In what I can only assume will turn out to be a classic example of pot-kettle, I find it really interesting how people start to behave when their ambition out-paces their aptitude. Often times, it seems they just start jumbling their words together in what I think might be an attempt to confuse your audience, thereby obscuring the fact that they themselves are confused. (See how that works?)
It looks like a solid chunk of our country realized that Sarah Palin was very unprepared for the Presidency. I know I’m at odds with a lot of people when I say this, but I find it very important that leaders can speak clearly and communicate an idea; it really doesn’t matter how clear your vision is if you can’t articulate it.
One of the things that really gets on my nerves is when George W. Bush tries to communicate a thought and strings random phrases together with arbitrary usage of “you know” and “like” in the hopes that the result will miraculously make sense. It doesn’t take a lot of time listening to Sarah Palin to realize she was cut from the same cloth:
I’m like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I’m like, don’t let me miss the open door.
But, I do concede that speaking like an idiot doesn’t necessarily mean she isn’t equipped to deal with a large-scale catastrophe like the global economic meltdown or unpacking your luggage. There is always a chance that she could really shine under pressure, so let’s have a look at such a scenario. For fairness’ sake, lets take the example where she is unpacking after returning home from the campaign trail:
She was just frantically … trying to sort stuff out. That’s the problem, you know, the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for. Nothing goes right back to normal.
Ah. Maybe not, then.
Update: In related news, George W. Bush has mentioned that when he goes back to Texas, he is considering writing a book. I recommend he tries reading one, first. Just to get the feel for how they work. Left to right, top to bottom, front to back…
I put my support behind Barack Obama some time around November or December 2007. Something abstract about his nature has drawn me to him that I have been unable to identify. I feel inspired when I hear him speak, I feel confident that no matter what changing landscapes the next four years bring, he would be able to guide us through them as safely as possible.
I started to realize in the last few months that it has less to do with his political beliefs or his views on the various issues. While his views are solidly in the Democratic party’s side of the field, I have increasingly been realizing that I feel like that’s more of a intersection of values than it is loyalty to any particular party.
All this has been very intangible for me until I read the Week in Review in the newspaper this past Sunday morning. Week in Review is always my favorite part of the news paper, and not just because it’s the only part of the papers with comics; I appreciate the summary of the events. (I read it for the articles, not the pictures.) This week’s edition had a great summary of the candidates and the issues. It was when reading Obama’s summary that I finally realized why I have so much failth in his guidance:
Everyone contributes; silent lurkers will be interrogated. (He wants to “suck the room of every idea,” said Valerie Jarrett, a close adviser.) Mention a theory and Mr. Obama asks how it translates on the ground. He orchestrates debate, playing participants off each other — and then highlights their areas of agreement. He constantly restates others’ contributions in his own invariably more eloquent words. But when the session ends, his view can remain a mystery, and his ultimate call is sometimes a surprise to everyone who was present.
I think that leadership revolves around the guiding a team, as a group, to finding the best possible solution to a problem - not individual team members’ selfish desire to have their solution be chosen. Some people call this “working for the common good”, but I think that is too abstract. It is about selflessly finding the best way to approach a problem - which is exactly what Obama is doing in these meetings. He is mining for all the ideas and information and then using this judgement and leadership to steer the team in the right direction.
It is this leadership that I will be voting for on November 4th - not just his party or his voting record or his policies. It is knowing that he will be choosing the best solution regardless of where it comes from that makes me sure I am voting for what will surely become one of the greatest presidents of our time; afterall, the last president to show this style of leadership was Abraham Lincoln. And, when it comes down to it, I am confident that if the best idea comes from the Republican side of the house (unlikely!), he will not hessitate to support it.
Growing up, we used to do a lot of mountain biking in one of the state forests on Gull Lake. The season was not very long in Minnesota, since it was snowy until April or so, and hunting season started in November or October. We weren’t very afraid of bird hunters, but deer hunters scared the crap out of us. Something about mixing booze and giant guns never sat very well with us. Lets remember that this is a sport where wearing orange is your primary safety mechanism.
Hunting season is a lot like Election Season in the sense that, given Sarah Palin’s special intrests, I feel like putting on an orange jumper any time I turn on the television.
