I Was Wrong

Wow, was I wrong about Sarah Palin. Let the record show that before John McCain chose her has his VP nominee that I had pegged Governor Palin as "the one" to rise from the ranks and become the future of the Republican party.

When McCain chose Palin it appeared I might be right. Palin's appearance on the national stage changed the dynamic of the race and put Sen. McCain in a position to win the election. Her speech at the Republican National Convention stirred millions of Americans and set the GOP in a position to defy all odds and keep the White House.

Then, pieces of info began to emerge that began to undermine Governor Palin's image as being a maverick and replace that with the idea that she wasn't ready to lead.

First, there was the avoidance of the media. Yeah, they were out to get her. I honestly think a lot of the main stream media resented her for having it all: a career, a stud husband, beautiful kids, a knockout body, and charisma. But she should have been eager to introduce herself to the MSM on her terms. Instead, she let them define her...and her interview with Katie Couric gave them all the ammunition they needed to peg her as being unprepared to lead. Let's admit it, people...we tried to excuse our way through this bomb, but there just wasn't any way to do it.

Next was the debate. It was clear that she had been drilled on certain questions and prepared to counter things she didn't know...and frankly I thought she out-performed Joe Biden by a wide margin. But then again, I'm not convinced that a well-trained street vendor couldn't make Joe Biden look like a blowhard. Yet there was little evidence that Governor Palin had a comprehension of the intricacies of the way the world worked.

Now, post-election, is Governor Palin's decision to step down and not seek a 2nd term. If she's doing this because there is a scandal of some sort, then, well, she's not ready. But if she did this to pursue other political means, like running for President, it proves once and for all her inability to lead. I don't know who is advising her, but it's probably the same people who told her to do a press conference in front of a turkey slaughtering facility. If she wants to prove that she's presidential material, she ought to serve out her term and produce results that demonstrate leadership. If she wants to prove that she's ready for the national stage, she should have challenged Lisa Murkowski for the Senate seat in 2010 and built her resume. You don't "better serve Alaska" by stepping down. You do it by leading them as you were elected to do. Fulfill your term and let things fall out as they may.

I like Sarah Palin. I don't like the way she was treated, and think that those who held such vitriolic hatred for her should really look in the mirror and see what inadequacies they are masking with their vicious attacks. But on one count her detractors are right on the money. She's not ready to lead, not ready for the national stage, and not of the temperament that we need our leaders to be.

In other words, I was wrong about Sarah Palin.

Now, would it be too much to ask Republican leaders to stop crapping their pants for a week or two?

Cultivating Vision

This is not your typical Independence Day post in that I'm not going to speak flowingly of independence, freedom, and all the other things that you might expect to read. I think you all know how grateful I am for those who protect freedom and are ready to defend it anywhere in the world. I am particularly thinking of Landon Hoeft, who is with the Marines in our new offensive called "Strike of the Sword" where we are advancing against the well-entrenched Taliban.

I'm thinking today of the courageous vision that brought America to become a reality. A concern grew into an idea, which evolved into a vision, bringing a revolution. This concept continues to develop today as we discuss how the American dream fits into the realities of our new world. But that original vision of freedom, democracy, and individual rights continues to move forward as a beacon of hope for us and for millions who seek to become Americans.

Have you thought of how close that vision came to never being reality? Threats from a feared king, an opponent that was much better equipped for battle, and division from within all threatened this vision. But it persevered largely because of the hard work put in by visionaries who were willing to die for what they believed in.

Today I'm reminded of some truths when it comes to vision. First, an inability to find success in previous plans should never keep a person from pressing forward. Failure tempts us to accept the ordinary, to believe that vision is only for the talented, gifted, or super-spiritual. I think every person ought to have a working vision of where he or she believes God is leading them. This part of God leading may not resonate with some or fit into one's worldview. But when you consider that vision is not creative as much as it is perceiving what is there, you are forced to consider the generation of what we see. More and more I'm convinced that while creativity allows us to see outside the box, it is obedience that allows us to follow God's leading when every bone in our body wants to push in the other direction...to go back.

