Reviving the blog

It has been suggested to me by a wise person that I start a blog to talk about my travels to exotic locations such as Italy, India and Erie. If I am smart on future trips I will bring my memory card reader so I can load photos while on location (I sound like a news type person). Sadly, I am in India and do not have my memory card reader. Actually, it's probably for the best that people not see the photos of India until I get home. I kind of envision this revival as a way for me to share my experiences, talk about travel tips I learn and otherwise talk about my life traveling as a spy.

The only thing I will post about the debate

Since every channel in the hotel had the debate except the ESPN's. So, in the interest of staying current, I had the tv tuned to the debate and occasionally listened when I wasn't in the bathroom trying to wash off the crap that was coming through the tv. Anyway.... one thing about Barck Obama really struck me. It was his voice. The pitch, the cadence, the inflictions, they all reminded me of someone. The Rock. Seriously. Listen to the Rock when he's not speed talking during his promo's and it's very similar. All of this got me thinking. How awesome would it be if Barack started using some of those catchphrases. Really, what would the reaction have been if he finished the debate going "Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" Even better, if he just started referring to McCain and Palin as "those two jabroni's". I know he'd catch flak for doing that but there is no way anyone could focus on McCain if he Obama went that route.

Hiking on Grandfather Mountain

Thought on a chilly night during election season

As I'm sure most people are aware, I am not much of a fan of politicians in general and really despise the parties. I have recently rediscovered the writings of someone else who does not like the parties. In his own words:

Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

The answer to the question I am sure you are asking is that the writer is George Washington. This is just a small section of his farewell address. It is scary to me that those words were written over 200 years ago and that: a) he was so right, b) very few people knew he said those words , and c) even fewer people recognize how right we was. Here is a link to the full address: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm

The Gaul(ey) of it all

This past weekend I went up to West Virginia with a group of people from work. It wasn't a work function, just a group of us that get along and wanted to do some rafting. We drove up on Saturday and camped at a campground near our rafting company. It was an enjoyable night just to hang out with everyone, cookout, have some drinks and just have fun around the campfire. We had to be at the rafting company by 8 the next morning so we didn't sleep in (much to the chagrin of those who had too much to drink the night before).

The reason we decided to go to West Virginia for rafting is that last weekend was part of what is known as "Gauley Season". What that means is that there is a dam at the top of the run and the Army Corp of Engineers increases the flow of the river for Labor Day weekend and the five weekends after that. The extra release helps to create some of the best rapids on the east coast. The stretch of the river we did was the Upper Gauley which contains five Class V rapids. To our surprise, no one from our group of twelve (two boats of 6) ever fell overboard. We ended up pulling a few people out of the river from other boats that did capsize.

To describe the rapids is tough. Time through the five Class V rapids seemed to both fly and stall at the same time. What I do know, is that it was an amazing time. One of the craziest things I did was on the last set of rapids for the day. Our guide (who was great, maybe another blog post just to dissect his performance) described the last set of rapids as a high Class III or maybe a Class IV. Anyway, what I did was sit at the bow of the boat, kind of leaning over it. This allowed me to really see every hit we were about to take and to take a bunch of waves to the face. The biggest wave crashed over me, so much so that I was completely under water. What a great way to end the day.

I plan on returning next fall for another run.

Random Dream

A little background first. As most of you know, I travel a lot for my job and some people joke with me that my employer is just a cover and that I'm really a spy. Well, that finally made it into a dream last night. I'm not exactly sure if I was really a spy or if the firm had started a hit squad. Either way, I was training in the woods with some other people for a mission where we were going to take someone out.

Questioning Myself

Recently I have been spending a lot of time in my head and trying to determine the motivations for what I do.  It's tough to discern the true motivation for anything I do.  Where I get screwed up mentally is when I think I am doing something that seems like it would be what God would want me to do but at the same time I can see some selfish motivation behind it.  Am I really doing those things for God or is it for me?  I have recently started to struggle with an even worse possibility.  What if I am so self-centered that my thinking it is pleasing to God is simply me deluding myself into that belief?  I don't really see this as a crisis of faith so much as a crisis in discernment.  Have I drifted in my faith so much that I can no longer discern the proper path and desires?