After the 2000 elections, I was devastated but blissfully unaware of how terrible a president could be. During the 2004 election, I wrote a song called Shadows and Rain as a critique of the Bush Administration. The song’s message is split between pre-election optimism of our country doing the right thing and post-election disappointment at having failed to do so.
So, do your duty as an American Citizen and vote. And remember: Obama supporters vote November 4th, McCain supporters vote November 5th.
I’m not sure if I’ve made it clear in the last post, but I’m back in India doing a project review in Bangalore and preparing for a sales call in Delhi. It’s been pretty busy but I feel like we’re making lots of progress towards tackling the problems we’re encountering and making effective changes moving forward.
This whole thing is nowhere near as glamorous as it seems, though. Being in India has seriously hampered Birth Month. And that’s a major problem. I’m working on a strategy for making up for lost time, but all my requests to the U.S. Government for “Free Money For Being Awesome” are getting rejected saying they’ve given all their free money to “Wall Street”, whatever that is.
There has been some time for relaxing, though. My birthday was Saturday, and together with my coworkers who are here in India with me, we headed off to one of the old British Hill Stations, Ooty. The British used to call it, “Snooty Ooty” but I have no idea why, aside from the obvious rhyme. There must be another reason because most British quips are clever enough that I don’t get it, and I’m assuming this is the same. It probably has something to do with Cricket.
While I’m on the topic of crap I don’t understand, what is the deal with Cricket? I’ve watched at least three dozen games during my two visits to India, and I have absolutely no idea how it works. I keep waiting for the guy to hit a “homer”.
Anyway, the road to Ooty is the worst I’ve ever been on. Potholes you could loose a herd of Mongolian antelope in. I think I might be done with road trips in India. On the other hand, the road passed through a wild-life sanctuary where we got to see monkeys, elephants (captive), buffalo, and peacocks. The journey concluded by passing over a mountain pass that was remarkably steep and twisty. If not for the certainty of death by motor-vehicle impact, it would be a perfect road for riding. What was really freaky for me is that Ooty is so far south that the tree line is crazy high. The pass was somewhere around 2600 or 2800 meters, and we were still well below the tree line. In France, the roads we ride have the tree line around 2000 meters; at 2600 meters, you’re on some of the highest roads in Europe and riding through glaciers.
Ooty itself was beautiful. Nestled into the valley, it has a very strong Tibetan presence since the government of Tamil Nadu has given Tibetan refugees permission to live and work in Ooty. Between the scenery, the usual Indian city energy, and the Prayer Flags hanging from most buildings, it was an amazing place to visit.
I believe this is the first bit of advise I ever received: “Nee hep je al, ja kan je nog krijgen”. Translated in a practical way that doesn’t capture it’s meaning, it means, “You already have a ‘No’, but you can still get a ‘Yes’.” My grandmother gave that advise to me. Given that she is Dutch, I’m assuming I didn’t ask for it. That’s the way the Dutch roll: advise is only worth the inverse proportion of how much it’s asked for.
No matter how you spin it, it all comes down to this: Dutch people are always right. Seriously. It’s a little freaky.
I’ve been working on a collaborative software development effort between a team in Seattle, WA and Bangalore, India for the last nine months, and - despite our various successes - we’ve had numerous recurring problems both in the U.S. and in India.
That recurring problem is a lack of communication. That’s what Oma was trying to tell me all along: if you don’t know how to ask for what you need, you will never be helped.
It’s more pronounced in a dual-shore scenario, but the problem has been there in every project I’ver ever worked on. In a way it’s funny that communication has been my biggest obstacle in my professional career - it’s funny because Oma has been whispering the answer to me my whole life.
Thanks, Oma. I get it now. It only took 32 years, but I got it. And, by the way, Haap is here with me and is still wearing the green outfit you made for him when I was six.
Often times, it seems they just start jumbling their words together in what I think might be an attempt to confuse your audience, thereby obscuring the fact that they themselves are confused. (See how that works?)
I feel inspired when I hear him speak, I feel confident that no matter what changing landscapes the next four years bring, he would be able to guide us through them as safely as possible.
April or so, and hunting season started in November or October. We weren’t very afraid of bird hunters, but deer hunters scared the crap out of us. Something about mixing booze and giant guns never sat very well with us. Lets remember that this is a sport where wearing orange is your primary safety mechanism.
It’s been pretty busy but I feel like we’re making lots of progress towards tackling the problems we’re encountering and making effective changes moving forward.