You have been created by God to reflect His image in His world. This identity gives us the freedom to explore our giftedness but an obligation to pursue those God-sized assignments.

Look forward with courage and reach for what God has called you to!

New Rule

I'm using my blog to announce a new rule that ought to be enforced for every business, corporation, store, and hotel. Here it is: whatever the item will ACTUALLY cost is the price you post. In other words, if a basketball is going to actually cost $15.95 AFTER the entitlement enabling fee ERRRRRR...."sales tax" is imposed, don't post $14.35.

Here's what got me thinking about it. Tree and I are planning our 10th wedding anniversary. At least we're hoping to make it to 10 years once the planning is over. Theoretically, even if she decided to file for divorce now, the legal jungle ensures we'll make it to 10 years anyways...so Happy 10th Anniversary babe!

I digress.

We decided we were going to spend a couple of nights in Palm Springs. She can sleep, I can golf. We can relax, take it all in, and enjoy some well-deserved R&R. So we set a budget and started looking at hotels. We figured we could go for a 4-star resort and be right at our budget. This even gave us a little room to go over if we wanted to a little bit.

We headed to Travelocity.com, Hotwire.com, and all the other .com's to find our resort getaway. Finding base rates of $85-$90, we figured that with the taxes we'd be pretty close. Then we realized the real cost of staying at these resorts. They call it "resort fees." I call it...well it's pretty much what John Boehner used to refer to this loony Climate Change Bill going through Congress. Do the initials P.O.S. mean anything to you? Well...these resort fees aren't $5/night. Many of these places charge $30-$40 a NIGHT for these fees. Just to make you feel better, they tell you that it covers parking, bottled water, even access to the swimming pool!

Call me old school, but when I stay in a hotel, the parking lot comes with it. And if you want to charge people to swim in the pool at the hotel, open a waterpark. If it's part of the hotel, it should be a part of the total rate that the hotel charges. Don't make me hire a research associate just to figure out how much I'm going to have to pay to stay at a hotel to take my wife on a little vacation. And don't include valet parking. I'll park my 2004 Ford Freestar by myself, thank you. I'd rather take 30 minutes to strike up a conversation with a local, become their friend, and park my car in their driveway before I'll pay a guy $12/day to park my MINIVAN.

So the tactic is clear. They lower their base rate by up to 40% but add 50% on in fees. I thought only jewelers did this. But not anymore. Are restaurants going to charge "booth fees?" for sitting at a booth? Will they add a $5 surcharge for sitting under a fan? Will you have to pay $1 for each visit to the restroom?

This gives me an idea. Desert Winds is no longer going to ask you to give a tithe (10%). We're going to knock that down to 7%. After all, these are tough times. But there will be a few "religion fees" for you to deal with. For instance, a bulletin will now set you back $5. Like the gym, we'll charge you $2 for every child you check in...and an extra $1 for every pound they are over the AMA official standard for their height and age. We will no longer be serving complimentary snacks after the service, but you can have a Costco Cookie for just $2, and chase down that cookie with some Wal Mart bottled water at just $2 a bottle. Exact change is appreciated. We will also be adding hospitality to our menu, offering mandatory valet parking by our youth at only $10 a vehicle. If you walk to church, you will be charged a $5 walk-in fee. Every question you ask will set you back $2, and every time you complain about something you'll have to cough up $5. Can't have that critical spirit, you know! We all know God's Word is more precious than silver or gold, and now it's time to live out that truth. There is a "sermon reception fee" of $10 for each attender. Unchurched friends cost $5. If you don't participate in a ministry, you'll be charged a $10 "dead weight fee" to offset your lack of service. Singing out of key is harmful to all around you...and we care about that. So if you're caught on a flat or sharp note, that will be an aesthetics fee of $5. Finally, the recent rash of violence in churches has caused us to impose a security fee of $10/person that will guarantee nothing but the words "security fee" sure sound good, don't they?

There you have it. My rant for the night. Take your resort fees and added amenities and shove 'em. This opinion is completely complimentary. Have a nice night!

