So I'm sort of a leftist libertarian...

...and among my friends in the political science department (with the exception of Mike, the only Republican), I am the one closest to the "right". That's funny.

To find out where you are on the scale, go to www.politicalcompass.org and take the test!

I wish that was my president!

Wow, I just got home from a lecture by former German Chancellor Gerhard Scrhoder, and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but all I can say is that I wish he was our president! No talk about terrorism as a big threat and all that BS that comes out of the White House, but a completely opposite approach to the way things are prioritized in this country. If you care to find out more, I'll try to get a hold of the transcript, and if there is one I'll post a link to it. Keep reading for a brief summary, or otherwise jump to my more mundane stories about Wine Festivals and political rallies below this post.

In Schroder's opinion, the three most pressing issues the world must deal with today are:

1) Global Warming: He advocates environmentally responsible policies, implementation of the Kyoto Treaty, and recognition that global warming is a human-made phenomenon.

2) Fair Trade: In contrast to the notion of free trade, the chancellor strongly believes that it is in our best interest that less developed countries trully get to enjoy the benefits of a global economy. He believes in a fair redistribution of wealth via international trade, and opposes the ever increasing power of multi-national corporations.

3) Security: However, not security tied to "terrorism" and all that BS. He is concerned with the allocation of basic resources such as water, food, health, education, and energy. He points out that it is our responsibility to make sure that less developed economies have access to all these if we are to have a secure world and expect to enjoy peaceful coexistance. Schroder ties fanatism and fundamentalism to the lack of access to resources, which in turn fuels hatred and resentment towards oppressing developed and imperialistic nations.

Germany has gone a long way since Hitler and WWII. But fortunately they learned their lesson. How I wish our leaders would follow their advice...(or read a chapter of two from a world history book)...

San Antonio WineFest

Wines from all over the world, food from over 30 restaurants...what else can you ask for? (maybe tickets cheaper than $40 a piece?) Still, what a great way to spend a Sunday evening!

20.000 in Austin, and I was there!

What a fun day in Austin. I drove up with some friends to see Barack, and let me tell you, if you haven't made up your mind yet, this is your man! The video above is from his website. The pictures below are mine. Go to www.BarackObama.com and get involved!

The Manifesto

We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

We kick in the moment you’re diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You’re in the fight of your life.

We’re about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that’s what it takes.
We’re about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It’s your life. You will have it your way.

We’re about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It’s knowing your rights.
It’s your life.
Take no prisoners.

We’re about the fight.
We’re your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet


LIVESTRONG.org

Barack in Austin!

Obama will be in Austin on Friday, Feb 23 at 2:00 PM. The event is free but you need tickets. Click here to sign up! Let me know if you're going. I'll be there, and I have 3 seats available in my car if you decide to carpool.

Let's do it!

I saw him for the first time in the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and as he finished speaking, I remember telling myself: "this guy is going to be president of this country one day." Here we are three years later, and sure enough, yesterday he announced his candidacy.

So, let's do it! I say. I'm behind Barak, and I'm proud to say that my very first vote ever as an American citizen will go to him.


Below are some excerpts from his candidacy announcement speech:

...Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let's set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America.

And as our economy changes, let's be the generation that ensures our nation's workers are sharing in our prosperity. Let's protect the hard-earned benefits their companies have promised. Let's make it possible for hardworking Americans to save for retirement. And let's allow our unions and their organizers to lift up this country's middle-class again.

Let's be the generation that ends poverty in America. Every single person willing to work should be able to get job training that leads to a job, and earn a living wage that can pay the bills, and afford child care so their kids have a safe place to go when they work. Let's do this.

Let's be the generation that finally tackles our health care crisis. We can control costs by focusing on prevention, by providing better treatment to the chronically ill, and using technology to cut the bureaucracy. Let's be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president's first term.

Let's be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. We can harness homegrown, alternative fuels like ethanol and spur the production of more fuel-efficient cars. We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses that will serve as a model for the world. Let's be the generation that makes future generations proud of what we did here.

