in $19 of economic benefit to the state for each $1 the state provides to it. I do not know where that figure comes from since it was simply word-of-mouth during conversations with faculty. But Wefald has now told the Kansas Board of Regents that there is a $3 billion economic benefit (which gives us a $17.54 ratio, not the $19 ratio). The article does not go on to discuss how they come up with that number, but since they used it to promote the university to the board, I assume that it is fairly accurate and has a well-defined formula. So, it looks like the university has a very positive effect on the state economy. Maybe the state legislature should consider this more carefully when they are cutting the budget or choosing to provide tax incentives to new business (instead of funding the university research programs).
But with all the good news in that article (Wefald promoting research at KSU to the state and the fact that we generate a great deal for the economy) it was depressing to see that he provided the idea that teaching load is a good metric to promote. If he used it simply to say “look how much we have done with this little pot of money, imagine what we could do with more”, I applaude him. The problem I see is that it will be very easy for people to latch onto this idea such that we should strive to improve the university in that way (we should go for a higher teaching load). For example, a board member might see this and believe that we are doing just fine with our current funding so there is no reason to increase it. Without hearing what he actually said (reading a quote from the article is not the same), I should not pass judgement. But I feel fairly safe in suggesting that his message might not have been received well (I have seen him talk several times and found him lacking).
All in all, it is great to hear that President Wefald is promoting research. I just wish he would have mentioned something about the work that we are doing (highly unlikely), that the CIS department is doing (unlikely), or even the College of Engineering is doing. Maybe next time.
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