Michael Jackson

I really didn't think I was going to write about this, but it is a huge story and this blog tends to comment on such things.

I happened to be in Beverly Hills around the time it all went down. Before you get the image of me holding a poodle and getting my nails done, I would point out that I was underground at a loading dock trying to convince a valet that I deserved 20 minutes of free parking to service my OnTrac box. Mission accomplished.

As I was heading towards Hollywood to do my last box, I noticed a LOT of traffic, particularly around Hollywood and Highland. Once Tree told me what was going on, I had a better idea exactly how big this was.

Let's look at this objectively. Michael Jackson's music defined an entire generation of music. "Thriller", my favorite workout song still today(seriously), was #1 on the chart for something like 82 straight weeks. That's insane. He was one of the most famous people in the world, an amazing feat for 1 of 9 children born in Gary, Indiana. He broke the racial barrier and was the first black man (well he black then, but I guess it doesn't matter) to have his music video on MTV. He was extraordinarily successful in a professional sense.

As is well-known, he was also a tortured soul. Troubled by an extraordinary mountain of debt, lawsuits, relational issues, and that little thing with children (allegedly), Jackson was often in the news for things people don't want to be in the news for.

Anyways.

Here's my reaction. If I hear another "friend" come forward saying "I tried to get Michael to stop with the drugs but I was forced out of his circle", I'm gonna be sick. If I hear another "expert" diagnose exactly what happened, I'm going to hurl. Nobody knows except the coroner, and he's still waiting for those toxicology reports to come back.

People are acting stupid around it because his music represented a generation. It's less about the man and more about the music and the emotions people connect with it. I mean, who doesn't look at their loved one and say "You're my PYT." Ok, I don't know anybody who does. But it's good music, even today.

Still love the Thriller, though!

Keep Your Day Job, Loser

So John Kerry tried another joke. Apparently the joke about people in the military wasn't funny enough. Recently he said that:

"Too bad, if a governor had to go missing it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin."

Yeah John, we know Sarah Palin is the Governor of Alaska. Thanks for taking a break from wind surfing to 'splain that to us common folk. And thanks for reminding us what a complete joke you are, Mr. Presi-oops...that didn't happen, did it John? It is sad to watch you flash your vitriol like this. I mean, you are such a good judge of character.



Perhaps you opposed the joke before you supported it, only to end up opposing it again. It all makes sense, doesn't it?

Keep the jokes coming!!!

Another One Bites the Dust

One of my favorite shows when I was younger was "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" I loved that show. It fostered my love for geography and all things world.

Apparently they just finished filming a new movie called "Where in the World is Mark Sanford?" Where was the Governor of South Carolina, gone missing for five plus days? The beach? The woods? The Appalachian Trail? Nope...you were close. The correct answer is Argentina, where he apparently reconnected with his mistress before flying home to confess of his sins and ask for forgiveness.

Let me start by saying that Sanford's resignation from the Republican Governors' Association is woefully inadequate. He should resign from his duties as Governor and if he doesn't, the leaders of the state should move forward with impeachment proceedings. I say this not because he committed adultery. I say this because his adultery caused him to act in a way that betrayed his duties as Governor of South Carolina. Ok, so the odds of North Carolina invading in his absence were low. But there are occasions such as disasters and the like which demand the Governor's response. He was out of touch. Gone. Not available. The state leaders needed to know where he was and he wasn't there. Had he temporarily relinquished his duties to the Lieutenant Governor and taken announced time off, he could have done so and probably gone away with little fanfare.

But keep in mind that Sanford raised his own profile by publicly refusing Stimulus money (which the courts ultimately forced him to accept), thus making enemies in and out of his state. If you're going to battle for what is right, you'd better live out what is right in your own life or that which you fight for is negated.

I don't know enough about Mr. Sanford to say much more than this. I don't know anything about his family and am not in a position to judge how it got to this point. Hopefully there's a way that God can move and bring reconciliation to that family. But that's not my business.

However, as a Republican, I can say this: We'd better get a grip on our leadership vacuum now or we won't be able to seize on the reality of President Obama's downturn. It's really frustrating.