Most of all, let's be the generation that never forgets what happened on that September day and confront the terrorists with everything we've got. Politics doesn't have to divide us on this anymore - we can work together to keep our country safe. I've worked with Republican Senator Dick Lugar to pass a law that will secure and destroy some of the world's deadliest, unguarded weapons. We can work together to track terrorists down with a stronger military, we can tighten the net around their finances, and we can improve our intelligence capabilities. But let us also understand that ultimate victory against our enemies will come only by rebuilding our alliances and exporting those ideals that bring hope and opportunity to millions around the globe.

But all of this cannot come to pass until we bring an end to this war in Iraq. Most of you know I opposed this war from the start. I thought it was a tragic mistake. Today we grieve for the families who have lost loved ones, the hearts that have been broken, and the young lives that could have been. America, it's time to start bringing our troops home. It's time to admit that no amount of American lives can resolve the political disagreement that lies at the heart of someone else's civil war. That's why I have a plan that will bring our combat troops home by March of 2008. Letting the Iraqis know that we will not be there forever is our last, best hope to pressure the Sunni and Shia to come to the table and find peace...

Read the full speech

Quick Update?

In the past 7 months I have:

- gotten sick :(
- "moved" to Houston :I
- lost a ball :(
- lost my hair :(
- become a US citizen : )
- lost my grandfather :(
- gotten better :)
- seen my family :)
- grown my hair out again :)
-gotten my pictures published in an online literary magazine.
- "moved" back to San Antonio :)

In the next 5 months I will:

- Publish an academic journal :)
- Organize 5 or 6 political events :)
- Finish my classes and three "incompletes" :)
- Go to Oklahoma for a leadership conference?:*
- Get a "Texas Master Naturalist" certificate :)
- Get a job :)
- Move back to Houston :)
- Figure out what to do about my thesis :)

I shall also:

- Blog again, more.
- Eat better.
- Climb again.:)
- Learn how to install a new hard drive on my Mac.:)
- Go to bed earlier.
- Call my grandma every weekend.
- Fix my car.
- Email friends more often.
- Especially old friends.
-Work out more.
- Put my jiraffe's ears back (don't even try to figure this one out).

I have become:

-A better person.
-A better friend.
-A better boyfriend.
-A better son/brother/grandson/nephew/...

I am:

-Happy
-Lucky
-Thankful

I have not:

-Gone crazy.
-Been "born again" or any of that stuff.
-Gotten my ball back. Never will :(

I still:

- Procrastinate.
- Sleep Late.
- Like to organize stuff (some say I'm OCD).
- Go to support groups with little old ladies (don't ask).
- Drink a coke or two every now and then.
-Crave BBQ Brisket on a bi-weekly basis? Can't explain it.
-Have shirts I bought in the 90's.
-Sing in the shower, the same song...can't get it out of my head.

I now:

-Like pickles??
-Use an umbrella when it's raining (i.e. am old).
-Ride the bus sometimes.
-T.A. an American Government class.
-Have to deal with stupid insurance people.
-Owe lots of money in student loans.
-Get an average of 15 to 20 emails a day.
-Get an average of 5-6 hours of sleep.
-Dislike my loud neighbors.
-Try to call or email my mom every other day.
-No longer have a working digital camera :(
-Am planning a trip to Central America to meet high school friends.
-Have had a wonderful, wonderful girlfriend for almost two years.
-Am still good friends with one exgirlfriend.
-Never heard back from my other exgirlfriend; would like to.
-Need new shoes.
-Listen to music sometimes.
-Have a new indoor/outdoor thermometer!
-Am probably boring you if you're still reading this.
-Am clearly procrastinating.
-Have 10 vials of my sperm frozen somewhere in Houston (you know, the ball thing, just in case). And yes, that might be a little personal, but after all, it's my blog you're reading. Besides, it's kind of weird to think about it. I mean, think about it...somewhere, there are many, many little "yous" frozen in 10 tiny containers. Wouldn't it make you wonder how they're doing every now and then?
-Seem to have some influence in the PoliSci department at my school?
-Should be in bed.

If you can't figure out what to give me because you love me so much, consider the following two options:

1) Apple Store Gift Certificate.
2) REI Gift Certificate.

I may:

-Think of more things to say, but for now, this might be all.


Chao!